Drs. Bonnie McCay (Rutgers), Patricia M. Clay and Lisa L. Colburn (both of NOAA Fisheries) will study what factors help people to be "resilient", that is, to recover from disasters more or less easily. Studies of disasters drawn from geography, anthropology, and psychology suggest that resilience differs based on experience, knowledge, tradition, and socio-political context, but also whether a hazard is perceived as caused by the natural environment or by human errors (for example, inadequate city planning or technological breakdown).
This research will further explore how Hurricane Sandy has impacted the daily routines, social life, and work life of coastal communities in the two hardest hit states, New Jersey and New York. Qualitative data will be collected by interviewing a broad cross-section of affected individuals, to see how and how much they have been able to recover from the storm so far and whether they think they can continue where they are or will need to move their homes and/or businesses to new locations. Interviews will clarify these perceptions and the potential influence of changing views of climate change. This study will add data to two other already completed studies funded by NOAA Fisheries.
Policymakers and researchers who are involved in disaster preparedness and relief efforts will benefit from the outcomes of this anthropological study of the New York and New Jersey coastal communities severely damaged by Sandy. The results of this research, together with the efforts of the National Marine Fisheries Service to document the infrastructural effects of the storm, should assist in providing appropriate assistance to fishing ports and communities. In addition, graduate students will gain valuable experience conducting qualitative research.
