Rescaling social dynamics in climate change: The implications of cumulative exposure, climate justice, and community resilience

•Cumulative exposure, climate justice, and climate change resilience are examined.•Temporal lag and integrative cumulative exposure are used to address resilience.•Social capital and climate justice are correlated with enhanced community resilience. In this study, we explore cumulative exposure, climate justice, and flood risk with specific reference to community resilience, vulnerability, and social justice characteristics at the county-level within the U.S. Mississippi River basin from 1990 to 2009. Using a basic conceptual model of spatial resilience to climate risks, temporal lag effect of community capacity, urban and rural spatial classification, integrative cumulative exposure, and spatial clustering of risk, we examine spatial climate risk outcomes and the role of community resilience in reducing such risks. Our approach accounted for local social, economic, environmental, regulatory policy, and planning mitigation contexts. Results suggest that community social and ecological characteristics were influenced by flood losses and that social capital and climate justice characteristics combined with local proactive planning and policy measures lead to lower disaster losses and enhanced community resilience.