The Analysis of Factors Affecting People's Preparedness in Dealing with Natural Disasters in 2013 in Rasht-Iran

The community preparedness to deal with natural disasters is the most important variable influencing the prevention and control of natural disasters on human settlements. It empowers local communities and creates an appropriate capacity for the reconstruction and returning to the original state. Since Rasht is in the earthquake zone with a high risk, considering this issue is very important. This study evaluated the ability of people in Rasht to respond quickly and effectively to incidents and deal with them. The main purpose of this study was identifying factors associated with the preparedness of people and analysis of their effectiveness. This study is a descriptive-survey research. According to the last census of Statistical Center of Iran, Rasht was selected as the population with 639,951 people in 2011. Based on the Cocrane method, 384 people were selected from five areas of Rasht. The research findings indicate that the amount of preparation is different on the basis of income, home ownership, age, education, gender, and marital status. In addition, factors such as education and participation level of people are effective in their preparation.