Behavioral Study, Valley Hurricane Evacuation Study, Willacy, Cameron, and Hidalgo Counties, Texas
Behavioral Study, Valley Hurricane Evacuation Study, Willacy, Cameron, and Hidalgo Counties, Texas Michael K. Lindell Yue Ge Shih-Kai Huang Carla S. Prater Hao-Che Wu HungLung Wei Texas A&M University Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center 30 September 2013 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Texas A&M University Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center conducted a mail survey of the general population of the Valley Study Area (VSA) counties—Cameron, Willacy, and Hidlago—and, in conjunction with the Colonias Program, conducted personal interviews with the population of selected colonias in those counties. In Cameron and Willacy counties, the sample was stratified by the hurricane risk areas that are currently in effect. That is, questionnaires were sent to residents of Risk Areas 1-5 as well as to the remainder of the county that is inland from the hurricane risk areas. In Hidalgo County, the sample was stratified by location east or west of IH-69/US-281 (Hidalgo East and Hidalgo West, respectively) or in the 500-year floodplain (regardless of their location in either Hidalgo East or Hidalgo West. The response rate for the mail survey was 23.3% and the response rate for the personal interviews was 50.4%--yielding an overall sample size of 481. The survey data indicate that 39% of the VSA population lacks hurricane experience, 18% has experienced a hurricane and evacuated, and 44% experienced a hurricane but did not evacuate. Most people expect to obtain most of their hurricane information from National Hurricane Center watches and warnings, local TV and radio stations and, to decreasing extents, from national TV networks, peers, local officials, local newspapers, the Internet, and social media.
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