Prevalence & Resilience of Disaster

Looking at the global data on earthquakes, I find it very interesting that actually Iran has had the most number of significant earthquakes in the year 2017. Looking at the impact of earthquakes on the number of deaths, I learned that earthquakes have had a persistent impact on human life over several centuries.

Resilience after experiencing an earthquake would look like utilizing the resources available in the community, such as safe shelter, food, and drinking water as provided by a disaster response team such as The American Red Cross, to endure the destructive and devastating impacts of this natural disaster. Also, utilizing community resources to help alleviate the pain associated with loss and grief of loved ones and property would also exemplify resilience in this situation. And lastly, being able to endure and overcome the mental and emotional disturbance caused by experiencing an earthquake would further demonstrate resilience.

Natural disasters (2019, November). Our world in data. Retrieved April 10, 2021, from https://ourworldindata.org/natural-disasters

The image above is from the United States Census Bureau showing the percentage of the population that meets certain disaster-kit staples such as three gallons of drinking water per person in the household (or 1 gallon per person for three days) or having non-perishable food or the ability to escape if needed. As you can see pluralities of Americans have some preparation in place. Though it should be noted that the vast majority of Americans having no designated meet up place or communication plan can cause almost every other category to go haywire almost instantly. We're, as a nation, not well prepared at all for disasters (see also the run on toilet paper a year ago...) especially not ones on a massive scale, and very especially not ones that are sudden and violent.

Resilience to me, first and foremost, means surviving and saving yourself a worse trauma by preparing well. If your experience is less traumatic because you had systems in place before the event happened you can potentially make the burden of bouncing back that much easier. So making sure that you and your family are prepared for a disaster, in my opinion, is the first step in the process of resilience.

US Census Bureau. (2017, May 16). 2013: How Ready Are We? Natural Disaster or Emergency Preparedness. The United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/visualizations/how_ready_are_we.html

Growing up near the Gulf of Mexico and at the tip of Tornado Alley and having friends and family affected by hurricanes and tornados, it's easy to see how disaster is really just a matter of wrong place at the right time. I was a child when a EFJ 5 tornado wiped the town of Jarrel, TX almost off the map. Those most affected by it were people of low income as they lived in mobile homes most susceptible to displacement and destruction.

Resilience following disaster looks like to me either rebuilding to withstand another event should it happen, having the ability to take care of oneself or community, and knowing how to function when resources and outside help isn't consistent.

Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Infographic: How high is your family's risk in a disaster? The Administration for Children and Families. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ohsepr/faq/infographic-how-high-your-familys-risk-disaster.

Above is an image that represents the number of disasters declared by each state in 2019.

After experiencing a disaster, a community would be considered resilient based on how well they picked up the pieces and started over again and rebuilt the community that they had before. It would be the ability to endure upheaval without disruption in the function of the community at large. A resilient community would begin to reconstruct damaged buildings s and reopen business after experiencing a disaster.

National Preparedness. National Preparedness, FEMA.gov. (n.d.). Accessed 4/8/2021. https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/national-preparedness#reports.

Southwick, s. M., Litz, B.T., Charney, D., & Friedman, M.J. (2011). In Resilience and Mental Health Challenges Across the Lifespan (pp. 202). Essay, Cambridge University Press.

Individuals in the LGBTQ community often have created communities that exist separate from their biological families and the communities they grew up in. These found communities are especially important for those who have been shunned by their biological families. In a disaster, gathering places are impacted and these social networks struggle as a result. Additionally, as Dominey-Howes (2014) notes, some communities view natural disasters as acts of god and attribute them to "retribution for those who 'sin'" (p. 911), so individuals in these communities might find themselves the focus of resentment from the community around them.

Dominey-Howes, D., Gorman-Murray, A., & Mckinnon, S. (2014). Queering disasters: On the need to account for LGBTI experiences in natural disaster contexts. Gender, Place and Culture, 21(7), 905-918. 10.2752/175174214X13891916944751

The Philippines have a fair amount of natural disasters like typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions given that the country is located in the Pacific Typhoon Belt and Pacific Ring of Fire. In the Asian Disaster Reduction Center website, the 2018 Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System country report discussed the country's risk to natural disasters. The country was reported to have 5 out of the average of 20 tropical cyclones in a year to be the most destructive. The image below was used in the report. This image was extracted from University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, 2016.

Resilience will be shown by life survival, then enduring until the typhoon ends, and showing the ability to rehabilitate towards the future. With any disaster, whether personal trials, as a community, or a nation, resilience will be demonstrated after sometime has passed. Evidences of effort to continue living life will be observed such as building houses, livelihood, and positive mental outlook to life by the people.

Padagdag, J.M. (2018). The Philippine Disaster Reduction and Management System. Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC). https://www.adrc.asia/countryreport/PHL/2018/Philippines_CR2018B.pdf