EVALUATING PRECEPTIONS OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN A RURAL COMMUNITY

Purpose: Liberty County, located in Southeast Texas between Houston and Beaumont, has been on the receiving end of two hurricanes that mandated evacuation in 2005 and 2008. The purpose of this project was to explore the perceptions of and preparations for disasters among the population of Liberty County. Methods: A survey was given to patients in a Family Medicine clinic in Liberty County. The survey asked participants about their preparations for future disasters. Data was then compared to the same survey given nationally. Results: The results showed that participants were well prepared. 55.2% of them had a three day supply of water, 24.0% a written evacuation plan, 85.4% working battery radios, 95.8% working battery flashlights, and 94.8% had experience with disasters. Conclusions: These results showed that residents of Liberty County are more prepared for disasters than most of America.