Uncovering cooling center usage as an adaptation strategy for hurricane-blackout-heat compound hazards during Hurricane Beryl (2024)

Abstract

Extreme heat and hurricane-induced blackouts could occur simultaneously in the summer, posing great challenges to community health and well-being. Cooling centers serve as a key adaptation strategy to alleviate heat stress, especially among heat-vulnerable populations. This study leverages mobility data to examine how affected communities utilize cooling centers in response to hurricane-blackout-heat compound hazards. Additionally, it examines disparities in cooling center usage, focusing on individuals with access and functional needs (AFNs) who are usually overlooked in emergency management practices. These populations include but are limited to older adults, individuals with limited English proficiency, people with disabilities, those without vehicle access, and lower-income households. Using the empirical case of Hurricane Beryl (2024) in Harris County, Texas, we find no statistically significant difference in visiting formal (established by the government) and informal cooling centers (operated by volunteer organizations). Census block groups closer to the nearest cooling center and those with lower income are more likely to seek shelter from extreme heat at cooling centers in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. Lower-income block groups also tend to be situated closer to cooling centers, suggesting that Harris County may have strategically placed them in areas with greater social vulnerability. Furthermore, we investigate visiting hotels as an alternative but more expensive adaptation strategy during Hurricane Beryl. Between these two adaptation options, shorter distances to cooling centers, lower income, and elder age are statistically significantly associated with a higher probability of visiting cooling centers rather than hotels, while limited English proficiency significantly decreases such probability.