1. Roofing type (concrete, asbestos panels, etc.)
2. Percent of the original roofed area now absent
3. Damage to stoves
4. Damage to refrigerators
5. Damage to other appliances
6. Damage to water tanks
7. Damage to electrical meters
8. Damage to walles
9. Other house damages (e.g. doors, furniture)
10. Number of inhabitants, women, men, children
We visited 274 houses home to 950 people, of which 35% are women, 37% are men, and 28% are children.
A whopping 84% of all houses experienced some loss of roof. 41% lost 75% or more, and 18% lost their entire roof. The most damaged roofs were those made with asbestos panel, galvanized steel, or concrete or clay shingles. The only roofs that consistently escaped damage were those made entirely of reinforced concrete, but only 14% of the roofs in town are concrete.
The climate here is harsh-- hot and humid. Five days after Patricia came two days of torrential rains that poured through open roofs and soaked mattresses, refrigerators, stoves, and even family photos. In this climate, a thoroughly soaked mattress will never dry out in time before it gets fungus ridden and forever stinky.