Household Emergency Preparedness List for Puerto Rico based on Meta-Analysis

摘要

Puerto Rico is an archipelago located in the Caribbean with approximately 3.7 million inhabitants in an area of 3,515 square miles. Due to its location, Puerto Rico is particularly prone to tropical storms, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Furthermore, it is estimated that approximately 85% of the consumable products in Puerto Rico are imported. Due to the vulnerability of Puerto Rico to natural disasters and its dependence on imports, it is imperative that Puerto Ricans are made aware of the essential household articles necessary for survival after a catastrophe. This study proposes a household preparedness emergency list for an average family of four to survive for seven days, assuming that the house infrastructure withstands the disaster. For each article included in the list we include the: classification, shelf-life, estimated cost, amount recommended, and continent of origin. The emergency list is obtained based on a meta-analysis of three existing emergency article lists created by three different government agencies: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), American Red Cross, and Puerto Rican Department of Labor and Human Resources (PR-DoL). The proposed emergency list has received endorsements from several emergency experts in Puerto Rico.