Hurricane Milton: Back-to-back storms multiply concerns over flooding, health, evacuations, pets and access to infant food

Now a Category 5 hurricane, Milton is making a beeline toward Tampa Bay and other parts of Florida’s western coast. But it will also hit some of the same areas that Hurricane Helene decimated less than two weeks ago, amplifying the danger and need for an on-point disaster response.

Researchers in the University of Delaware’s Disaster Research Center can talk about several facets of this developing situation:

Jennifer Horney: The mental and physical impacts of multiple disasters; environmental impacts of disasters and potential public health impacts for chronic and infectious diseases. She can talk about both Milton and Helene – Horney is a native of North Carolina and has done fieldwork in the state.

Victor Perez: Can talk about known environmental justice issues in the Gulf Coast region that interact with climate change impacts, like hurricanes. 

Sarah DeYoung: Conspiracy theories and misinformation during disasters; pets in emergencies, infant feeding in disasters, decision-making in evacuation and community cohesion. DeYoung is from western North Carolina and can draw parallels from Milton to Helene.

Jennifer Trivedi: Can talk about long-term recovery after large scale events – including compounding events – as well as challenges during disasters for people with disabilities, vulnerable communities and decision making.

Tricia Wachtendorf: Evacuation decision-making, disaster response and coordination, disaster relief (donations) and logistics, volunteer and emergent efforts, social vulnerability.

James Kendra: Disaster response activities, volunteers, and emergency coordination.

A.R. Siders: Expert on sea level rise and managed retreat – the concept of planned community movement away from coastlines and flood-prone areas and the “expanding bullseye” that is contributing to the rising disaster costs in the U.S.

Shanjia Dong: Research looks at smart and resilient urban systems; infrastructure systems, critical infrastructure protection, effective disaster preparedness and response, and equitable resilience planning and climate change adaptation.

Joe Trainor: Post-storm housing decisions and insurance.