Vulnerability Analysis to Support Disaster Resilience

Hurricane Maria hit the United States (U.S.) territory of Puerto Rico on September 20th, 2017 as a Category 4 storm. An estimated 2,975 people died in Puerto Rico due to the storm and in many ways the island was devastated from the disaster. The U.S. federal government mounted a large-scale disaster response to mitigate damage by addressing basic needs. However, two years after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Ricans were still reporting difficulties in daily life, including access to health care. Puerto Rico’s higher poverty levels, aging population, and struggle to provide social services have made the effects of Hurricane Maria that much more profound for its residents. The purpose of this chapter is to understand the irreparable damage to Puerto Rico’s infrastructure, population, and health care system caused by Hurricane Maria compared to how other parts of the US have recovered from similar overwhelming natural disasters. Additionally, this chapter will evaluate how these incidents impact security and how sensemaking can be used to increase disaster resilience.