Why did some communities in the Southeast suffer devastating flooding losses during Hurricane Helene while others fared better? Jennifer First, an assistant professor of social work with the Mizzou College of Health Sciences, hopes to uncover answers through a newly awarded $103,066 grant from the National Science Foundation.

First will work in collaboration with Kelsey Ellis from the University of Tennessee to lead research examining how mountain and inland communities — areas often overlooked in hurricane studies — received, understood and acted on flood warnings during the deadliest U.S. mainland hurricane since Katrina. In addition to killing more than 200 people, Helene exposed vulnerabilities in how different regions handle hurricane-related threats, communication and response.

The project is being funded as part of the National Science Foundation’s RAPID initiative, a funding mechanism designed to support research when there’s an urgent need — such as after a natural disaster or unexpected event. The team of researchers will investigate the unique vulnerabilities of inland populations that might not be as prepared for storms, due in part to factors like physical isolation and communication barriers.

“This research is about more than just understanding barriers and vulnerabilities during Hurricane Helene,” First said. “It’s about finding ways to build more equitable systems for hazard communication and emergency response, especially for marginalized communities that face the greatest risks.”

The interdisciplinary research team will combine social and behavioral science with geographic information systems and multivariate modeling to analyze how households and weather professionals interacted with storm warnings. The research should shed light on how factors such as community infrastructure, social vulnerability and local geography influence protective decision-making.

The team plans to share its findings with forecasters, emergency managers and government officials to hopefully lead to better disaster response systems.

“Our goal is to create equitable solutions that improve hurricane and flood preparedness and response for all communities,” First said.