An Exploratory Study on the Association between Community Resilience and Disaster Preparedness in the Rio Grande Valley

Abstract

(1) Background: Severe weather events have impacted over 100 million Americans in the past two years, highlighting the importance of individual disaster preparedness in building community resilience. This study aims to investigate the factors influencing individuals’ perceived disaster resiliency and preparedness in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas. (2) Methods: Data were collected from 846 respondents using the Communities Advancing Resilience Toolkit (CART) Assessment Survey instrument. The study employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the association between disaster preparedness and community resilience. (3) Results: The findings of the study revealed a significant association between disaster preparedness and perceived community resilience. (4) Conclusions: The study’s findings provide an assessment of the community strengths (assets) in the Rio Grande Valley, which can be utilized to develop initiatives and programs aimed at enhancing community resilience and individual disaster preparedness. These findings contribute significantly to the theoretical understanding of the interplay between community resilience and individual preparedness for disasters.