Congregations and Disaster, United States 2019

Designed to better understand how houses of worship and congregations prepare for disaster. The survey questionnaire contained 50 questions. The survey was completed by 346 respondents in the summer of 2019. The study is unique in its timing just before the COVID-19 pandemic and that the questionnaire contains both disaster and environmentalism questions along with two levels of analysis.

First, at the organizational level, questions explore past disaster response, current disaster planning, networking with other houses of worship and government agencies, along with common organizational characteristics. Second, at the individual level, the data set contains a variation of the Six Americas Super Short Survey (SASSY) by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and standard demographic questions for the clergy who participated in the study.

The survey instrument ends with notes on additional variables added to the dataset for ease of use. This includes the state or territory where the congregation is located, the FEMA region of the congregation, and a simplified denominational variable.

The survey also includes the Six Americas Super Short Survey (SASSY!) as developed by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. Researchers are encouraged to visit their website for more information.