Emergency and Disaster Management Commons^™

Family Stress Processes Underlying Covid-19-Related Economic Insecurity For Mothers And Fathers And Children's Internalizing Behavior Problems, Joyce Y. Lee, Shawna J. Lee, Sehun Oh, Amy Xu, Angelise Radney, Christina M. Rodriguez

Psychology Faculty Publications

COVID‐19 and its economic fallout have resulted in unprecedented financial insecurity and material hardship for many American families, with a disproportionately negative impact on children and families from socioeconomically disadvantaged contexts. The current study applied the family stress model to examine the family processes underlying pandemic‐related economic insecurity and children's internalizing behaviours. Online survey data from an economically diverse sample of mothers and fathers, who experienced at least one type of pandemic‐related economic insecurity in the United States (N = 259), were collected across two longitudinal time points in the early weeks of COVID‐19: (1) 14 April and (2) 30 …

Emergency Action Plan Adoption Across Athletic Training Practice Settings, Samantha E. Scarneo-Miller, Rebecca L. Stearns, Christianne M. Eason, Alicia M. Pike Lacy, Rebecca M. Lopez, Zachary K. Winkelmann, Rebecca M. Hirschhorn, Susan W. Yeargin

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context:

The 2024 NATA Position Statement provides updated recommendations for EAP adoption. Past research on the 2002 statement showed limited adoption by ATs. Assessing current adoption across practice settings offers a clearer picture of the EAP implementation landscape.

Objectives:

To examine ATs' adoption of new EAP best-practice recommendations across practice settings.

Design:

Cross-Sectional study.

Setting:

Online questionnaire.

Patients or Other Participants:

Clinically active ATs (n=614) working in any practice setting (Youth, Secondary School, Division 1 Power 4, Collegiate athletics – Not Power 4, Non-Major Professional Sports, Professional Sports, Non-Sideline).

Main Outcome Measures:

Prevalence of an EAP, adoption of recommendations, and …

Estimating The Economic Impact Of A Natural Disaster On The Workforce Resiliency: An Analysis Of The Virginia Beach - Chesapeake - Norfolk Metropolitan Statistical Area, Robert M. Mcnab, Yin-Hsuen Chen, George Mcleod

Presentations, Lectures, Posters, Reports

In this paper, we explore the potential economic impacts associated with a major hurricane making landfall in Hampton Roads. We estimate the direct damages from a Florence-like Category 3 hurricane with a 3.6 feet tidal offset are estimated at $15.6 billion, equivalent to 10% of the 2022 regional GDP. If we apply existing flood insurance rates to these projected damages, we estimate that the total economic impact would exceed $12 billion with a short-term loss of more than 76,000 jobs. The job losses are concentrated in sectors that provide services to households which would bear the brunt of damages during …

Leadership In Collaborative Emergency Management For Compound Hurricane-Pandemic Threats: Insights From Practitioners' Experiences, Norah Alshayhan, Saige Hill, Marina Saitgalina, Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

Emergency management is a key government function for mitigating risks and reducing the impacts of disasters. Emergency management leaders play a critical role in preparing for and responding to disasters whose impacts are exacerbated by a pandemic. Using the example of the compound threat of hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic, this qualitative research uses insights from emergency management professionals to describe collaborative approaches and leadership skills that help balance the needs for stability and flexibility. Data collected using focus groups and one-on-one interviews with emergency management professionals highlight that collaboration involved existing and new partners in a changing and uncertain …

Harnessing Social Media For Disaster Response: Intelligent Identification Of Reliable Rescue Requests During Hurricanes, Wael Khallouli

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Hurricanes pose a significant threat to both human lives and infrastructure. Decision-makers face substantial challenges during such events, as they must act quickly to address victims’ needs. Social media platforms provide a valuable source for quick and real-time information. Recent hurricane events have shown that people turn to social media to call for help when official communication channels, such as 911, are overwhelmed. However, extracting actionable information from the massive number of messages posted on social media is challenging. Furthermore, verifying social media messages posted by the public is a critical concern for disaster response practitioners, making them hesitant to …

Trust And Contexts: A Conceptual Framework For Understanding Coastal Household Preparedness, Ogechukwu M. Agim Nwandu-Vincent

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Despite research findings that show the benefits of being prepared for increasingly tumultuous natural and coastal hazard events, studies on hazard preparedness indicate that low levels of preparedness may occur in vulnerable areas due to the uncertainty around hazard risks, expected hazard onset and impact strength, as well as associated effects. Study findings indicate that trust may impact the uncertainty and complexity faced by people dealing with unfamiliar, infrequent, and complex hazards, as well as contexts such as factors such as age, gender, prior hazard experience, and homeownership.

