Natech or natural? An analysis of hazard perceptions, institutional trust, and future storm worry following Hurricane Harvey

摘要: Researchers have traditionally conceptualized hazards that give rise to disasters as “natural” or “technological.” An extensive literature has documented differential social consequences based on this distinction, including the emergence of corrosive community dynamics in context technological disasters. There is also growing recognition many can be “natech”—processes characterized by a combination natural and hazards. On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall along central Texas Gulf Coast, causing catastrophic flooding releases industrial toxins. We examined variation institutional trust future storm worry aftermath Harvey, paying special attention differences between those who viewed disaster being primarily natech natural. Drawing Survey Trauma, Resilience, Opportunity Neighborhoods Gulf, we analyzed two waves cohort panel data collected from households Coast 2016 2018 (before after Harvey). Our findings showed perceived (compared natural) were significantly more likely distrust major actors worried about impacts storms, even accounting for pre-hurricane characteristics. Implications research are then discussed.