Look What The Hurricanes Just Blew In: Analyzing the Impact of the Storm on Criminal Activities

Abstract

There is no obvious consensus in the literature on the relationship betweencrime and natural disasters. Specifically, studies have presented positive, negativeand, no impact relationships using either a small number or an aggregation ofcriminal offences. This present study fills a gap in the literature by using multiplehurricanes to explore the economic impact of hurricanes on criminal activitiesfrom 1976-2012. I find that hurricanes increases crime per capita in counties thatare directly hit, while neighboring counties experience a decline. This study hasimplications for the allocation of resources and national security in the face ofnatural disasters