While studies have looked at the relationship between trust and compliance (desired …

Coastal Hazards, Emergency Management, Resilience, And Equity: Issues And Concerns At The Intersection Of Research And Practice, Wie Yusuf, Marina Saitgalina, Oge Nwandu-Vincent, Joshua Behr, Jennifer Whytlaw, Nicole Hutton, Tom Allen, Khairul Anuar

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Rhizomic Communication Practices Bridging International Students And The Host Society And Beyond, Suvi Jokila, Charles Mathies

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted international student communities while reflecting wider societal inequalities. This study in the Finnish context examined international students’ experiences of the published national crisis communication and media usage during the first year of the pandemic. Using the national COVID-19 crisis communication practices as an example, we examined what kinds of strategies the international students deployed to access information in this non-English-speaking country and how they perceived the information communicated. Theoretically, we based the analysis on the theories of crisis communication and information inequality, which identify communication practices, such as language choice, that …

Editorial: Citizen Initiatives For Global Solidarity (Cigs) In Disaster And Humanitarian Response, Erika Frydenlund, Hanne Haaland, Jose J. Padilla, Hege Wallevik

VMASC Publications

[Introduction] The papers in this Research Topic contribute to the growing body of knowledge on citizen-led initiatives responding to disasters and humanitarian emergencies globally. From conflict and climate change to increased migration and the COVID-19 pandemic, the world faces humanitarian challenges of unprecedented scope and scale. With the globalization of news, travel, and crowdfunding, these crises have become more visible to ordinary citizens, prompting some to start their own aid initiatives. These small, often spontaneous organizations, sometimes referred to as Citizen Initiatives for Global Solidarity (CIGS), emerge to address urgent needs. Our team has studied the phenomenon of citizen-led aid …

Navigating New Normals: Student Perceptions, Experiences, And Mental Health Service Utilization In Post-Pandemic Academia, Hadiza Galadima, Anne Dumadag, Cara Tonn

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

This study explores the profound impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education, focusing on shifts in learning experiences and students’ intentions to utilize mental health services post-pandemic. Utilizing Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, this study assesses perceptions from a stratified random sample of college students on post-pandemic learning experiences and mental health service utilization intentions. Findings reveal a positive reception to university initiatives and a preference for ongoing virtual classes. There is an evident increase in, and varying intentions for, using mental health services, shaped by demographics, employment, and prior service utilization. Younger and female students showed …

Caregivers' Perceptions Of Covid-19 Educational Disruptions On Children With Developmental Language Disorder And Typically Developing Peers, Katherine Radville, Danika Pfeiffer, Karynn Sheranian, Julie Wolter, Jessie Ricketts, Tiffany L. Hogan

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Purpose: Understanding the experiences of families of children with developmental language disorder (DLD) during COVID-19 educational disruptions is essential for designing responsive supports during pandemic recovery efforts and beyond. This qualitative study describes the experiences of families of first-and second-grade children with DLD during the pandemic as compared to the experiences of families of typically developing (TD) peers.

Method: A conventional content analysis approach was used to analyze caregivers’ written responses to open-ended questions regarding their perceptions of COVID-19 educational disruptions. Responses were analyzed separately by group: caregivers of children with DLD (n= 23) and caregivers of TD children (n= …

Immersive Visualization In Infrastructure Planning: Enhancing Long-Term Resilience And Sustainability, Dalya Ismael

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Infrastructure decisions today significantly impact future generations' quality of life, especially as severe storms and rising sea levels increasingly threaten communities across the United States. Decision-makers at all levels, including those involved in disaster prevention and response, must address climate change. However, those in infrastructure design and construction often prioritize immediate gains over long-term resilience. Engineering teams typically employ decision tools to manage complexity, but these methods may not highlight the long-term consequences of their choices. This study tests whether integrating Virtual Reality (VR) technology with engineering decision-making tools, can enhance engineers’ ability to visualize the future impacts of their …

