Taking the ”Fear” Out of the Cape Fear Region:Natural Hazard Awareness Solutions

Daniel Pate

Certified Natural Hazard Consultant

Issue

�The Cape Fear Region is very vulnerable to natural hazards

� New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties� North Carolina: 58 billion-dollar weather disasters since 1980

(NOAA)

�The question: Will residents be prepared when a natural disaster strikes?

NASA

Learning About theResidents

o Survey distributed to 171 residents(35 eliminated in screening questions)

o Mean age: 33.74o Mean years lived in area: 12.85

45

80

Gender

Males Females

412

65

19

22

1

Education

High School Diploma

Currently an Undergraduate StudentCollege Degree

Currently a Graduate StudentGraduate Degree

Other

Sample Questions

Risk Perception Question

Knowledge of Natural Hazards Question

Notable Results

Comparing Risk Perception & Education

Education Group Perceived Risk Mean Score

High school diploma 23.25 (lowest)

Currently an undergraduate student 25.55

College degree 27.32

Currently a graduate student 26.26

Graduate degree 28.18 (highest)

Didn’t respond 25.2

15

20

25

30

Perceived Risk Mean Score

Notable Results

Correlation BetweenRisk Perception &

Knowledge of Natural Hazards

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Kno

wle

dge

of N

Hs S

core

Risk Perception Score

Statistical Significance Confirmed

PolicyProposal

� Two-pronged approach:� Encourage high school graduates to continue education� Retain college graduates in Cape Fear Region

� Provide free tuition for a year to high school students who graduate with a certain GPA (i.e. 3.5)

� Have to go to college in area

� Increasing funding of programs that encourage local employers to focus on Cape Fear Region colleges for internship/employment candidates

Thanks!

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