Extreme Weather and COVID-19: Organizational Responses to Simultaneous Disasters Affecting Migrant Farmworker Communities

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Therber, Sophie
- Affiliation: School of Education
- Other Affiliation: Global Studies

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As climate change increases the frequency, intensity, and scope of disasters, the world is seeing a stark increase in disasters that transcend borders and put individuals and communities in danger. Eastern North Carolina is in the midst of recovery from simultaneous disasters: extreme weather and the COVID pandemic. The magnitude of the effects of disasters is catastrophic, yet the burden is not evenly distributed. Specifically, the effects of these disasters are even greater for migrant farmworkers, who already face extensive structural vulnerabilities such as occupational hazards, exploitation, lack of legal documentation, isolation, and marginalization. This project examines how various governmental and non-governmental organizations that focus on migrant and farmworker well-being have responded to simultaneous disasters that affect these communities. Through qualitative data from oral history interviews collected from five government agency and community organization employees dedicated to assisting migrants, I analyzed the needs and assets of farmworker communities, as well as the role of governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and multilevel collaboration between organizations to respond effectively to disaster. Implications for how study findings might inform the work of organizational leaders, governmental agencies, and all relevant stakeholders engaged in disaster recovery and the well-being of farmworker communities are discussed.

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