As Weather Disasters Increase, Low-Income Communities Bear the Cost

In every natural disaster, there are some people who are spared.. and other people whose lives are changed forever.

The same applies to Ida. The remnants of the powerful hurricane washed through the tri-state this week. At least 37 people in New York City, Westchester and New Jersey are now confirmed to have died. Storm water cascaded into people's homes, engulfed cars and overwhelmed urban drainage systems. Thousands lost power.

Dr. Radley Horton is a research professor at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, focusing on climate extremes and their socioeconomic impacts. He spoke with WNYC's Michael Hill about the connection between income and vulnerability to catastrophes.