DOI: 10.3886/icpsr39119
title: Community Engagement in Northeast Houston, Texas: Geospatial Results from a Household Survey on the Disaster Experiences of Northeast Houston, 2021-2022
title: Archival Version

description: This survey was conducted as part of the "Community Engagement in Southeast Texas: Pilot Project to Enhance Community Capacity and Flood Resilience" pilot project conducted by staff at the Gulf Research Program (GRP) at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Building on the lessons learned through previous community engagement efforts in Southeast Texas around flood risks, this project engaged communities in Northeast Houston to explore 1) how compounding events--specifically, flooding, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and Winter Storm Uri (2021)--increased vulnerability and risk to communities, 2) how to effectively communicate these risks to community members, and 3) how to better prepare for and mitigate these risks. 
In partnership with West Street Recovery (WSR), Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG), and Research 4 Progress, the Gulf Research Program (GRP) and Resilient America Program (RAP) at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies) designed a household survey to investigate the flood-related experiences of residents from Northeast Houston using quantitative methods and probabilistic sampling. The survey, administered in December 2021-March 2022, also asked about residents' experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic and Winter Storm Uri to capture information about the compounding impacts of the pandemic and winter storm on existing flood disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
 Consultants from Research 4 Progress programmed the survey tool using Qualtrics XM, performed the survey deployment and conducted preliminary descriptive statistical analyses (e.g., descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations) of the survey data. The principal investigators then conducted an advanced statistical and geospatial analysis of the survey data. Analyses include: descriptive statistics; geocoding response using ArcGIS Pro; comparing "real" risk to perceived flood risk using a Flood Risk score created using inverse distance weighting and empirical Bayesian kriging; determining flood risk perception influence on protective action with classical and spatial regression models; and identifying risk communication preferences and types of services sought after varying types of disasters (i.e., flooding, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Winter Storm Uri) with Wilcoxon tests and contingency tables.
description: This project's overarching goal was to build community capacity to better prepare for, respond to, and mitigate floods, while also taking into account the compounding impacts of other disasters (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 winter storms). This project sought to build community capacity through three core actions:


Identify opportunities for communities to better prepare for and mitigate flood risks, both as a stand-alone risk and in the context of compounding disasters (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic, winter storms);


Better communicate flood risks to the public, including opportunities, mechanisms, and messages for communication within the context of compounding disasters; and


Explore ways that data and science could inform community decision-making regarding flood risks directly, and as a compounding event.
description: Research 4 Progress was responsible for carrying out the recruitment plan. Multi-modal recruitment was carried out over four 2-week phases. In Phase 1, an introductory Pre-Field letter and Participant Information Sheet with information on the study was mailed to each of the 4,000 addresses on the primary list. During Phase 2, potential participants were recruited through phone calls and texts, as well as emails, with information on how to schedule a survey via phone, videoconference, or in-person (with COVID-19 precautions). In Phase 3, a Field Ending letter with the final canvassing dates was mailed to all remaining addresses. Lastly, during Phase 4, potential participants were recruited through door-to-door knocking at varying times and days of the week, including weekends. A notification was left at each door knocked with no answer. All addresses that received three door knocks with no answer were retired.
description: Variables in this study are grouped into eight sections:


<strong>Background</strong>: The Background section collected information on the respondent's home (e.g., housing type, floodplain location, flood insurance, etc.), flood experiences (e.g., damage, injuries, disruption to daily activities, etc.), and beliefs about flooding (e.g., [I believe that] flooding has become more severe).


<strong>Flood Preparedness</strong>: The Flood Preparedness section collected information on the respondent's beliefs on flood preparedness (e.g., household preparedness to handle a major flood event), flood risk communication preferences (e.g., preferred sources of information on flood preparedness), and short-term actions that the respondent has taken to prepare for flooding (e.g., developed a household flood emergency plan). In addition, one set of questions collects information on the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the respondent's ability to prepare for flooding (e.g., stockpile food and water).


<strong>Flood Response</strong>: The Flood Response section collected information on evacuation experiences from Hurricane Laura (August 2020) and Tropical Storm Beta (September 2020); Hurricane Harvey (August 2017), which was identified during formative research as the most recent benchmark storm, was used as a reference. In addition, there is one set of questions that collects information on reasons for not evacuating, including lack of awareness (e.g., not aware there was a voluntary evacuation), knowledge (e.g., did not know what to do), fear (e.g., unsafe shelters, fear of looting, etc.), means (e.g., no transportation, not enough money to go anywhere else), and concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.


<strong>Flood Recovery</strong>: The Flood Recovery section collected information on different types of assistance (e.g., financial assistance, assistance with home repairs, etc.) and/or services (e.g., employment services, mental health services, etc.) that the respondent or anyone in the respondent's household sought, as well as any barriers in seeking assistance and/or services. Formative research with the study population revealed a need to further explore the barriers that might complicate or prevent seeking assistance and/or services following a disaster. Therefore, the question on barriers was designed with an open-ended format to maximize the opportunity for descriptive responses written in the respondents' voices.


<strong>Flood Mitigation</strong>: The Flood Mitigation section collected information on the respondent's long-term actions to prepare for flooding in general instead of a specific, upcoming event. The survey questionnaire has one set of questions for renters (e.g., asking their landlord about the property's flood risk) and another for homeowners (e.g., elevating their home) since the latter has more agency than the former to make changes to the physical structure of the home. Questions that collected mitigation information from both renters and homeowners include relocation and seeking flood hazard information.


<strong>COVID-19</strong>: Modified from the Flood Recovery section, the COVID-19 section collected information on experiences related to the pandemic (e.g., missed work or school, decrease in income or reduction in work hours, lost employment, more stress than usual, etc.), different types of assistance (e.g., financial assistance, food assistance, etc.) and/or services (e.g., employment services, mental health services, etc.) sought, and barriers in seeking assistance and/or services.


<strong>Winter Storms</strong>: Modified from the Flood Recovery section, the Winter Storms section collected information on experiences related to the Texas Winter Storms (e.g., loss of electrical power, loss of heat, etc.), different types of assistance (e.g., financial assistance, utility or energy assistance, etc.) and/or services (e.g., physical health services, mental health services, etc.) sought, and barriers in seeking assistance and/or services.


<strong>Demographics</strong>: The Demographics section collected information on age, family composition, military status, gender, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and annual household income.
description: Response Rates: The survey for this study was completed by 555 adults residing in 5 different zip codes in Northeast Houston, Texas, with a response rate of 15.09 percent (4,000 addresses were sampled from 36,796 total households). In total, 537 survey responses were considered viable and were included in the dataset.
description: The sample's study area, referred to as Northeast Houston, includes the following neighborhoods in zip codes 77016, 77020, 77026, 77028, and 77078: Denver Harbor, East Houston, East Little York, Fontaine, Frenchtown, Greater Fifth Ward, Homestead, Kashmere Gardens, Lakewood, Liberty Gardens, Port Houston, Rosewood, Scenic Woods, Settegast, and Trinity Gardens.
description: Datasets: 
DS1: Community Engagement in Northeast Houston, Texas: Geospatial Results from a Household Survey on the Disaster Experiences of Northeast Houston, 2021-2022
description: People aged 18 years or older who resided in Northeast Houston since June 1, 2020.
description: web-based survey