--- title: Hurricane Matthew Will Hurt African Americans Most description: Hurrican Matthew does not impact everyone equally—and neither should our strategies for addressing it. canonical: https://time.com/4522780/hurricane-matthew-race-low-income-communities/ author: Laurel Blatchford article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-10-07T14:52:43.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:04:24.032Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Hurricane Matthew Will Hurt African Americans and Low-Income People Most og:description: 'This crisis does not impact everyone equally' og:url: https://time.com/4522780/hurricane-matthew-race-low-income-communities/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4323c16a43b53aa6/6988a91ccf40a8b301c45153/hurricane-matthew-low-income.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Hurricane Matthew in Miamii, Florida og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Hurricane Matthew Will Hurt African Americans and Low-Income People Most twitter:description: 'This crisis does not impact everyone equally' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4323c16a43b53aa6/6988a91ccf40a8b301c45153/hurricane-matthew-low-income.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Hurricane Matthew Will Hurt African Americans and Low-Income People Most > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=6278ac41-f02a-44d8-96ea-2c3aab1b09fd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | 240,000 | 54.1% | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 40,000 | 31.7% | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | 85,000 | 37.0% | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | 40,000 | 34.2% | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | 25,000 | 28.6% | Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 | | Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=6278ac41-f02a-44d8-96ea-2c3aab1b09fd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=6278ac41-f02a-44d8-96ea-2c3aab1b09fd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: What to Know About Hurricane Matthew [Watch (HLS stream): What to Know About Hurricane Matthew](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/qLjpUOhl.m3u8) (0:45)  _Published 2016-10-05. The “monster” Hurricane Matthew, after slamming through the Caribbean, has been closing in on the U.S. as expected all night late Thursday and early Friday, triggering the largest mandatory evacuations since Hurricane Sandy in 2012._ by [Laurel Blatchford](https://time.com/author/laurel-blatchford/) ## Laurel Blatchford Oct 7, 2016 2:52 PM UTC  A fallen tree lays by the Seminole mobile home park, in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Oct. 7, 2016. A fallen tree lays by the Seminole mobile home park, in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Oct. 7, 2016. Cristobal Herrera—EPA by [Laurel Blatchford](https://time.com/author/laurel-blatchford/) ## Laurel Blatchford Oct 7, 2016 2:52 PM UTC Even before [Hurricane Matthew](http://time.com/4522315/hurricane-matthew-storm-what-need-to-know/?iid=sr-link1) began unleashing its forces on the southeastern U.S., more than 100,000 people remained displaced from their homes because of destruction wrought by extreme weather events. These numbers are growing. Amid demands from activists that governments and aid organizations take stronger measures to address climate change and prepare better for the next disaster, it is time to acknowledge the simple truth that this crisis does not impact everyone equally—and neither should our strategies for addressing it. [Low-income communities](http://time.com/3457668/climate-change-poor-neighborhoods/) and communities of color are on the front lines of the damage climate change has already caused, and they continue to face the brunt of the assault. From Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast to Superstorm Sandy in the northeast, time and again people of color in low-income communities are the first victims of extreme weather and the last to recover from its devastation. [According to Gallup](http://www.gallup.com/poll/19405/katrina-hurt-blacks-poor-victims-most.aspx) African American and low-income people were more likely than whites and high-income people to suffer from Hurricane Katrina, and one-year after Hurricane Sandy across the tri-state area, [a greater share of low-income households was still contending with unrepaired housing damage compared to those with greater means](http://www.enterprisecommunity.com/resources/ResourceDetails?ID=0083708). As Hurrican Matthew strikes and the fourth anniversary of Sandy approaches, now is an opportune time to consider that this vulnerability and neglect is no accident. It’s systemic, with human and economic costs that impact every one of us: Katrina was the most expensive, and among the deadliest, natural disasters in U.S. history while Sandy was the second costliest hurricane. It is not simply coincidence that people of color and low-income families live in low-lying areas or communities with crumbling, weakened infrastructure. This situation was created and institutionalized by discriminatory housing policies that limited where people of color could live through zoning policies, restrictive covenants, racial steering and many other tools that were often explicitly racist, always with the intent to keep people of color confined to certain areas. For example, the creation of the Federal Housing Administration during the New Deal helped millions of families purchase homes, but the policy of redlining ensured that most beneficiaries of government-backed mortgages were white—and that was just the tip of the iceberg. Today, most of our cities remain incredibly segregated by race and class. Low-income communities and communities