The Hurricane Shelter Supply Run
A category 2 hurricane is forecast to pass near Barbados in 36 hours. A community shelter in St. Lucy is preparing for 150 occupants for up to 72 hours. The shelter already holds 40 cases of water (each case has 12 bottles), 30 blankets, and a first-aid kit. The coordinator has one truck available for the next 6 hours; after that, roads may close. The district office can supply bottled water, blankets, and dry food, but deliveries take 3 hours to arrive after a request is made. Current guidance is that each occupant needs about 3 litres of water per day and one blanket each.
1. Calculate the water and blanket shortfall for the full 72-hour period, showing your working.
Read the worked answer
Water: 150 occupants × 3 litres/day × 3 days = 1,350 litres needed. On hand: 40 cases × 12 bottles. If each bottle is 0.5 litre, that is 480 bottles × 0.5 = 240 litres. (If bottles are 1 litre, it is 480 litres - the report should state the assumed bottle size, because the answer changes.) Using 0.5 litre: shortfall = 1,350 − 240 = 1,110 litres.
Blankets: 150 needed − 30 on hand = 120 short.
Key reasoning point: the calculation is only valid once the bottle size is confirmed. A good answer flags that assumption rather than presenting a single number as certain.
2. Given the 6-hour truck window and the 3-hour delivery lag, set out the order of actions and explain the risk if the request is delayed.
Read the worked answer
The binding constraint is the 6-hour road window, and delivery takes 3 hours after a request. So the request must be lodged within the first 3 hours to guarantee arrival before roads close; leaving it later risks the truck being unable to collect or deliver.
Order of actions:
- Immediately confirm bottle size and count remaining stock (minutes, not hours).
- Lodge the supply request for water, blankets, and dry food within the first hour - do not wait for a perfect count. Request generously, since over-supply is safer than shortage.
- Use the truck in the first 6 hours for local collection (blankets from community stores, additional water) while the district delivery is in transit.
- Record all requests, times, and quantities for accountability.
Risk of delay: if the request goes in at hour 4, delivery lands at hour 7 - after the road window - leaving the shelter short of over 1,100 litres of water for 150 people. The delay converts a manageable logistics task into a life-safety failure.