Mobility Inequity and Risk Response After Hurricane Helene: Evidence from Real-Time Travel and Social Sentiment Data

TL;DR

This study analyzes how Hurricane Helene affected mobility patterns across different communities, revealing disparities based on socioeconomic and geographic factors, and highlighting the influence of social sentiment on travel behavior during disasters.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how sociodemographic and social sentiment factors influence mobility changes during hurricanes, using real-time GPS and social media data.

Findings

Lower-income and rural communities experienced greater mobility declines.

Positive social sentiment correlates with increased travel during the hurricane.

Severe wind conditions limited overall mobility.

Abstract

Hurricanes severely disrupt infrastructure and restrict access to essential services. While the physical impacts on post-disaster mobility are well studied, less is known about how individual travel behaviors change during and after disasters, and how these responses are shaped by social and geographic disparities. This study examines mobility patterns following Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that struck six southeastern U.S. states on September 26, 2024, causing over 230 fatalities. Using anonymized GPS mobility data, hurricane severity metrics, and county-level social media sentiment, we examine shifts in travel behavior and their implications for equity. We ask two questions: How do post-hurricane mobility patterns reflect community vulnerability and adaptive capacity? and How do sociodemographic conditions and public sentiment factors shape the direction and extent of mobility change? Results from robust linear and ordered logistic regressions indicate that evacuation orders increase mobility; however, severe storm conditions, particularly high wind speeds, can limit travel. Communities with lower incomes, located in rural areas, and with higher percentages of Black populations exhibit the steepest declines in mobility, suggesting resource constraints and infrastructural barriers, while wealthier, urban, and higher-education areas maintain greater flexibility. Results also show that positive social sentiment is associated with higher mobility and a greater likelihood of increased travel during the hurricane. Our findings highlight the need to address structural barriers and social conditions in post-disaster mobility and disaster response.