  The estimation of resilience and the determination of inequality growth after
a disaster is often difficult. In this study, specific indicators were
developed to analyze resilience, and the trajectories of resilience were
compared. Energy production is relevant for describing variations in social and
economic activities. This indicator was applied to a case study of a natural
disaster, that is Hurricane Irma in 2017. The hurricane caused fatalities and
destruction in the Caribbean islands of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy,
which are two French overseas territories. Energy production after Hurricane
Irma exhibited a significant decrease due to the destruction of the electricity
network as well as perturbations in economic and social activities. The energy
production restoration rate was higher in Saint Barthelemy than in Saint
Martin. The electricity restoration rate after a disaster was almost constant.
However, the energy production 18 months after Hurricane Irma was identical to
that before Hurricane Irma in Saint Barthelemy; this was not the case in Saint
Martin. During resilience, an increase in the gap between energy production in
Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin was observed. This study indicated that this
gap represents an inequality growth between Saint Barthelemy (gross domestic
product (GDP) of 40 000 euros/inhabitant) and Saint Martin (GDP of 16 600
euros/inhabitant). The indicators emphasized that inequality growth after
natural disasters favors less vulnerable and more resilient territories. The
number of inhabitants must be considered during indicator construction to avoid
any bias.