Delayed Coastal Inundations Caused By Ocean Dynamics Post-Hurricane Matthew, Kyungmin Park, Emanuele Di Lorenzo, Yinglong J. Zhang, Tal Ezer, Fei Yi

CCPO Publications

Post Hurricane Abnormal Water Level (PHAWL) poses a persistent inundation threat to coastal communities, yet unresolved knowledge gaps exist regarding its spatiotemporal impacts and causal mechanisms. Using a high-resolution coastal model with a set of observations, we find that the PHAWLs are up to 50 cm higher than the normal water levels for several weeks and cause delayed inundations around residential areas of the U.S. Southeast Coast (USSC). Numerical experiments reveal that while atmospheric forcing modulates the coastal PHAWLs, ocean dynamics primarily driven by the Gulf Stream control the mean component and duration of the shelf-scale PHAWLs. Because of the …

Compound Flooding Hazards Due To Storm Surge And Pluvial Flow In A Low-Gradient Coastal Region, Sunghoon Han, Navid Tahvildari

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Flood risk analyses often focus on a single flooding source, typically storm surge or rainfall-driven flooding, depending on the predominant threat. However, hurricanes frequently cause compound flooding through significant storm surges accompanied by heavy rainfall. This study employs a hydrodynamic model based on Delft3D-Flexible Mesh that couples flow, waves, and rainfall-driven flow to simulate five historical tropical cyclones in Virginia's southeast coastal region. These storms produced varying intensities of storm surge and rainfall in the study area. Model simulations, incorporating rainfall through a rain-on-grid approach, account for the dynamic interaction between storm tides, and pluvial flow and enable the definition …

Offering Social Connections For Students During An Epidemic Of Loneliness And Isolation, Jennifer Leigh Hoyt

Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

Faculty strategically design their course plans to generate discussion and exploration among students, placing growth and evaluation as priorities throughout any given semester. Yet, when loneliness and isolation creep into classrooms, final outcomes may fall short of a well-developed syllabus. Notably, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy announced this spring that the country currently deals with loneliness and isolation at an epidemic level, leaving educators searching for more opportunities to offer social connectivity as they guide students toward academic success.

Collaborative Leadership Skills And Competencies In Emergency Management And Resilience: Lessons And Implications From The Response To The Covid-19 Pandemic, Norah Abdullah A Alshayhan

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Collaborative leadership is a critical component in emergency management and resilience. Although cross-sector leadership is considered compulsory in the management of many disasters, the skills and competencies for successful execution of collaborative leadership approaches in emergency management and resilience are still largely unknown, especially as it pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic response. The perspectives of emergency management and resilience leaders may fill in this research gap.

This qualitative study relies on semi-structured interviews to explore the needed skills and competencies for collaborative leadership in emergency management and resilience during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the South-Atlantic states. The …

Cms Emergency Preparedness Rule: Examining The Relationship Between Nursing Home Facility Characteristics And Regulatory Deficiencies, Tihara Richardson Sommers

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

The effects of Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters have increased the focus on nursing homes, particularly nursing home emergency preparedness. Nursing home administrators and direct care employees have described the challenges faced when responding to an emergency event. Due to numerous emergency preparedness insufficiencies, requirements were implemented to protect the vulnerable population of older adults who reside in nursing homes. In 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) added specific emergency preparedness requirements to the existing fire safety requirements for regulated nursing homes. These deficiency evaluations are the only routinely collected source of information detailing compliance with the …

Opportunities And Challenges From Major Disasters Lessons Learned Of Long-Term Recovery Group Members, Eduardo E. Landaeta

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Natural hazards caused by the alteration of weather patterns expose populations at risk, with an outcome of economic loss, property damage, personal injury, and loss of life. The unpredictability of disasters is a topic of concern to most governments. Disaster policies need more attention in aligning mitigation opportunities with disaster housing recovery (DHR). The effect of flooding, which primarily impacts housing in coastal areas, is one of the most serious issues associated with natural hazard. Flooding has a variety of causes and implications, especially for vulnerable populations who are exposed to it. DHR is complex, involving the need for effective …

Hampton Roads' Building Resilient Communities Flood Game, Gul Ayaz, Katherine Smith, Rafael Diaz, Joshua G. Behr

