Publication Date

8-2024

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Jason Polk, Pat Kambesis, Leslie North, Nick Lawhon

Degree Program

Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences

Degree Type

Master of Science

Abstract

Awareness and perception of flooding can heavily affect how an individual or community prepares for flooding. Flood awareness can be affected by factors like past flood experience and demographics. Flood experience and demographics can affect flood awareness differently based on factors including the types and cause of flooding. Flooding in karst landscapes can vary from other types of flooding and neither perception nor awareness of karst flooding has been directly studied before. This study explored both expert and non-expert flood awareness and perception and flood policies in a karst landscape through interviews with experts, surveys, and cognitive mapping activities. The purpose is to increase the understanding of flood awareness in karst environments. Warren County, Kentucky was used as a case study, because it is a developed karst landscape with frequent flooding issues. The survey responses indicated that low to medium level flood awareness exists in Warren County, though few participants made connections between the karst landscape and flooding. Flood experience, race, gender, age, and ownership status were not found to be statistically significantly connected to flood awareness. About a quarter of respondents were aware of flood policies and less than half felt the flood policies were effective. Recommendations included karst flood education, flood policy education, citizen engagement in flood monitoring, and more frequent flood policy updates.

Disciplines

Environmental Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences | Meteorology | Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | Physical Sciences and Mathematics | Public Health

Download

Share

COinS