A couple of surveys indicate that the death toll after Hurricane Katrina was proportionately spread among races and income groups. Interesting, if preliminary.

The surveys also suggest (although the information in the Inquirer article leads one to be believe that a proper statistical analysis was not carried out) that access to automobiles was not a significant factor in deciding who did and didn’t die. If it turns out not to be the case, then I must apologize for suggesting it would be. Of course, no factor such as car ownership is a determinant factor in surviving a disaster. Car owners make misjudgments too. I think it’s still pretty safe to say that the death toll would have been much higher if people had not used cars to escape the storm.