2. The Disaster Recovery Process
- Where To Find Information -
Training Courses and Workshops
DRI International Education Program. (703) 538-1792; email driinfo@drii or
http://www.dr.org/01sched2us.htm [accessed June 29, 2001]
- "Introduction to Business Continuity Planning." DRP-111.
- "Managing and Developing the Business Continuity Plan." DRP-112.
- "Implementing and Testing the Business Continuity Plan." DRP-113.
- "Crisis Communication, Coordination, Data Communications." DRP-114.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Management Institute, National
Emergency Training Center. Emmitsburg, MD. (301) 447-1035; http://www.fema.gov/emi
[accessed June 15, 2001]
- "Introduction to Mitigation." Independent Study Course. Federal Emergency
Management Course IS393.
At the end of the course, the student should be able to: explain the rationale for mitigation
and its function as a component of emergency management; define the principles,
purposes, and priorities of mitigation; describe mitigation measures that are applicable to
local hazard risk problems; summarize responsibilities and resources for mitigation; and
outline mitigation planning considerations.
- "Integrated Emergency Management Courses for Specific Communities." Federal
Emergency Management Agency Courses E930/S390, E931/S391, E932/S932.
These courses place emphasis on community response and short-term recovery issues.
They are tailored to fit the community and are based on a selected hazard type. The
courses use classroom instruction, planning sessions, and exercises to allow for structured
decisionmaking in a learning, yet realistic, environment. A key outcome is to assist with
making the transition from response to short-term recovery. The three classes offered are:
E930/S390 IEMC/Community Specific/All Hazards: Response and Recovery; E931/S931
IEMC/Community Specific/Hurricane: Response and Recovery; and E932/S932
IEMC/Earthquake: Response and Recovery.
- "IEMC/All Hazards: Recovery and Mitigation."Federal Emergency Management
Agency Course E901/S901.
This course emphasizes recovery and mitigation and is conducted for two types of
audiences. The course places public officials and other key community leaders in a
simulation that begins after a disaster has affected the community.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Management Institute, National
Emergency Training Center. Emmitsburg, Maryland. http://www.fema.gov/emi [accessed June
15, 2001] (301) 447-1035.
- "Mitigation and Recovery Exercises." Federal Emergency Management Agency Courses
G398.1, G398.2, and G398.3.
These are 1-day exercises for local building officials, zoning officers, commissioners,
councils, and chief executive officers. The exercises provide a series of challenges to a
local government that could face a threat from earthquake, flood, or hurricane. The local
government will have to solve how it intends to deal with temporary housing issues,
building permits, and temporary business locations as well as long-term recovery issues.
Courses include: G398.1, Earthquake; G398.2, Flood; and G398.3, Hurricane.
- "Recovery From Disaster." Federal Emergency Management Agency Course E210.
The resident version of this course is designed for local disaster recovery teams. These
teams, consisting of emergency managers, elected city/county/parish administrators,
public works directors, building inspectors, and community planners, are taught how to
develop a disaster recovery plan. Participants are given the opportunity to develop their
own recovery plan outline during the course.
Organizations
American Planning Association
The APA is a non-profit organization representing "30,000 practicing planners, officials, and
citizens involved with urban and rural planning issues. Sixty-five percent of APA's members are
employed by state and local government agencies." APA's mission is to "encourage planning that
will contribute to public well-being by developing communities and environments that meet the
needs of people and society more effectively." The website is an excellent source of books about
community planning that incorporate the principles of sustainable development.
Through its Growing Smart Legislative Handbook: Model Statues for Planning and the
Management of Change, the APA promotes the solution to overcoming the barriers of successful
hazard mitigation and holistic disaster recovery. APA has developed a model "Natural Hazards
Element" for local comprehensive plans. The model incorporates practices taken from numerous
state statutes, combining them to create a mechanism whereby hazard mitigation, a stepping-stone for holistic disaster recovery, may be institutionalized.
See http://www.planning.org [accessed June 15, 2001]
Federal Emergency Management Agency
See "Response and Recovery" at http://www.fema.gov/r-n-r/ [accessed June 29, 2001] and
"After a Flood: The First Steps" at http://www.fema.gov/DIZAS/aftrfld.htm [accessed June 29,
2001]
Institute for Business and Home Safety. "Showcase Community Program."
The Institute for Business and Home Safety's Showcase Community Program has three
objectives: 1) help a community help itself by reducing its vulnerability to hurricanes,
earthquakes, tornadoes, wildfires, floods or whatever natural disasters threaten it; 2) generate a
"me too" attitude among other communities by showcasing the successful efforts of particular
jurisdictions: and 3) learn what works and what does not work to reduce the emotional and
financial devastation caused by natural disasters.
