The Effect of Hurricanes on Burglary in North Carolina Counties, 1999-2003.

Abstract

Hurricanes and tropical storms cause much harm and extensive damage. Their effect on crime is interesting as their precise timing is unpredictable. Yet, there is a limited body of research on this effect. This thesis examines the effect of hurricanes on burglary in North Carolina counties for a five year period between January 1999 and December 2003. It considers both routine activity theory and social disorganization theory to explain how crime may change after a disaster. The results indicate that some social disorganization components interact with a hurricane to produce an effect on burglary. The routine activity proxies used were not significant, but this could have been the result of numerous limitations. Future directions for research include improving and expanding data sources and incorporating alternate theories.