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

As rising sea levels and subsequent recurrent flooding disproportionately affects coastal areas, it is crucial to develop a heightened awareness of the impacts of natural disasters on communities and the environments they live in. The Hampton Roads’ Building Resilient Communities (BRC) Flood Game is a simulation role-playing game designed to allow players to increase their understanding of the impact of various community response interventions to sea level rise and recurrent flooding. Players will examine and assess the tradeoffs of resiliency investments, the impact policies may have on the population, and the amount of time return on investment takes. The BRC …

U-Net Based Multiclass Semantic Segmentation For Natural Disaster Based Satellite Imagery, Nishat Ara Nipa

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

Satellite image analysis of natural disasters is critical for effective emergency response, relief planning, and disaster prevention. Semantic segmentation is believed to be on of the best techniques to capture pixelwise information in computer vision. In this work we will be using a U-Net architecture to do a three class semantic segmentation for the Xview2 dataset to capture the level of damage caused by different natural disaster which is beyond the visual scope of human eyes.

An Ioe Blockchain-Based Network Knowledge Management Model For Resilient Disaster Frameworks, Amir Javadpour, Farinaz Sabz Ali Pour, Arun Kumar Sangaiah, Weizhe Zhang, Forough Ja'far, Ashish Singh

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

The disaster area is a constantly changing environment, which can make it challenging to distribute supplies effectively. The lack of accurate information about the required goods and potential bottlenecks in the distribution process can be detrimental. The success of a response network is dependent on collaboration, coordination, sovereignty, and equal distribution of relief resources. To facilitate these interactions and improve knowledge of supply chain operations, a reliable and dynamic logistic system is essential. This study proposes the integration of blockchain technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the Internet of Everything (IoE) into the disaster management structure. The proposed disaster …

The Shortfalls Of Vulnerability Indexes For Public Health Decision-Making In The Face Of Emergent Crises: The Case Of Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake In Virginia, Lydia Cleveland Sa, Erika Frydenlund

VMASC Publications

Equitable and effective vaccine uptake is a key issue in addressing COVID-19. To achieve this, we must comprehensively characterize the context-specific socio-behavioral and structural determinants of vaccine uptake. However, to quickly focus public health interventions, state agencies and planners often rely on already existing indexes of "vulnerability." Many such "vulnerability indexes" exist and become benchmarks for targeting interventions in wide ranging scenarios, but they vary considerably in the factors and themes that they cover. Some are even uncritical of the use of the word "vulnerable," which should take on different meanings in different contexts. The objective of this study is …

A Model Of Build Back Better Utilization: Long-Term Recovery Groups And Post-Disaster Housing Recovery, Eduardo Landaeta, Jesse Richman

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Housing recovery, especially for vulnerable populations, can be a challenging process. Questions regarding whether to rebuild damaged housing and whether to restore it to its previous state or to build back better must be answered. In the United States, Long-Term Recovery Groups (LTRGs) play a crucial role in channeling assistance to vulnerable community members as they embark on housing recovery. However, the experiences of LTRGs have been understudied. To address this gap, the study utilizes interviews with a diverse range of LTRG members and develops an agent-based model following the Overview, Design concepts, and Details (ODD) protocol. The results highlight …

A Descriptive Quantitative Exploration Of College Students Of Promise During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Tameka Womack, Kim E. Bullington, Pietro A. Sasso

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

The term Students of Promise is used for students considered to have a heightened risk status, which not only has a negative effect on students but also on the higher education institutions they attend. This quantitative study explored how the COVID-19 virus has impacted student populations at various US higher education institutions and to uncover what specific issues (financial, emotional, social) impacted students during this unprecedented time in light of student categories and student demographics. This study found statistical significance in Students of Promise characteristics and presents data on the behaviors, activities, and tools necessary for success, concerns surrounding COVID-19, …

Instructional Designers' Perceptions Of The Practice Of Instructional Design In A Post-Pandemic Workplace, Donna Petherbridge, Michelle Bartlett, Jessica White, Diane Chapman

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This article explores instructional designers’ perceptions of changes to instructional design practice in a post-pandemic workplace. A thematic analysis of interviews conducted with 33 instructional designers revealed that instructional designers believe that the profession is profoundly altered post-pandemic. Findings around post-pandemic instructional design practice include adopting agile instructional design practices, increasing collaborations with others within a context of empathy, recognizing the importance of accessibility, and increasing reliance on technology to deliver both instruction and training within the context of an expanded portfolio of how instruction will be delivered in the future.

