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It remains uncertain how decisions to pursue relocation versus rebuilding shape disaster recovery experiences of affected populations. New York and New Jersey launched home buyout programs in select areas while localities like New York City pursued rebuilding-focused recovery with no buyout option. Government responses were likewise divided. Some households and groups of neighbors expressed a desire to move others vocalized commitment to staying (Binder et al. Among Sandy-affected neighborhoods, attitudes toward relocation and buyouts were mixed. Nationally, one survey found that 65% of Americans favored government-funded rebuilding while a smaller majority (53% nationwide 59% in Sandy-affected areas) favored government-funded relocation and buyout policies (AP-NORC 2013). 2015).Įscalating risks posed by unmitigated climate change, plus prior experience of flooding, provoked much discussion after Sandy of whether and how to rebuild. Contributing to these costs was 1 ft of sea-level rise over the decades before Sandy struck, estimated to have added approximately $2 billion to the storm’s toll in New York City and to have flooded an extra 100,000 people in New York and New Jersey (Horton et al. Sandy’s track up the densely populated east coast of the USA damaged or destroyed approximately 357,000 housing units along the New York and New Jersey coastlines, exceeding $50 billion dollars in damage (Sullivan and Uccellini 2013 NJ 2013 NY 2013). Hurricane Sandy was one of many recent disasters to prompt an emerging conversation on “managed retreat,” the planned relocation of populations from high-risk areas exposed to accelerating effects of climate change (Hino et al. This suggests access to a government-supported voluntary relocation option may, under certain circumstances, lessen the negative mental health consequences associated with disaster-related housing damage. Findings show those who lived in buyout-eligible areas and relocated were significantly less likely to report worsened stress than those who rebuilt in place. This article presents data from a survey of individuals who opted either to rebuild in place or relocate with the help of a voluntary home buyout after Hurricane Sandy. However, there is a need to reconsider these relationships in light of accelerating climate change and associated social and policy shifts in the USA, including the rising cost of flood insurance, the challenge of obtaining aid to rebuild, and growing interest in “managed retreat” from places at greatest risk. Numerous studies link post-disaster relocation to adverse social, economic, and health outcomes. After a disaster, it is common to equate repopulation and rebuilding with recovery.
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