The Effects of Hurricane Katrina on Food Access Disparities in New Orleans

摘要

Disparities in neighborhood food access are well documented, but little research exists on how shocks influence such disparities. We examined neighborhood food access in New Orleans at 3 time points: before Hurricane Katrina (2004–2005), in 2007, and in 2009. We combined existing directories with on-the-ground verification and geographic information system mapping to assess supermarket counts in the entire city. Existing disparities for African American neighborhoods worsened after the storm. Although improvements have been made, by 2009 disparities were no better than prestorm levels. Those who observed events in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina could have little doubt that racial disparities in living conditions in New Orleans were dramatic. We documented that such disparities existed before Katrina in access to food at the neighborhood level. 1 Although such disparities have been documented in many areas throughout the country, 2 – 7 almost no research exists on how such disparities change over time or how particular shocks, such as weather-related or man-made disasters, affect them. Retail access to food is a key aspect of health promotion efforts and an essential component of community development, including disaster recovery. We examined the extent to which racial/ethnic disparity in neighborhood access to supermarkets in New Orleans was affected by the events surrounding Katrina and recent poststorm developments.