Female hurricanes are deadlier than male hurricanes

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Jun 17;111(24):8782-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1402786111. Epub 2014 Jun 2.

Abstract

Do people judge hurricane risks in the context of gender-based expectations? We use more than six decades of death rates from US hurricanes to show that feminine-named hurricanes cause significantly more deaths than do masculine-named hurricanes. Laboratory experiments indicate that this is because hurricane names lead to gender-based expectations about severity and this, in turn, guides respondents' preparedness to take protective action. This finding indicates an unfortunate and unintended consequence of the gendered naming of hurricanes, with important implications for policymakers, media practitioners, and the general public concerning hurricane communication and preparedness.

Keywords: bounded rationality; gender stereotypes; implicit bias; natural hazard communication; risk perception.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Communication
  • Cyclonic Storms*
  • Disaster Planning
  • Disasters*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Meteorology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Perception
  • Risk
  • Software
  • Stereotyping
  • Terminology as Topic*
  • Young Adult