Writing on the Plywood: Toward an Analysis of Hurricane Graffiti

People often paint graffiti-like messages on the plywood used to cover windows and doors during a hurricane. The content of these landscape inscriptions ranges from practical information to deeper expressions of emotion and beliefs. Hurricane graffiti is an under-analyzed yet potentially useful indicator of the range of psychological needs, social tensions, and environmental attitudes circulating within coastal communities. First, we begin establishing the analytical significance of reading and interpreting hurricane graffiti. The second purpose of this article is to document the meaning and functions of graffiti written by coastal residents and business owners in the southeastern United States during the very active 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons. Our final intent is to speculate on the value of hurricane graffiti to coastal management.