The influence of socioeconomic factors on storm preparedness and experienced impacts in Finland

Research often focuses on areas with high exposure and vulnerability and research on low exposure and vulnerability areas is scarcer. This research asks: do socioeconomic and demographic factors matter in how individuals prepare for and are affected by storms in Finland? The data consist of an internet survey (n = 1014) conducted after a severe winter storm hit Finland at the beginning of 2019.

The results show that respondents' education level or employment status are not connected to whether they took preparedness measures or whether they experienced harm. Instead, the type of residential property does play a part. In addition, respondents who had experienced storm-related harm during recent years are more likely to prepare than those who have not. In conclusion, socio-demographic factors seem to have only marginal influence on storm preparedness or experienced impacts in Finland, which contradicts earlier research.