See http://www.ibhs.org/ibhs2/html/ibhs_projects/projects_showcase.htm [accessed September
21, 2001]
Rothstein Catalog on Disaster Recovery.
This is a catalog of books, software, videos, and research reports that date to 1989.
See http://www.rothstein.com/catalog.html [accessed June 29, 2001]
Books, Articles, and Papers
Arnold, Christopher. 1993. Reconstruction After Earthquakes: Issues, Urban Design, and Case
Studies. Palo Alto, CA: Building Systems Development, Inc. 170 pp.
After a major earthquake (1976) devastated the Chinese city of Tangshan, planners decided to
build a new reinforced concrete city in a western style that was completely different from the
masonry construction of the destroyed city. A visit to Tangshan five years after the quake
provided an opportunity for the author to raise questions about the reconstruction process. What
are the aspirations of those most closely connected to reconstruction planning? Can planners
grasp and realize the opportunities for urban renewal presented by a seismic disaster? To what
extent does the threat of future earthquakes dictate the urban design and construction of the new
city? Why were cities in earthquake-prone areas so often repaired and rebuilt, when rational
planning considerations might suggest that they be abandoned and rebuilt elsewhere? This study
explores these questions and attempts to examine the reconstruction process from a qualitative
rather than an administrative viewpoint. Most of the study is about city planning and urban
design, utilizing five case studies to illustrate the author's perspective: Tokyo (1923 & 1945);
Tangshan (1976); Spitak, Armenia (1988); and Santa Cruz, California (1989) .
Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM). 1996. Using Multi-Objective Management
to Reduce Flood Losses in Your Watershed. Madison, WI: Association of State Floodplain
Managers. 72 pp. Abstract available at http://www.floods.org/PDF%20files/PUBSLIST.pdf.
[accessed September 21, 2001]
This publication explores planning and implementation techniques for multi-objective watershed
management. It provides a general introduction to multi-objective management and the planning
process that helps a community select the flood-loss reduction measures most suitable to its
situation. It explains how to define problems and goals, build partnerships, combine needs and
solutions creatively, and begin formal implementation procedures. Both riverine and coastal
flood watersheds are examined. Much of the document focuses on multi-objective management
planning details, involving subjects such as fish and wildlife issues, water supply, housing
improvement, transportation, and lifelines. Preparation of a multi-objective management plan
involves problem definition, involvement of non-local groups, and public and official acceptance
of the plan.
Bay Area Regional Earthquake Preparedness Project. 1990. Putting the Pieces Together: The
Loma Prieta Earthquake One Year Later. Oakland, CA: Bay Area Regional Earthquake
Preparedness Project. 253 pp.
This report grew out of a conference held to determine the lessons learned from the Loma Prieta
earthquake and its aftermath. The conference examined preparedness and mitigation efforts
before the quake, political and management issues of disaster response, recovery and
reconstruction programs, and mitigation activities since the event. Among the numerous topics
addressed in the volume, separate chapters are given to seismological and geological
considerations, geotechnical aspects, the performance of lifelines, buildings, and transportation
systems and the implications for future design of these elements, effective emergency
management, emotional and psychological aftereffects, economic impacts, emergency public
information and the media, the restoration of lifelines, emergency medical services, business
recovery, and housing reconstruction.
Becker, William S. and Roberta F. Stauffer. 1994. Rebuilding the Future-A Guide to Sustainable
Redevelopment for Disaster-Affected Communities. Golden, CO: U.S. Department of Energy,
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Center of Excellence for Sustainable
Development. 18 pp.
This document summarizes why sustainability is important and gives an example of sustainable
development in one community, Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin. The reader is walked step-by-step
through the holistic recovery process. The last chapter discusses real-life problems that the
planner may encounter. There is an appendix to the report with a comprehensive list of resources.
This document is available online at http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/articles/RFTF1.shtml
[accessed June 15, 2001]
Berke, Philip and David Godschalk. 1996. Hazard Mitigation in California following the Loma
Prieta and Northridge Earthquakes. Natural Hazard Working Paper No. 14. Chapel Hill, NC:
University of North Carolina, Center for Urban and Regional Studies. 59 pp.
This report documents a case study conducted almost six years after the Loma Prieta quake and
one and one-half years after Northridge. The strengths and weaknesses of the California 409
Plans are identified, state and federal mitigation planning and implementation processes are
reviewed, and local mitigation examples are drawn from San Francisco, Berkeley, Watsonville,
and Los Angeles and Ventura counties. One finding was the present mitigation systems (policies
and institutions) will not be adequate to mitigate the impacts of a future major earthquake
catastrophe. Two recommendations were that California should pursue a coordinated,
interdisciplinary effort to further the understanding of earthquake prediction and of earthquake
impacts and should reinvigorate efforts to mandate local multi-hazard mitigation planning before
and after a disaster.
