Addressing Compounding Disasters in Ocracoke, NC

Ocracoke was devastated by compounding disasters: Hurricane Dorian in the fall of 2019 and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020.

In the summer of 2022, Co-PI Dr. Caela O’Connell started an effort to conduct a rapid appraisal on impacts to Ocracoke businesses and community resilience.

Preliminary data indicate that the main impacts from these events include:

  • a steep decline in availability of affordable housing

  • loss of medical professionals

  • increased substance abuse and mental health issues

  • increased labor costs

  • decreased labor availability

Image of buildings under construction in Ocracoke, NC

Buildings under construction in Ocracoke, NC (Photo credit: Dr. Caela O’Connell)

The C3HE team will assess climate adaptation issues as perceived by community stakeholders and identified through coastal data.

In the first phase, the research team will explore:

  • cultural processes

  • risk perception

  • unmet community needs

  • resilience-based action among year-round residents (as opposed to seasonal occupants)

A photo of 2 individuals looking at their phones, standing outdoors

C3HE team members collecting data (Photo credit: Dr. Caela O’Connell)

Ultimately, data collected can be used to inform future decisions regarding housing construction, health care needs and staffing, school planning, and climate adaptation planning.