Storm Relief Efforts on America Samoa Island Prove Effective Following Damage

First Posted: Feb 13, 2014 05:30 PM EST
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Following a natural disaster or some sort of significant weather event, local communities largely rely on federal emergency relief efforts to come clean up or repair damages. A study shows that various countries, especially the United States, can benefit from community-based efforts.

In 2009, following a disastrous tsunami that caused tens of millions of dollars in damages, the island of American Samoa did not flinch. Instead of waiting for help, their "indigenous institutions" went right to work and started providing aid at the community level. These institutions varied in traditional values, but for the most part they played a crucial role in governing the island's citizens.

According to the study conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Hawaii Manoa, the communities that participated in the immediate relief efforts possessed traditions that "may not fit into the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) model, but they are still highly effective," said Andrew Rumbach, PhD, in this EurekAlert! article. Rumbach is an assistant professor at CU Denver and lead author of the study.

After the damage had been done and it was safe to be outside, the leaders of the institutions began assembling young men in each community to go out and help rescue victims, clear debris from roads and assist in repairing the villages. Village women also played a crucial role following the disaster, as they were responsible for providing first aid, food, and water to the victims. Extended families offered shelter and resources to those that had no place to go or had no access to means of survival.

The authors of the study believe that such proactivity and organization on behalf of the American Samoa community could set a good example for the possibility of providing further aid to federal emergency managers. If local communities were organized in such a manner, they wouldn't have to rely on the lengthy federal aid process. For example, some towns and cities in New Jersey did not receive relief funds for Hurricane Sandy until months after the storm.

Additionally, federal aid should not be the absolute answer for such events. If local communities worked together to solve the problem then there would be less political backlash and more organization at the ground level, which would help mitigate many other issues as well.

To read more about this study, visit this EurekAlert! article.

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