Where people live in relation to the eastern and southern U.S. coasts influences their opinions on a range of issues related to natural disaster preparedness, mitigation, and insurance, according to a report from the Insurance Research Council (IRC). The report is the second in the Monitor series this year examining catastrophe issues (click here to view a summary of the first issue).

IRC said the study, Public Attitude Monitor 2006, Issue 2, Influence of Coastal Proximity on Natural Disaster Preparedness and Planning, analyzes public opinion on natural disaster issues based on where a respondent lives in relation to the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

Unsurprisingly, results from the IRC study show that support for mitigation strategies is strongest among those living in coastal counties. For instance, 80 percent favored government action to preserve and rebuild wetlands in coastal areas, with 56 percent strongly favored such action, compared to 45 percent from interior counties of coastal states and 38 percent in non-coastal states.

The study also concluded that 96 percent of respondents from coastal counties favored building codes for new homes, compared to 93 percent of those living in interior counties of coastal states and 88 percent of those from non-coastal states. The study further reported that even when building codes would add six percent to the cost of a new home, 76 percent in coastal counties continued to favor them, compared to 71 percent in interior counties and 62 percent in non-coastal states.

IRC's study also examined how geographic residence influences opinions about the fairness of policyholder and taxpayer subsidies. Half of those from coastal counties believed subsidies for wind-damage coverage are unfair, compared to 63 percent from interior counties and non-coastal states. When posed with the question of taxpayer-subsidized insurance for natural disasters, such as the National Flood Insurance Program, 51 percent of those in coastal counties found these to be unfair, compared to 59 percent from interior counties and 61 percent from non-coastal states.

More information about the study, including ordering information, is available at www.ircweb.org.

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Special Reports /

Mitigation, Subsidies Favored Most by Coastal Residents

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