Flood risk decisions on the east end of Long Island / by Campbell Kast

Flooding is the most common natural hazard, affecting Americans across the country. Homeowners on the East End of Long Island have numerous experiences with flooding, yet many are still left uninsured from the risk. Research from other coastal areas in the United States has demonstrated that there are a variety of reasons behind the risk perception of homeowners, including past flood experience, optimism bias, and lack of education. The main purpose of this study is to understand the risk perception of homeowners on the East End of Long Island, the influence of flood insurance on risk decisions, and mitigation efforts to reduce the impact of flooding. A mixed-methods approach was used to obtain quantitative data through an anonymous survey of homeowners and qualitative data through interviews of homeowners and emergency managers. The result of this research finds that education or lack thereof is the main influence in risk perception despite emergency managers actively trying to increase the knowledge of flood risk and insurance.