Why more men than women die in hurricanes, extreme weather: researchers

Extreme weather events kill a number of Americans every year.

For many of those events, however, the deaths tend to skew toward one demographic: men and boys.

For example, they account for more than 65% of direct victims of hurricanes and more than 70% of deaths caused by lightning, according to the National Weather Service.

Additionally, men and boys make up more than 65% of heat-related deaths and more than 80% of cold-related deaths.

One reason for this involves the risk-taking nature of men, said Kim Klockow McClain, senior social scientist with UCAR supporting the National Weather Service.

“The research that we do in the social sciences applies to risks and how people make decisions in the face of them. It clearly shows that across hazards, weather hazards and any others, really, men are more inclined toward risk-taking than women are,” McClain said.

She noted that, because of this preference for risk, men will more frequently be exposed to hazardous conditions than women will.

In doing so, this results in higher rates of injury or fatality for men.

Another distinction related to risk-taking between men and women is how they respond to potential environmental threats.

In disaster sociology studies, researchers have found women taking on the role of protector and trying to gather people and direct them into a shelter, McClain said.

On the other hand, men are more inclined to expose themselves to the threat and wait a little bit longer to protect themselves.

To help protect men, be they fathers, sons, uncles or friends, McClain recommended loved ones to remind them of the importance of being safe.

This allows them to keep safety in mind while weighing their decisions.

“You are an invaluable resource in this,” she said. “If you’re someone who’s concerned about your friends and family, keeping aware of the weather and being in touch with your friends, with your family and encouraging them to stay safe, that means a lot for people, and it’s just a really valuable thing to do.”