Enhancing resilience and mobility services for vulnerable groups facing extreme weather: lessons learned from Snowstorm Uri in Harris County, Texas

In 2021, Snowstorm Uri caused significant damage in Texas, disrupting business and activities, energy distribution, and access to critical resources. To improve the preparedness of vulnerable communities for future extreme events, this study uses SafeGraph data to investigate mobility challenges in Harris County, Texas, during the Snowstorm Uri by aggregating foot traffic and then examining the varied impacts on people of different socioeconomic statuses. Results show that while everyone suffered the same level of mobility constraint during the snowstorm, lower socioeconomic households experienced greater loss of mobility, but had a higher mobility recovery rate. Elderly people were less resilient to mobility recovery. The findings highlight the need for enhancing critical resources and building well-prepared emergency management programs to foster greater adaptability and care for vulnerable groups.