Photo By: Chuck Kirman/The Star
The aftermath of a disaster can cause families to lose priceless possessions, homes, and even their loved ones. In many cases, there is no amount of aid that can help people heal from this substantial devastation. With the Woolsey Fire being the most recent disaster to affect Los Angeles, there have been misunderstandings regarding the vulnerability of victims. Media sources have exclusively shown the victims to be celebrities and/or wealthy, however, this is not a true representation. The number of people in Los Angeles living under the poverty line and face risks of
The interactive map above shows the percentage of people living in poverty by census tract. The darker regions signify that there is a higher concentration of households struggling to make ends meet. In areas more prone to have fires, such as Santa Claria and Malibu, we notice that there is shading. Poor households are more likely to experience trauma due to lack of ability to evacuate or purchase resources to protect their homes. According to the Los Angeles 2018 Local Mitigation Plan, those in poverty are more likely to live in older buildings that cannot withstand the conditions of fire or flooding. In result, they are more likely to be left homeless in the aftermath and may not recover for years.
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