Ready of not? Hurricane preparedness, response, and recovery of farms, forests, and rural communities in the U.S. Caribbean

This study highlights that forest owners, and rural communities in the Caribbean are among the groups most vulnerable to hurricanes and other extreme climate events. Yet their preparedness and capacity to respond and recover remain poorly understood. To address this gap, researchers conducted focus groups and interviews with more than 150 individuals in the agriculture and forestry sectors and rural communities in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands to examine the impacts of and recovery from Hurricanes Irma and María and the factors shaping their resilience to disturbance. Participants described extensive losses associated with the hurricanes, including destruction of crops and loss of livestock; major damage to roads, facilities, and essential infrastructure; and prolonged failures in electricity, telecommunications, and water systems. 

The findings revealed that few participants described having sufficient or significant hurricane preparedness, mitigation, or adaptation measures in place before the storms. Limited financial resources, insufficient technical knowledge, and constrained human capacity were the main barriers to implementing risk‑reduction strategies. While many expressed a desire to adopt enhanced preparedness practices or redesign their production systems to be more resilient, only a small number had begun such efforts at the time of the study. Overall, the findings underscore farm, forestry and rural communities’ desire for stronger support systems that enhance understanding and adoption of effective mitigation and adaptation practices. They also demonstrate the utility of flexible, context‑sensitive government programs and the development of practical planning tools at individual, community, and sectoral levels and provide insights important for informing ongoing recovery efforts and building long‑term resilience in these Caribbean communities.