The Evolving Nature of Newsprint Hurricane Cartography

When confronting hazards, the public often relies on maps to understand risks and develop mitigation strategies. While environmental risk and vulnerability change over time, and are influenced by numerous social and geographic factors, the use of cartographic visualizations and spatial analysis has consistently been employed to quantify, qualify, plan for, and react to environmental hazards. The project discussed in this article uses mixed methods to examine the ways in which hazard cartography (the examination of hazard-related maps) has been used to communicate hurricane risk to the Houston, Texas area, and how these maps have changed over time with developments in cartographic techniques and technology. Research focuses on hurricane-related maps published in the Houston Chronicle from 1945 to 2020, which encompass developments in cartographic technologies, such as satellite imagery, weather radar, and global positioning systems that helped transform hazard maps from generalized line drawings to highly accurate digital representations. Both quantitative cartographic analysis and qualitative content analysis are employed to track changes in map design, components, and themes as new technologies were developed and implemented. Results highlight the breadth of hurricane-related content published across the 75-year period, as well as how technology has transformed how hurricane hazards are communicated to the public.