Community-based Behavioral Understanding of Crisis Activity Concerns
  using Social Media Data: A Study on the 2023 Canadian Wildfires in New York
  City
Khondhaker Al Momin Md Sami Hasnine Arif Mohaimin Sadri
New York City (NYC) topped the global chart for the worst air pollution in
June 2023, owing to the wildfire smoke drifting in from Canada. This
unprecedented situation caused significant travel disruptions and shifts in
traditional activity patterns of NYC residents. This study utilized large-scale
social media data to study different crisis activity concerns (i.e.,
evacuation, staying indoors, shopping, and recreational activities among
others) in the emergence of the 2023 Canadian wildfire smoke in NYC. In this
regard, one week (June 02 through June 09, 2023) geotagged Twitter data from
NYC were retrieved and used in the analysis. The tweets were processed using
advanced text classification techniques and later integrated with national
databases such as Social Security Administration data, Census, and American
Community Survey. Finally, a model has been developed to make community
inferences of different activity concerns in a major wildfire. The findings
suggest, during wildfires, females are less likely to engage in discussions
about evacuation, trips for medical, social, or recreational purposes, and
commuting for work, likely influenced by workplaces maintaining operations
despite poor air quality. There were also racial disparities in these
discussions, with Asians being more likely than Hispanics to discuss evacuation
and work commute, and African Americans being less likely to discuss social and
recreational activities. Additionally, individuals from low-income
neighborhoods and non-higher education students expressed fewer concerns about
evacuation. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers, emergency
planners, and public health officials, aiding them in formulating targeted
communication strategies and equitable emergency response plans.