Abstract
Hurricanes pose significant risks to U.S. coastal populations, and with climate change increasing the storms’ frequency and intensity, these risks are expected to grow. In this paper, I investigate whether hurricanes drive internal migration, focusing on how different storm intensities influence migration patterns. I esti- mate a two-way fixed effects model using data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey and NOAA’s HURDAT2 hurricane records. I measure hurricane risk at the Migration Public Use Microdata Area (MIGPUMA) level and classify storms into three intensity categories (34, 50, and 64 knots). I find that storms at the 50-knot level significantly increase out-migration rates, with effects lasting for several years. Storms at the less intense 34-knot level significantly increase out-migration rates in only the short term. Migration patterns show individuals moving both short and long distances, often to regions with similar or higher storm risk. My findings suggest that while hurricanes drive relocation, people may not prioritize mov- ing to lower-risk areas. By analyzing storm occurrences as exogenous shocks, my paper explores how climate disasters influence internal migration, while improving upon hurricane risk measures and using objective storm data.