Identification of community assets: a survey of coastal Oregonians’ priorities for natural hazard preparedness

Oregon coastal communities are exposed to numerous natural hazards including coastal erosion, sea-level rise, storms, tsunamis, which they must prepare for. Identifying assets in a community which support the various needs of a community helps to determine which places need to be protected before disasters occur, and which could be used to support disaster recovery. In the current study, we surveyed residents of coastal Oregon communities (N = 524) to identify what assets are important to community members, including which places they value, which places they believe should be protected from disasters, and the characteristics that they value in those places. Coastal residents highly valued places which provide access to nature, such as beaches and parks and built places that provided both private and public services. Natural and built places with public services were valued because survey respondents saw them as places which support their well-being, but built places with private and public services were seen as more important for their support of essential services. Respondents also identified the places that they believe should be protected before a disaster occurs, and actions they think their communities should take to mitigate disaster impacts. Participants recognized the need to protect facilities essential to health and safety such as hospitals prior to disaster, but primarily wanted places where the community gathers and which would allow for connections with the community (e.g., community centers) to be protected. Both places identified by survey respondents desired for protection against natural hazards and those that they intrinsically valued in general varied depending on demographic characteristics, highlighting the need for broad and diverse participation in planning efforts.