The disparate impact of Hurricane Maria: the relationship between recovery of public services, traumatic stress and household income of healthcare and social service industry workers

The relationship between social vulnerability and disaster recovery has been well examined; however, less attention paid to how differences in vulnerability affect recovery for healthcare and social service industry employees. The widespread impact of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico, including failure of the entire electrical grid, presents a unique case study for examination of the relationship between income and disaster recovery of frontline workers. Using data collected from healthcare and social service industry employees 10 months post-Maria, we found a significant relationship between household income and recovery of public services. Households with lower incomes experienced nearly a full month longer wait for electricity restoration as compared to higher-income households, after controlling for home damage and demographic characteristics. Additionally, lower income households were more likely to report higher levels of PTSS. Our findings suggest a need for targeted workplace interventions during disaster response and recovery that take into account economic inequities.