Special needs populations in technology-caused disasters are very similar to those in natural disasters, but there are several different twists. As with natural disasters, care must be taken to identify those who are dependent on others for food, shelter, transportation and daily care due to age, youth, disability, etc.

Groups affected most often by technology-caused disasters include communities of color and the poor. The adverse impacts of environmental contamination have for generations been linked with poverty and political disenfranchisement. A landmark study by the United Church of Christ, "Toxic Waste and Race in America," found that a community's racial composition was the most significant factor in explaining the existence of operating hazardous waste treatment, and storage and disposal facilities. It also documented large concentrations of abandoned hazardous waste sites in communities of color, particularly in metropolitan areas.

Evacuations and relocations may be even more difficult spiritually and psychologically because the affected areas often "look" normal. There are no uprooted trees, no houses full of mud and water, and no roofs torn off.