Qing Miao

Disasters and Public Finance

Natural disasters can pose severe shocks to societies and governments at all levels. My research empirically examines the fiscal impacts of natural hazards on state and local governments (regarding tax revenues, public spending, intergovernmental transfers, and borrowing) as well as the economic effect of disaster-induced policy interventions (such as managed retreat). My work also explores the role of fiscal institutions in local disaster management and mitigation. I am currently working on a set of projects investigating how disasters affect local government property tax administration.

Miao, Qing., Yilin Hou, and Michael Abrigo, “Measuring the Fiscal Shocks of Natural Disasters: A Panel Study of the U.S. States,” National Tax Journal, 2018, 71(1):11-44.

Miao, Qing., “The Fiscal Implications of Managing Natural Disasters for National and Subnational Governments,” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Natural Hazard Science, 2018. DOI: 10.1093/acrefore/9780199389407.013.194

Miao, Qing., Can Chen, Yi Lu, and Michael Abrigo, “Natural Disasters and Financial Implications for Subnational Governments: Evidence from China,” Public Finance Review, 2020, 48(1):72-101.

Miao, Qing., Michael Abrigo, Yilin Hou, and Penny Liao, “Extreme weather events and local fiscal responses: Evidence from U.S. Counties.” Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, 2023, 7, 93-115.

Miao, Qing., Guo, Wei., Hou, Yilin, and Meri Davlasheridze. “Fiscal implications of disasters and managed retreat thereafter: Evidence from Hurricane Sandy.” Natural Hazards Review, 2024, 25(4): 04024036

Miao, Qing., Yu Shi, and Meri Davlasheridze, “Fiscal Decentralization and Natural Disaster Mitigation: Evidence from the United States,” Public Budgeting and Finance, 2021, 41(1):26-50.

Miao, Qing., and Meri Davlasheridze, “Managed retreat in the face of climate change: Examining factors in Influencing buyouts of floodplain properties.” Natural Hazards Review, 2022, 23,1.1527-6988.

Guo, Wei, Penny Liao, and Qing Miao, “Managed retreat and flood recovery: the local economic impact of buyout and acquisition”, Resources for the Future Working Paper

Kim, Yusun, Qing Miao, and Ling Zhu. “Extreme Temperatures, Hospital Utilization and Public Health Insurance Spending”, International Journal of Public Health, 2025, Volume 70.

Guo, Wei., Qing Miao, Yusun Kim, and Yilin Hou. "Rising Water, Lowering Taxes: The Impact of Hurricane Sandy on Property Tax Assessments in New York City” (work in progress)

Davlasheridze, Meri., Yilin Hou, and Qing Miao, "Property tax administration after a natural disaster: Dissecting a local fiscal policy dilemma”, Working Paper

Disaster Aid Policy

The U.S. federal government has a history of providing financial aid to assist local governments and communities in preparing for, mitigating, responding to, and recovering from natural hazards. Federal disaster aid is critical for addressing the uneven hazard exposure and impacts and disparities in the ability to cope with disasters. My research examines the effect of federal grants on risk mitigation and community resilience, as well as their distributional patterns and social equity implications. In 2021, I received a research grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Coastal Response Research Center at the University of New Hampshire to quantify the economic values of disaster preparedness in coastal communities.

Davlasheridze, Meri., and Qing Miao, “Does Federal Disaster Assistance Affect Private Protection Behavior: An Empirical Analysis of Household Purchase of Flood Insurance,” Land Economics, 2019, 95(1): 124-145.

Davlasheridze, Meri., and Qing Miao, “Does Post-disaster Aid Promote Community Resilience: Evidence from Federal Disaster Programs,” Natural Hazards, 2021, 109, 63-88.

Davlasheridze, Meri., and Qing Miao, “Natural Disasters, Public Housing, and the Role of Disaster Aid,” Journal of Regional Science, 2021, 61, 5, 1113-1135.

