Climate Change, Extreme Weather Disruptions, and Emergency Preparedness Among Older Adults in Ohio

Background and Purpose: Climate change risks and impacts on older adults have been increasingly apparent, with many recent studies demonstrating and confirming the disproportionate effects of extreme weather events on this population. While this is especially true in disaster-prone regions, anthropogenic climate change has introduced an element of uncertainty even in hitherto ‘safe’ regions, such as the midwestern United States. This paper provides an overview of climate impacts, vulnerabilities, and county characteristics with a focus on older adults’ experiences of emergency preparedness and extreme weather disruptions across counties in central Ohio.

Methods: We employ a multiple-case study methodology using descriptive statistics with each county treated as a separate case in keeping with guidelines for multiple case studies. Within each county, we include data at the county and individual levels. Primary individual level data come from the Central Ohio Regional Assessment on Aging; a regionally representative random sample of adults aged fifty and older across eight Ohio counties. Cumulative disadvantage theory posits that disadvantages accumulate over time, widening the gap between those with advantages and those without. To illustrate this disadvantage in the form of heightened vulnerabilities to climate and extreme weather, we integrate secondary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Indices at the county level.

Results: The average age of respondents (N=1417) was about 70 years. Forty-three percent of the sample identified as men, 56% were women, and nearly 31% of the sample lived alone. Around 21% of the older adults in the sample had an income of less than USD 25,000 annually. While 77% of the respondents in the eight-county sample reported being prepared for emergencies, there were regional variations with Fayette County being the least prepared, while also reporting the most weather-related disruptions that prevented respondents from getting to a health appointment (19.18%), reaching a family member or friend (19.18%), or remaining at home (20.55%). In terms of social vulnerability, Fayette County was the most vulnerable on socioeconomic and household characteristics, while Franklin County had the highest relative percentage of racial and ethnic minorities in the region and was ranked most vulnerable on housing type and transportation. In the overall ranking, Franklin and Fayette counties were ranked the most vulnerable by the CDC’s social vulnerability index.

Conclusions: A cumulative disadvantage framework helps us identify and reckon with historic data on disadvantages and inequality in central Ohio to understand current and future impacts, especially considering questions of emergency preparedness for older adults. Comparison across and within these counties provides the opportunity for a realistic and in-depth assessment of climate impacts, vulnerability, and ways forward in Ohio with implications for emergency preparedness, extreme weather disruptions, and climate resilience among older adults in the region. Understanding the local contexts spanning the vulnerabilities and experiences of this population can aid social workers within and outside of the aging services network in developing interventions to promote resilience, reduce vulnerabilities, and enhance the well-being of older adults.