‘We will rise no matter what’

Community perspectives of disaster resilience following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico

Bibliographic Data

ID21422331
AuthorsElizabeth L Petrun Sayers (0000-0001-6796-6350, Behavioral and Policy Sciences, RAND Corporation, Arlington, VA, USA, corresponding author), Kathryn E Anthony (0000-0002-1375-0121, University of Southern Mississippi), Ashlyn Tom (0000-0001-9561-4846, Behavioral and Policy Sciences, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USA), Alice Y Kim (0009-0008-9345-4509, Behavioral and Policy Sciences, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USA), Courtney Armstrong (Behavioral and Policy Sciences, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USA)
Year2023
Volume51
Issue2
Pages126-145
Publication date2023-03-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Applied Communication Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-9882 • E-ISSN: 1479-5752
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00909882.2022.2069473
OpenAlexW4281288404
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited26

Category 4 Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on 20 September 2017 and ploughed across the territory with sustained winds of 155 mph. Just two weeks earlier, category 5 Hurricane Irma had struck the island already damaging critical infrastructure making Hurricane Maria even more devasting. The hurricanes caused catastrophic damage, resulting in the largest and longest response to a domestic disaster in the history of the United States. This paper explores the recovery process in Puerto Rico using a community resilience lens. The study examines narratives, the media environment, trusted sources, and information preferences following the crisis. Community workshops, interviews, and focus groups reveal indicators of resilience in Puerto Rico alongside areas for improvement. Theoretical contributions discuss the role of identity, sense of place, and the impact of culture on community resilience. Practical contributions touch on messaging, acknowledging infrastructure vulnerabilities, and the importance of strengthening community relationships

Community resilience · Geography · Hurricane katrina · Landfall · Meteorology · Narrative · Natural disaster · Political science · Psychological resilience · Public relations · Resilience (materials science) · Sociology · Tropical cyclone · Disaster Management and Resilience · Engineering · Flood Risk Assessment and Management · Infrastructure Resilience and Vulnerability Analysis · Psychology · Social Psychology

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access