Role of volunteers in Disaster Mitigation after hurricane Maria strikes Puerto Rico

The region was still recovering from Hurricane Irma when it was pummeled recently by Hurricane Maria. The nationwide effort by Puerto Rico’s Federal Affairs Administration — along with the Puerto Rico State Agency for Emergency and Disaster Management and a handful of public radio stations on the island — has managed to bring some sort of reassurance to anxious family members seeking answers.

However, support of volunteers from near and far to build databases of caller information that was ultimately used to reconnect loved ones went a long way in providing support and comfort to the distressed public. The Volunteers were also trained on how to provide vital contact information for disaster relief teams in specific areas on the island, and how to pass along emergency recovery requests around the clock during the times of crisis.

The issue of disaster preparedness is a complex one and the state and federal disaster recovery agencies must lean on one another for innovative ideas and solutions to rescue the public. Therefore,support from volunteers in times of crisis helps in mitigating disasters thereby ensuring smooth rescue operations.