Max Besbris

Drawing on an RSF-funded longitudinal study of flooded households in a suburban town severely affected by Hurricane Harvey, Besbris will work on a book examining how the victims of climate-related disasters decide whether or not to return to their homes, how to reinvest in their property, and the sources of financial and social support they receive during recovery. His focus is on middle-class households and how their past residential stability affects their perceptions of risk. He aims to develop a comprehensive theory of post-disaster recovery and inequality, including policies to mitigate the financial, social, and human costs of climate-related disasters.