Abstract
Background and Aim: Responsibility for disaster preparedness is not limit- ed to healthcare institutions and healthcare providers; communities must also be involved. Knowledge of community members’ awareness of disaster preparedness will enhance and strengthen a community’s resilience to disaster. This study therefore explored factors related to community members’ perceptions of disaster.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to extract essential factors from the data. Questionnaires were used to collect ordinal (yes; no) and Likert scale (ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree) data from visitors to the Department of Applied Medical Sciences at Taif University. The questions were designed to understand how participants prepare for dis- asters. Descriptive analysis and PCA were conducted using a PCA extraction method. Varimax rotation was used with Kaiser normalization, and loading on the factor had to be above 0.40.

Results: Of the participants sampled, 383 (65.20%) respond- ed to the survey. The majority were male, and just over a quarter were female. Community members were found to lack emergency and disaster kits, safety measures, and fire extinguishers in their homes. In total, three factors were extracted by the PCA: (1) perception of government efforts, (2) readiness of community members, and (3) general knowledge
regarding disasters.

Conclusions: This study showed a lack of preparedness for and awareness of disasters. It is therefore recommended that the government facilitate and educate community members to ensure that all families have a well-established disaster plan.

Key words: Community; Saudi Arabia; Disasters; Plan; Preparedness