Hurricane Resilience in Lesser-Known Communities in Small and Medium Sized Cities (SMSC): A Case Study of Lee and Collier County, Florida

The escalating demand for coastal properties due to population growth is anticipated to catalyze urbanization along the coastal zones of the United States (US). Urban expansion in coastal areas is amplifying environmental stress, leading to the degradation of ecosystems that mediate terrestrial-aquatic interactions. Concurrently, the incidence of significant natural hazards, such as tropical cyclones, has seen an uptick in both frequency and intensity, attributed to climatic shifts and rapid alterations in land use patterns across the US. The two study areas, Lee County and Collier County, are in the southwestern portion of Florida, where tropical storms and hurricanes have previously wreaked havoc. Utilizing data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA)'s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) and the US Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazus Hurricane Model, this study aims to delineate storm characteristics including wind speeds and storm tracks over a time scale (1842–present), facilitating an evaluation and quantification of the physical impacts and subsequent recovery from hurricane events for these SMSC. An analysis of search engine queries using Google Trends to discern search behavior trends of the populace surrounding pre-, during, and post-hurricane scenarios is also conducted. Digital footprints are instrumental in identifying deficiencies in public knowledge regarding hurricane preparedness, thereby informing strategies to bolster community resilience and sustainability for the future. This study focuses on dissecting and contrasting historical data and search trends pertinent to two major hurricanes, Irma (2017) and Ian (2022), with a specific focus on the Fort Myers-Naples area in Florida (FL), recognized for its susceptibility to hurricanes by IBTrACS. The objective of this study is to augment the preparedness and resilience of hurricane-prone localities by enhancing public awareness and adaptive capacities to future hurricane events.