Nearly half of Houston-area respondents in households earning less than $25,000 a year said they would be poorly prepared for a natural disaster, a Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research study found.
The finding points to a preparedness gap between lower- and higher-income households. For families on tight budgets, emergency supplies and backup power can be hard to afford before hurricanes, floods or long power outages. Daniel Potter, director of the institute’s Houston Population Research Center, said even basic supplies can be out of reach when money is short.
Cam, a Houston-area resident originally from Louisiana, estimates he spends hundreds of dollars a year on bottled water, snacks and portable chargers. Residents and community organizations say families can spread out purchases of basic supplies, make an emergency plan and use free preparedness resources.
Please note! Comments are published by readers. The opinions expressed may not reflect the position of the editorial team. USCT is not responsible for the content of readers' opinions and asks authors to observe moral standards, not to incite national or racial hatred, and to avoid rudeness. Think before you speak. You are responsible for your words! By publishing an opinion, you agree to the rules! If this request is ignored, USCT reserves the right to deprive the user of the ability to leave comments.