Why Hispanics Are More Vulnerable to Extreme Weather Events than Whites in the U.S.

Hispanics and Black Americans claim to have lower levels of confidence and preparedness to deal with extreme weather events than their White counterparts, as well as less access to resources, according to a new Gallup survey.

Slightly more than half of Hispanic respondents (53 percent) said that they could recover and rebuild if affected by a natural disaster or an extreme weather event. It was the lowest figure for all demographics surveyed, with Black adults clocking in at 56 percent and White adults at 70. The overall figure was 65 percent.

Moreover, about the same amount (54 percent) said they could recover and rebuild their households in case such an event took place. Hispanics were again the demographic with the lowest level of confidence in their ability to do so, below Black adults (55 percent) and White adults (72 percent).

The only category in which Hispanics were not at the bottom was in whether they had taken steps to prepare their households for natural disasters. Here, 56 percent said they had done so, compared to 55 percent of Black Adults and 65 percent of Whites.

The categories in which a larger majority of respondents of all ethnicities answered affirmatively was whether they had reliable warnings and information about potential natural disasters and whether they would be able to call someone for help if one took place.

However, most Hispanic and Black respondents said their communities would not have the necessary resources to recover and rebuild after such an event. "In contrast, majorities of White adults say they can depend on their community and local government, and that their community has the resources they need to recover," reads a passage of the survey's analysis.

But most agree on their perception that their communities are not prepared for extreme weather events nor are they taking steps to address climate change. 41 percent of Hispanic adults had a positive view regarding the community's preparedness, compared to 35 percent of Black adults and 47 percent of White adults. When it comes to the second item, the number of Hispanics respondents dropped to 33 percent.

A relative minority said they'd had to relocate permanently or temporarily because if extreme weather. The figures were 11 percent for Hispanics, 14 percent for Black adults and 8 percent for White adults. Summing up, the survey indicated that "Black and Hispanic Americans are particularly vulnerable to the physical, emotional and economic impacts of these events."

These perceptions and scenarios are likely to become more relevant in the near, medium and long term future, as scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expect extreme events will increase in quantity and intensity as a consequence of climate change.