Two-wave panel survey dataset on who feels affected by Hurricane Florence

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Climate Change Adaptation
• Disaster Science

Background:

• Personal experience with climate change-related natural disasters is a key driver of mitigation behaviors.
• Hurricane Florence (2018) provides a case study for understanding disaster impact.
• National-level data is needed to identify factors influencing disaster perception.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify variables associated with climate change attitudes.
• To determine traits predisposing individuals to feel affected by climate change-related disasters.
• To examine the link between disaster experience and climate change perception.

Main Methods:

• A nationally representative survey of US citizens was conducted before Hurricane Florence.
• Attitudes toward climate change, emotional predispositions, and demographics were measured.
• Post-hurricane, respondents were surveyed to assess personal impact from Hurricane Florence.

Main Results:

• Data allows for analysis of factors influencing climate change attitudes.
• The study identifies characteristics of individuals who felt personally affected by Hurricane Florence.
• Findings can inform understanding of disaster impact on public perception.

Conclusions:

• Understanding who feels affected by climate disasters is crucial for promoting climate action.
• Individual differences in perception of climate change impacts can be identified.
• This research contributes to the study of climate change communication and behavior.