of color are more likely than predominantly white communities to be in or near vulnerable areas like flood plains or toxic waste facilities. People of color are also more likely to live in neighborhoods that have faced decades of disinvestment, making it [harder to withstand the effects of climate change and nearly impossible to bounce back after a disaster](http://s3.amazonaws.com/nca2014/low/NCA3%5FClimate%5FChange%5FImpacts%5Fin%5Fthe%5FUnited%20States%5FLowRes.pdf?download=1). The need to better prepare for climate change is well documented. But a critical part of that must include addressing the disparities in wealth, infrastructure and access to opportunities too many people and families continue to face. And it must include specific policies and programs that correct the discrimination and disinvestment that put low-income communities of color in the most danger in the first place. While this seems daunting, we know how to get started. Consider New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina and the flooding that followed devastated the Tremé-Lafitte neighborhood, there were hard decisions to make about how or whether to rebuild. As plans for demolishing and rebuilding a large public housing complex were announced, the community was rightly concerned about the potential for permanent displacement of hundreds of low-income families who had called the neighborhood home for decades. A deliberate focus on tracking down residents who had evacuated to at least 35 different states, involving them in the design and planning of the new development – including holding planning meetings in cities with a high concentration of evacuees – and providing access to short-term emergency assistance slowed down the rebuilding process, but it also created significantly better outcomes. Eventually, [residents banded together and worked with government, investors, local groups and more to rebuild a healthier, more resilient mixed-income community](https://s3.amazonaws.com/KSPProd/ERC%5FUpload/0100883.pdf), with long overdue infrastructure improvements connecting it to hospitals, quality schools, fresh food and a new greenway. The recovery effort was far from perfect, but the experience of addressing issues that existed before the storm and involving the community in the planning process created a model that other regions can adapt and improve upon. More than anything else, cities at risk in the face of climate change—like San Francisco, New York, Miami Beach and countless regions in between—must take these lessons into account and act to [increase resiliency](http://www.enterprisecommunity.com/resources/ResourceDetails?ID=0100907) against the effects of extreme weather events before the next storm strikes. The costs of waiting are far greater than the resources it would take to protect vulnerable communities by acting now. A report by the National Institute of Building Sciences found that [every dollar spent on mitigation saves $4 in recovery costs](http://www.floods.org/PDF/MMC%5FVolume1%5FFindingsConclusionsRecommendations.pdf). And beyond dollars spent, a failure to change the status quo that harms low-income communities and communities of color means that patterns of disproportionate impact will persist and disparities will continue to grow. With the political and institutional will and enough resources, we can ensure that these communities are no longer the front lines of vulnerability, but the front lines of resilience. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4522780/hurricane-matthew-race-low-income-communities/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4522780/hurricane-matthew-race-low-income-communities/"},"headline":"Hurricane Matthew Will Hurt African Americans and Low-Income People Most","datePublished":"2016-10-07T14:52:43.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:04:24.032Z","description":"'This crisis does not impact everyone equally—and neither should our strategies for addressing it'","url":"https://time.com/4522780/hurricane-matthew-race-low-income-communities/","keywords":["Race","Environment"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4323c16a43b53aa6/6988a91ccf40a8b301c45153/hurricane-matthew-low-income.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Laurel Blatchford","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/laurel-blatchford/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4323c16a43b53aa6/6988a91ccf40a8b301c45153/hurricane-matthew-low-income.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Hurricane Matthew in Miamii, Florida","caption":"A fallen tree lays by the Seminole mobile home park, in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Oct. 7, 2016.","creditText":"Cristobal Herrera—EPA","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/race/","name":"Race"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4522780/hurricane-matthew-race-low-income-communities/","name":"Hurricane Matthew Will Hurt African Americans and Low-Income People Most"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"What to Know About Hurricane Matthew","description":"The “monster” Hurricane Matthew, after slamming through the Caribbean, has been closing in on the U.S. as expected all night late Thursday and early Friday, triggering the largest mandatory evacuations since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/qLjpUOhl/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-10-05T18:31:37.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/qLjpUOhl.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4522780/hurricane-matthew-race-low-income-communities/","duration":"PT45S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4522780/hurricane-matthew-race-low-income-communities/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```