Psychological

Given the devastation left behind by Maria after its passing in 2017, it is no surprise that Dominicans were affected by it psychologically. In recounting their experience during and post-Hurricane Maria, many interviewees reported exhibiting signs of psychological trauma, inclusive of anxiety, and potentially Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in accordance with the criteria in the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association 1994). One of the women noted that she had her first anxiety attack the night of Maria, causing her to feel vulnerable, which was a foreign feeling to her because she always felt she was "superwoman". Another indicated that in trying to come to terms with all she needed to do to recover from the damages of the hurricane and simultaneously care for her family, she had a nervous breakdown, which caused her to be hospitalized for months.

Similarly, another respondent acknowledged that she felt overwhelmed by the added responsibility of supporting her family, inclusive of two babies, an adult female cousin, a brother, a daughter and a mother during the aftermath of Maria, and in returning her household to normal and taking care of the damages caused by Maria. Additionally, one of the women reported experiencing PTSD-like behaviour, such as hyper-vigilance and difficulty falling or staying asleep according to the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association 1994), whenever it rained or was windy. She stated that after the passing of Hurricane Maria, regardless of how lightly or heavily the rain fell, it "bothered" her. Reporting on the impact of the hurricane on

their family members, one of the women voiced that she believes that her grandfather passed away months after the passing of Hurricane Maria because he was unable to cope with its repercussions.

#### Social

As is often the case after a hurricane has ravaged a country, Dominica experienced nationwide electricity and internet outages. Naturally, this situation made it difficult for Dominicans to stay connected with their friends and family members, especially those living overseas. Aside from the effects of these service outages, however, one respondent specifically noted that she avoided socializing to avoid discussions about her painful Hurricane Maria experience with others. Individuals were separated from their families both physically and socially because of damages to property. This situation created anxiety and worry as many did not know if their family members were safe or not.

#### Economic

After the passing of Hurricane Maria, many families in Dominica encountered economic challenges. As per the feedback provided by the interviewees, some of these challenges were a result of loss of, or a considerable decrease in, income; having to financially support other family members; and/or the exponential costs of addressing the damages caused by Hurricane Maria. Relative to their loss or reduction of income, two self-employed respondents noted that their place of work was destroyed by the hurricane which in turn impeded their ability to conduct their daily tasks, e.g., farming, agro-processing and hairdressing. Consequently, while one reported losing their entire income, another reported a reduction of approximately 60% in her income.

Furthermore, three (3) respondents indicated that their mothers lost their source of income, which in turn made them financially dependent on the family. In two of these cases, this resulted in the respondents becoming the sole provider for the household, both of which included two (2) others in addition to their mother. Although everyone reported experiencing significant loss and damages to their home, one respondent reported losing Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD) 100,000 in damages. As a result of these financial challenges, one respondent noted that they had to postpone the building of their new home, while another admitted to experiencing grave difficulty in sending her four (4) children back to school, so much so that she was forced to seek assistance outside of the family to do so.

#### Educational

In addition to the above issues, Dominicans also had to endure some educational challenges. Specifically, because of the damages caused by Hurricane Maria, one respondent noted that her daughter had to attend school on a shift basis while another reported that transportation became problematic, which forced her son to

leave home to reside with a family member to continue his college education. This situation was further exacerbated by their lack of access to the internet, which made it challenging for youngsters to complete their school assignments. Moreover, one of the women reported that after Hurricane Maria, her professional development was hindered due to a lack of funds on the part of the government and damages sustained by the building in which the training occurred.
