Working Papers
Reared in Disaster: The Long-Run Harm from Childhood Storm Exposure • [Link to Draft: Updated July 7, 2025]
I estimate how exposure to natural disasters in childhood shapes earnings and schooling later in life, using newly assembled daily disaster records dating back to 1951 linked to residential histories in the NLSY79. I compare adult outcomes for children who face similar expected disaster risk but experience different amounts of exposure, finding that severe and repeat disasters reduce earnings. I show that storms between ages 5-10 most reduce educational attainment while those between ages 10-15 cause large wage penalties in adulthood. Finally, Black individuals suffer larger earnings losses than white peers, pointing to inequality from disaster exposure, and suggesting that disaster exposure may have contributed substantially to the racial wealth gap.
Works in Progress
Should We Flee? Evaluating Hurricane Evacuation Orders – Best Student Research, Center for Policy Research End-of-Year Reception (2025) • [Poster link]
The Local Economic and Environmental Impacts of Mineral Production for EV batteries, Evidence from Indonesia (With Alex Rothenberg)