Miao, Qing., and Meri, Davlasheridze. “Estimating the Loss Reduction Effects of Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation: An Empirical Study of U.S. Coastal States”, Risk Analysis, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.16111

Waters, Lina., Kelsea Best, Miao Qing, Meri Davlasheridze, and Allison Reilly. “Under-Reported and Under-Served: Disparities in US Disaster Federal Aid-To-Damage Ratios After Hurricanes” International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2024, Volume 106.

Miao, Qing., Meri Davlasheridze, and Allison Reilly. “Assessing social equity of federal disaster aid distribution: A county-level analysis.” Risk Analysis, 2024, 1-21.

Miao, Qing., Kelsea Best, Allison Reilly, and Meri Davlasheridze. “Where did the money go? Assessing the distribution of the Community Development Block Grant Disasters Recovery Funds”, American Review of Public Administration, 2025, 55(3), 227-248

Miao, Qing., and Meri Davlasheridze. “Community Choices for Building Resilience and Mitigating Risks: Retreat versus Retrofit”, Journal of Environmental Management, 2024, Volume 370, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122630.

Managed Retreat

Managed retreat from hazardous areas is a long-term strategy for mitigating natural disaster risks and adapting to climate change. In the United States, managed retreat is often sponsored by governments through acquiring properties in the aftermath of a major disaster (also known as buyouts). My research has examined the factors influencing communities' implementation of buyout projects, and the local fiscal and economic effects of buyout programs. In 2022, my collaborators and I received a grant from Texas OneGulf to study the fiscal and social implications of floodplain property buyouts in Harris County, Texas.

Guo, Wei, Penny Liao, and Qing Miao, “Managed retreat and flood recovery: the local economic impact of buyout and acquisition” Resources for the Future Working Paper

Guo, Wei, Penny Liao, and Qing Miao, “Local Economic Impacts of the NY Rising Buyout and Acquisition Program.” Forthcoming in Environmental Law in New York.

Davlasheridze, M., Kayoda Atoba, and Qing Miao. “Floodplain buyouts and housing values: Evidence from Texas”, Working Paper

Climate adaptation and Emergency Management

Governments and public organizations play a vital role in advancing societal adaptation to climate change and extreme weather. My previous research looks into climate adaptation planning by U.S. state governments and the adaptation behaviors of public organizations (such as public transit agencies), with a particular focus on the drivers of adaptation. My more recent work explores emergency management for vulnerable populations. In 2023, I received a NSF CIVIC grant with colleagues at RIT and University of Rochester Medical Center to address the gaps in essential emergency services for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) community.

Miao, Qing., “What affects government planning for climate change adaptation: Evidence from the US states.” Environmental Policy and Governance. 2019, 29(5): 376-394.

Zhang, Fengxiu., Eric Welch, and Qing Miao, “Public Organization Adaptation to Extreme Events: Mediating Role of Risk Perception,” Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 2018, 28(3): 371-387.

Miao, Qing., Eric Welch, Fengxiu Zhang, and P.S. Sriraj, “What drives public transit organizations in the United States to adapt to extreme weather events?” Journal of Environmental Management, 2018, 225(1): 252-260.

Miao, Qing., Mary K. Feeney, Fengxiu Zhang, Eric Welch, P.S. Sriraj, “Through the storm: Transit agency management in response to climate change,” Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2018, 63, 421-432.

Miao, Qing., Eric Welch, and P.S. Sriraj, “Extreme Weather, Public Transport Ridership and Moderating Effect of Bus Stop Shelters”, Journal of Transport Geography, 2018, 74, 125-133.

Miao, Qing., and Fengxiu Zhang, “What drives household preparedness for natural hazards: the mediating role of perceived coping efficacy.” Natural Hazards Review, 2023, 24, 2. https://doi.org/10.1061/NHREFO.NHENG-1620

Sandra Rothenberg, David C Baldridge, Iskender Mambetkadyrov, Brian Tomaszewski, James Fugate, Jason Rotoli and Qing Miao. “Hearing Diversity and Inequality of Emergency Services: Perspectives on Greater Societal Inclusion for the Deaf”, Working Paper.

