| Summary |
Climate change increases flooding events globally, and affluent populations typically have more access to recovery resources than marginalized communities. Literature regarding the recovery of Princeville, North Carolina (NC) from flooding caused by Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016 states disaster management fails to address residents' needs and concerns about future flood risks. Furthermore, current disaster anthropology literature emphasizes the need for disaster mitigation strategies that consider local context and knowledge. This research employs a political ecology lens to identify Princeville community members' concerns about future floods and any challenges or barriers that may impact the extent to which decision-makers consider local knowledge and context when developing and implementing mitigation strategies that address their concerns. To do so, I utilized participant observation and conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with community members, local officials, and state and federal management agency personnel. Results suggest there is a limited capacity to adapt to future disasters, not only at the community level but within state and federal emergency management institutions as well. |
