Poor policies, procedures put U.S. minorities at high risk from natural hazards: report

NEW YORK, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Questions about the impact of natural disasters on the life and health of communities have taken on greater urgency as such events have become more common, said U.S. News and World Report on Wednesday.

"From racist practices of the past to present-day failures in preparedness, response and recovery, experts say poor policies and procedures have disproportionately put certain communities - particularly those predominantly occupied by racial and ethnic minorities - at higher risk of harm. And the growing threat of climate change only further heightens that risk," said the report.

Indigenous people, encompassing American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, were the most at risk from natural hazards in the United States, said the report on basis of its analysis of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index.

"Among the various racial and ethnic groups examined, Alaska Natives were the group most at risk from hazards like volcanic activity, avalanches and cold waves, while American Indians were the group most at risk from drought, riverine flooding, wildfires and ice storms," it said.

In addition, Black or African American people in the United States were at highest risk for negative impacts from hurricanes and tornadoes, as well as heat waves and flooding that occurs in coastal areas, according to the report.