Miao, Qing., Fengxiu Zhang, Sandra Rothenberg, and Brian Tomaszewski. "Institutionalizing disability inclusion in Emergency Management: mechanisms, impacts and antecedents” (work in progress)

Mambetkadyrov, Iskender., Qing Miao, Brian Tomaszewski, Sandra Rothenberg, James Fugate and Jason Rotoli. "Adapting emergency response: A nationwide study of disability accommodation practices among local emergency managers” (work in progress)

Hosseini Shakib, A., Ripka, M., Rotoli, J., Qing Miao, Rothenberg, S., Fugate, J., & Tomaszewski, B. (2025). SafeSigns: Enabling Community Resilience Communication for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Proceedings of the International ISCRAM Conference.

Technological Innovation, Climate Change, and Hazard Mitigation

Combating climate change requires continuous innovation of mitigation and adaptation technologies. My doctoral dissertation examines the motivation and implications of technical innovations relevant for climate adaptation and hazard mitigation using patent data. My research shows that societies learn from disaster events, and these experiences drive efforts to adapt to climate change and natural disasters. My recent work also explores how public policies influence the development of clean energy technologies to provide insights for designing efficient technology policies. In a NSF-funded project focusing on clean energy subsidies, we proposed an analytical framework for the optimal subsidy to account for environmental benefits (mitigating carbon emissions) and technological improvement benefits (learning by doing). I also studied energy policies related to the transportation sector such as the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards.

Miao, Qing., and David Popp, “Necessity as the Mother of Invention: Innovative Responses to Natural Disasters,” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 2014, 68(2): 280-295.

Miao, Qing., “Technological Innovation, Social Learning and Natural Hazard Mitigation: Evidence on Earthquake Losses,” Environment and Development Economics, 2017, 22(3): 249-273.

Miao, Qing., “Are We Adapting to Floods? Evidence from Global Flooding Fatalities.” Risk Analysis. 2018, 39(6): 1298-1313.

Touboul, Simon., Qing Miao and David Popp. "Innovation in Adaptation Technologies in Response to Extreme Climate Events: Evidence from Patent data", Climate Change Economics, 2025. vol. 16(02), pages 1-46.

Tibebu, Tiruwork B., Eric Hittinger, Qing Miao, Eric Williams, “What is the optimal subsidy for residential solar?” Energy Policy, 2021, Volume 155, 112326, ISSN 0301-4215

Tibebu, Tiruwork B., Eric Hittinger, Qing Miao, Eric Williams, “Roles of diffusion patterns, technological progress, and environmental benefits in determining optimal renewable subsidies” Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 2022, 182, 121840.

Tibebu, Tiruwork B., Eric Hittinger, Qing Miao, and Eric Williams. “Adoption Model Choice Affects the Optimal Subsidy for Residential Solar”, Energies, 2024, 17 (3), 728.

Hittinger, Eric., Qing Miao, and Eric Williams. “Teaching the Complex Dynamics of Clean Energy Subsidies with the Help of a Model-as-Game”, Case Studies in the Environment, 2023, 7 (1).

Hittinger, Eric., Eric Williams, Qing Miao, and Tiruwork Tibebu. “How to design clean energy subsidies that work – without wasting money on free riders”. The Conversation.

Wang, Yiwei., and Qing Miao, “The Impact of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards on Technological Changes in Automobile Fuel Efficiency,” Resource and Energy Economics, 2021, 63, Article 101211.

Wang, Yiwei., and Qing Miao, “Implication of Replacing the Federal and State Fuel Taxes with a National Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Tax,” Transportation Research Records: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2018, 2672(4):32-42.

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