Natural Disaster

Abstract

This paper assesses the impact of the destructive 1953 Flint tornado upon the people currently living in the community that was destroyed. Personal interviews conducted with people now residing along the path of the 1953 tornado revealed that one's age and length of residence in the immediate area influenced one's awareness of the Flint disaster. A person's level of awareness of the 1953 Flint tornado was found to have a significant impact on the nature of the individual's long- and short-range response to the tornado threat. Those who were well aware of the violent 1953 tornado were more likely than those who were unaware of that storm to take appropriate precautions when a tornado warning was issued. Moreover, the level of awareness of this past event was found to be more important than having experienced a tornado in determining whether or not a person now responds appropriately to a tornado warning.