Are Older Adults More Vulnerable During Natural Disasters? Age Differences in Disaster Preparedness and Post-Disaster Well-Being.

This dissertation examines whether older adults are more vulnerable to natural disasters by analyzing age differences in disaster preparedness and post-disaster well-being. Drawing on life course theory, it considers how aging intersects with social, economic, and health-related factors to shape vulnerability before and after extreme events. The first two studies use data from the American Housing Survey to investigate age variation in household disaster preparedness across multiple domains, including evacuation capacity, shelter-in-place resources, and an original measure of “operational preparedness” that accounts for constraints such as disability and financial limitations. Results show that older households generally report higher levels of overall preparedness compared to younger households. However, this apparent advantage is complicated by a consistent “capability gap,” in which older adults’ resources may not translate into actionable preparedness during a disaster. The analyses further reveal heterogeneity among older households, demonstrating divergent patterns between overall and operational disaster preparedness. The third study shifts focus to post-disaster outcomes, using survey data from Eastern North Carolina following Hurricanes Florence and Dorian. Findings indicate that while older adults experience distinct forms of disaster-related trauma, they do not uniformly exhibit worse well-being outcomes than younger adults, suggesting both resilience and vulnerability within this population. Overall, this dissertation challenges the assumption that older adults are universally more vulnerable to disasters. Instead, it highlights the importance of distinguishing between perceived and feasible preparedness and emphasizes the heterogeneity of aging experiences. The findings underscore the need for targeted, context-sensitive disaster policies that address both structural inequalities and age-related constraints.