Identifying Risk and Resilience Factors Impacting Mental Health among Black and Latinx Adults following Nocturnal Tornadoes in the US Southeast

Prior research has found that Black and Latinx communities in the U.S. face significant disparities that impact both preparedness for severe weather events and the support received after a disaster has occurred. In the current study, we examined key risk and protective factors that impacted mental health among 221 Black and Latinx adult respondents exposed to the 2-3 March 2020 nocturnal tornado outbreak in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Key factors that adversely affected mental health among participants were encountering barriers for receiving tornado warning alerts and tornado-related exposure. Key factors that served a protective mechanism against adverse mental health included having access to physical resources, supportive relationships, and adaptive coping skills. These findings may assist National Weather Service (NWS) personnel, emergency managers, and mental health providers with the development of policies and practices to address barriers and promote protective strategies for future nocturnal tornado events.

Automated summary

This study examines the impact of key risk and protective factors on mental health among Black and Latinx communities exposed to a nocturnal tornado outbreak in Tennessee. Barriers to receiving tornado warning alerts and tornado-related exposure were found to adversely affect mental health, while access to physical resources, supportive relationships, and adaptive coping skills served as protective mechanisms. These findings can potentially inform the development of policies and practices to address barriers and promote protective strategies for future nocturnal tornado events by organizations such as the National Weather Service and emergency managers.