Hurricane Maria, Dominica: Survey on Perceptions of Information and Shelter

Author(s)
Hassan, A.
Publication language
English
Pages
24pp
Date published
31 May 2018
Type
Research, reports and studies
Keywords
Accountability and Participation, Assessment & Analysis, Cyclone
Countries
Dominica
Organisations
Ground Truth Solutions

Overview: This report analyses data collected from interviews conducted with 483 Dominicans between 14 and 20 May 2018 . In this fifth survey of Dominicans' perceptions in the wake of Hurricane Maria, we dig deeper into the issues that are central to the recovery process now underway. These relate to people’s access to information and, with so many homes lost or damaged by the hurricane, shelter and reconstruction.

Information

  • Most people do not feel they had the information they needed to access support in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane
  • Power outages knocked out most forms of communication and most respondents say that in the event of another disaster the focus should be on providing information in meetings with government representatives and aid agency staff
  • Members of Parliament, village council members and government ministries are the most trusted sources of information
  • Topics on which information is most in demand now are how to access financial and material support to rebuild their homes and businesses
  • The elderly are seen as having the most difficult experience getting information There is little knowledge about how to lodge complaints but most people would prefer to do so through their parliamentary representative or the local council

Shelter

  • The majority of respondents have not yet started repairing their homes
  • Lack of money, building materials, and labour (in that order) are the main obstacles
  • Two-thirds of those who have made a start at repairing their homes say they did it themselves 
  • Most respondents were not aware of Technical Assistance Centres
  • Most people do not know about Dominica’s new building codes 
  • More than two-thirds of respondents do not think their home is ready for the coming hurricane season, and less than half feel safe
  • Most people say their homes were not sufficiently insured before the hurricane and more than half of those interviewed do not plan to improve coverage now
     

Recommended resources