Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

The Vulnerability of Mobile Home Residents in Tornado Disasters: The 2008 Super Tuesday Tornado in Macon County, Tennessee

The Vulnerability of Mobile Home Residents in Tornado Disasters: The 2008 Super Tuesday Tornado... Mobile home residents are known to be highly vulnerable to tornadoes and account for a considerable portion of tornado-related fatalities. The problem is partially related to the limited protection provided by the structure; however, shortcomings in preparedness and response to warnings may also play a role. This study investigated mobile home resident preparedness and responses to warnings for identifying areas where they might be more vulnerable than permanent home residents (brick and wood-frame houses). The study site was Macon County, Tennessee, which reported the highest number of fatalities during the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak. A post-disaster survey was conducted within days of the disaster, and the study group included 127 local residents: 35% mobile home (MH) residents, 61% permanent home (PH) residents, and 4% other. An unconditional exact test was used to test for statistical significance (0.05 level) because the sample was nonrandom. The MH residents were less prepared than the PH residents in all six categories evaluated. The difference was significant in having participated in a tornado drill, having a tornado-resistant shelter on the premises, and having an emergency response plan for seeking shelter. The MH residents were also less likely to follow the plan, and the difference was significant. Furthermore, the MH residents were much less likely to take shelter in a safe location. Preparedness factors that promoted higher evacuation rates among MH residents included having participated in a tornado drill, understanding the definition of a tornado warning, and having a plan for seeking shelter. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Weather, Climate, and Society American Meteorological Society

The Vulnerability of Mobile Home Residents in Tornado Disasters: The 2008 Super Tuesday Tornado in Macon County, Tennessee

Loading next page...
 
/lp/american-meteorological-society/the-vulnerability-of-mobile-home-residents-in-tornado-disasters-the-CM7scVamwk

References (49)

Publisher
American Meteorological Society
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 American Meteorological Society
ISSN
1948-8335
eISSN
1948-8335
DOI
10.1175/2010WCAS1042.1
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Mobile home residents are known to be highly vulnerable to tornadoes and account for a considerable portion of tornado-related fatalities. The problem is partially related to the limited protection provided by the structure; however, shortcomings in preparedness and response to warnings may also play a role. This study investigated mobile home resident preparedness and responses to warnings for identifying areas where they might be more vulnerable than permanent home residents (brick and wood-frame houses). The study site was Macon County, Tennessee, which reported the highest number of fatalities during the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak. A post-disaster survey was conducted within days of the disaster, and the study group included 127 local residents: 35% mobile home (MH) residents, 61% permanent home (PH) residents, and 4% other. An unconditional exact test was used to test for statistical significance (0.05 level) because the sample was nonrandom. The MH residents were less prepared than the PH residents in all six categories evaluated. The difference was significant in having participated in a tornado drill, having a tornado-resistant shelter on the premises, and having an emergency response plan for seeking shelter. The MH residents were also less likely to follow the plan, and the difference was significant. Furthermore, the MH residents were much less likely to take shelter in a safe location. Preparedness factors that promoted higher evacuation rates among MH residents included having participated in a tornado drill, understanding the definition of a tornado warning, and having a plan for seeking shelter.

Journal

Weather, Climate, and SocietyAmerican Meteorological Society

Published: Nov 13, 2009

There are no references for this article.