Author(s)

Oluwafemi Awolesi^1,2,3*, Natalie Matherne¹, Victoria Horton¹, Mattie Prosser¹, Peter Oni⁴, Odunayo Lawal³

¹Department of Environmental Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA.
²Department of Construction Management, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA.
³Research & Development Unit, Ecoxygiene Services Limited, Lagos, Nigeria.
⁴Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, USA.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore and gain an understanding of Louisiana homeowners’ perceptions and practices in preparing for hurricanes; contribute to academic research and student learning, while guiding the development of future projects. We focused specifically on how homeowners in Louisiana would protect their important documents and possessions. These documents and possessions include but are not limited to photographs, social security cards, birth certificates, and insurance paperwork. We collected the data throughout the fall semester of 2022 at Louisiana State University (LSU) by conducting a focus group and in-depth interviews. We collected a variety of answers, but most participants expressed a strong need to have their important documents and possessions protected and gave different strategies for how this was carried out, such as digitizing or protective storage. Participants also expressed a strong need for more information to be delivered to residents to talk more about ways they can protect their own documents and possessions. Emphases were also made on the need for: leaders of large institutions to be especially concerned with preparedness for vulnerable populations; outreach programs to be put in place to spread awareness of the importance of protecting important documents and possessions during a disaster; news outlets to switch their focus from normal survival tips to discussions on the importance of protecting documents and possessions; government and non-profit agencies to work together to share tips and information through social media and other forms of handouts.

Hurricanes, Disaster Preparedness, Environmental Education, Climate Change

Awolesi, O. , Matherne, N. , Horton, V. , Prosser, M. , Oni, P. and Lawal, O. (2023) Understanding the Perceptions and Practices of Homeowners in the Event of Hurricane: A Case Study of University Employees in Louisiana. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 11, 226-242. doi: 10.4236/gep.2023.115015.