Storm hitting a poor state

City Lab - Hurricane Florence is shaping up to be a triple threat for the eastern Carolinas. Storm surges, high winds, and possibly 25 inches of rainfall prompted evacuation orders along the coast, with North Carolina expected to bear the brunt. The state’s poor, rural communities are even more vulnerable in the face of this potentially catastrophic storm.

North Carolina’s eastern third is also its most impoverished. (Data: Census. Map: David Montgomery/CityLab)

Small towns may face some of the worst damage due to a lack of resources and insufficient communications infrastructure, especially in low-lying coastal areas. As CityLab’s Laura Bliss reports, the real measure of resilience will come as environmental and economic impacts linger after the storm.