Social Vulnerability Assessment of Gulf Coast States

10 pages•Published: June 2, 2026

Anupa Silwal, Elnaz Safapour, Behzad Rouhanizadeh, Surendra Nepal and Saurab Baral

Abstract

The social vulnerability of the Gulf Coast states—Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida—is rapidly increasing due to a complex interplay of social, environmental, and economic factors. These include climate change, extreme weather events, sea level rise, land subsidence, social inequalities, aging infrastructure, urbanization, population growth, and economic shifts. This paper aims to assess the social vulnerability of these states through a comprehensive analysis of socio-economic and demographic factors, utilizing the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) as a framework. Key indicators for the SVI encompass population, age, race, education, housing structure, income, and disability. To evaluate the relative significance of these indicators, the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method was implemented, and the variables were categorized into distinct groups for a more nuanced assessment of vulnerability. Subsequently, the SVI for each of the five states adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico was calculated, and their vulnerabilities were analyzed and compared. The results will assist decision-makers in effectively planning for both pre-disaster preparedness and post-disaster recovery in these disaster-prone regions.

Keyphrases: socioeconomic status, sustainable built environment, vulnerability assessment

In: Wesley Collins, Anthony Perrenoud and John Posillico (editors). Proceedings of Associated Schools of Construction 62nd Annual International Conference, vol 7, pages 545-554.

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/w4PHP
	https://doi.org/10.29007/8l35

BibTeX entry

@inproceedings{ASC2026:Social_Vulnerability_Assessment_Gulf,
  author    = {Anupa Silwal and Elnaz Safapour and Behzad Rouhanizadeh and Surendra Nepal and Saurab Baral},
  title     = {Social Vulnerability Assessment of Gulf Coast States},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of Associated Schools of Construction 62nd Annual International Conference},
  editor    = {Wesley Collins and Anthony Perrenoud and John Posillico},
  series    = {EPiC Series in Built Environment},
  volume    = {7},
  publisher = {EasyChair},
  bibsource = {EasyChair, https://easychair.org},
  issn      = {2632-881X},
  url       = {/publications/paper/w4PHP},
  doi       = {10.29007/8l35},
  pages     = {545-554},
  year      = {2026}}

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