Overview

Not everyone has the resources to prepare for, cope with, and recover from disasters. Factors such as medical challenges, limited financial resources, language barriers, limited access to transportation, and numerous socioeconomic aspects impact a disaster’s effect on households and communities. To gain clarity on how best to provide vulnerable households and communities with needed knowledge, tools and capacity for disaster response, the Southern Rural Development Center, in partnership with land-grant university Extension educators in five key states, has undertaken community-based field assessments to explore disaster awareness and preparedness among 10 strategically selected communities. Within these communities, the SRDC has been evaluating how well the resources from FEMA’s Emergency Preparedness Demonstration (EPD) Project prepare communities to address the unique needs facing local vulnerable audiences during times of disasters.