016: How to Face Disaster on an Island (Hurricane Maria) with Kelly Thompson and Martin Bras

How to Disaster

“If there's no help coming, then you better act because what's lost is hope.” -Mark Martin Bras

“That gives people hope to know that there's a plan, to know that there are other people they can count on during that time. And that leads to sustainability too.” -Kelly Thompson

Episode Description:

Hurricane Maria, 2017- named “the worst natural disaster” and the “deadliest” in the history of Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico. The island of Vieques was one of those who experienced this devastating nightmare. What can we learn from the way they engineered their way to recovery despite a lack of supplies, shortage of funds and manpower, power failure, unavailability of the internet, and isolated location? In this episode, Jennifer interviews Mark Martin Bras and Kelly Thompson from Viequeslove, a non-profit organization focused on helping the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Listen in as they share vital lessons about communication failures, advocating for your community, increasing resiliency, and building capacity. They also explain why sometimes, you need to say “No.” to organizations extending help, and how to build regional equity. We all have a role to play in a disaster. As our guests say, “It’s a world thing!”

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Highlights:

04:01: When The Power Fails on an Island

13:24: Build the Capacity

21:03: Bringing the Internet Into an Island

31:43: Handling Shelter Needs

37:48: How to Advocate Your Community

48:41: Encourage Sectors Ethical Participation

55:11: The Hard Side of Preparedness

01:02:50: Humanity at its Finest