Enrollment Management Strategies At Rural Community Colleges Resulting From The Pandemic, Robin C. Daniel, Mitchell R. Williams, Kim E. Bullington

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Higher education institutions around the world were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that began in early 2020. Because U.S. community colleges focus on two-year degrees and workforce development, they were affected differently than their four-year counterparts. This study examined how academic administrators at different rural community colleges in Virginia, United States, perceived enrollment management practices that were implemented or changed due to the pandemic. This sequential explanatory study's first phase was quantitative and measured mid- to senior-level administrators' views of how the pandemic affected their colleges' enrollment management practices. The second qualitative phase resulted in five themes surrounding COVID-related enrollment …

Navigating Identity Uncertainty: Identity Distress During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Alan Meca, Kelsie K. Allison, Julia Passini, Taryn Veniegas, Bethany Cruz, Linda G. Castillo, Seth J. Schwartz, Byron L. Zamboanga, Minas Michikyan, Melissa Bessaha, Pamela C. Regan, Kaveri Subrahmanyam, John Bartholomew, Brandy Piña-Watson, Miguel Ángel Cano, Charles R. Martinez Jr.

Psychology Faculty Publications

The long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have only recently begun to be explored. Among college students, who were faced with sudden and unprecedented changes and challenges, it is likely that COVID-19 detrimentally impacted the establishment of a sense of self, a key developmental task of the college years. However, no research has examined the relationships among COVID-19 related worries, identity distress, and psychological and academic adjustment. To address these gaps in the current study, we examined the prevalence of identity distress, the relationship between COVID-19 related worries and identity distress, and the direct and indirect associations between COVID-19 related …

The Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic Experiences On College Drinking Via Mental Distress: Cross-Sectional Mediation Moderated By Race, Abby L. Braitman, Rachel Ayala Guzman, Megan Strowger, Jennifer L. Shipley, Douglas J. Glenn, Emily Junkin, Alina Whiteside, Cathy Lau-Barraco

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to stress, anxiety, and depression among college students, with heightened distress tied to greater drinking for some individuals. Emerging research suggests that these associations may differ across race, but few studies use adequate samples to examine this, particularly among college students, an at-risk population for both heavy drinking and mental distress. Specifically, pandemic-related stressors and mental distress may be higher among Black students than White students. The current study examined: (1) whether mental distress cross-sectionally mediates the association between pandemic-specific stressors and drinking and (2) whether race (Black or White) moderates these associations. …

Evacuation Behavior Of Households Facing Compound Hurricane-Pandemic Threats, Juita-Elena (Wie) Yusuf, Jennifer L. Whytlaw, Nicole Hutton, Taiwo Olanrewaju-Lasisi, Bridget Giles, Kaleen Lawsure, Joshua Behr, Rafael Diaz, George Mcleod

School of Public Service Faculty Publications

This study examines households' prospective evacuation behavior during a hurricane-pandemic compound threat. Data from a 2020 survey of coastal Virginia households help answer two questions: (1) What factors associated with the threat and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and hurricanes influence prospective evacuation behavior of households during a compound hurricane-pandemic event? (2) What are the equity implications for emergency management policies and practices to support evacuation and sheltering during a compound hurricane-pandemic event? Households in the sample were split between those who stated they would evacuate away from the at-risk region and who would stay. Greater household vulnerability to hurricanes …

Measuring The Economic Impact Of Recurrent Flooding On Workforce Productivity And Property, Joshua G. Behr, Wie Yusuf, George Mcleod, Sarah Stafford, Derek Loftis, Afi Anuar, Rafael Diaz

Presentations, Lectures, Posters, Reports

From the Executive Summary:

This research draws upon expertise across multiple disciplines and fields. Leveraged are natural systems data and social-behavioral data. The high-level objective is to advance our understanding of how very recent recurrent flooding has impacted residents within the City of Portsmouth, and then forecast these impacts under projections of sea level rise. While this research draws upon data for the City of Portsmouth, the findings may be generalized to the broader Hampton Roads region.