Comerio, Mary C., John D. Landis, Catherine J. Firpo, and Juan Pablo Monzon. 1996."Residential Earthquake Recovery: Improving California's Post-Disaster Rebuilding Policies
and Programs." California Policy Seminar 8(7) 11 pp.
Between 1989 and 1994, California suffered 13 presidentially declared disasters, including the
Loma Prieta and Northridge earthquakes, leading to major concerns about the disaster recovery
process. This report examines the current state of earthquake recovery practice in California,
particularly as it relates to housing. The authors examine the complementary and overlapping
roles of different federal, state, private, and nonprofit recovery and rebuilding institutions, as
well as the distribution of post-Northridge rebuilding funds. They conclude that relatively little
preparation has gone into coordinating and paying for postdisaster rebuilding, and that victims
cannot expect private insurers or the federal government to compensate them at a level of
assistance comparable to that following the Northridge quake. In particular, the authors conclude
that linking earthquake mitigation, particularly residential retrofitting, to assistance holds
significant potential for reducing rebuilding costs.
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1997. Framework for Federal Action to Help Build a
Healthy Recovery and Safer Future in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Washington, D.C.: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This document identifies and explains the wide range of grants, loans, and technical assistance
that the federal government can offer to ensure the recovery needs of people and communities.
Although the document summarizes these programs for the states of Minnesota, North Dakota,
and South Dakota, the descriptions are applicable to other areas recovering from flooding.
Programs summarized include: comprehensive flood hazard mitigation; housing repairs,
rehabilitation, reconstruction, and replacement financing; the National Flood Insurance Program;
economic recovery programs; agriculture programs, infrastructure programs; health and mental
health programs; and programs for special needs populations.
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1999. Federal Response Plan. Washington, D.C.:
Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This document is the principal organizational guide for defining the roles and responsibilities of
the 26 federal member agencies and the American Red Cross that are engaged to deliver a broad
range of emergency aid during a major crisis.
Federal Emergency Management Agency. 2000. Rebuilding for a More Sustainable Future: An
Operational Framework. FEMA Report 365. Washington, D.C.: Federal Emergency
Management Agency. Available at http://www.fema.gov/mit/planning_toc2.htm. [accessed
September 21, 2001]
This document provides guidance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Sustainability Planner in the post-disaster response and recovery process. State emergency
management officials, local jurisdictions, and other FEMA staff may also use it as a reference
during non-disaster time.
French and Associates, Ltd. and The Mitigation Assistance Corporation. 1994. Post-Flood
Recovery Assistance Plan. A Plan to Help Residents Recover from a Flood and Protect
Themselves from Future Floods. Arvada, CO: City of Arvada, Colorado, Department of
Public Works, Engineering Division.
This plan was developed to guide the City of Arvada's actions to help residents after a flood, to
assist them in both recovering from the damage and taking steps to protect themselves from
future floods. It is based on successful strategies undertaken by other communities that have had
similar flooding experiences.
Godschalk, David and Timothy Beatley. 1996. Hazard Mitigation in Iowa Following the Great
Midwest Floods of 1993. Natural Hazard Working Paper No. 10. Chapel Hill, NC: University
of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Center for Urban and Regional Studies. 31 pp.
The report examines how the Stafford Act influenced recovery in eight localities in Iowa.
Questions explored include: What constitutes mitigation? Who is in charge after a disaster
occurs? What good is the 409 (Stafford) Plan? Who pays for disasters? Other topics considered
include grant administration accountability, equity issues, the promotion of sustainable
communities, and problems caused by confusing rules and guidance.
Mileti, Dennis S. 1999. Disasters by Design. Washington, D.C.: The Joseph Henry Press. 351
pp. Available at http://books.nap.edu/catalog/5782.html. [accessed September 21, 2001]
This book is a summary volume of the Second National Assessment of Research on Natural
Hazards with the formal mission of summarizing what is known in the various fields of science
and engineering that is applicable to natural and related technological hazards in the United
States, and making some research and policy recommendations for the future. It summarizes the
hazards research findings from the last two decades, synthesizes what has been learned, and
outlines a proposed shift in direction in research and policy for natural and related technological
hazards in the United States. Disasters by Design is intended for a general audience, including
policy makers and practitioners.
Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Recovery From Disaster Handbook. St. Paul, MN: State
of Minnesota. Available at
http://www.dem.state.mn.us/publications/Recovery_Handbook [accessed July 23,
2001]
This handbook provides local units of government with guidance in long-term recovery after a
disaster. The restoration process places great demands on government and the private sector. This
manual will lessen the stress by providing answers and advice to many questions that arise from
those who have dealt with recovery from disasters. Tool kits at the end of each chapter provide
additional information specific to individual topics, some forms, and information to hare with the
victims of the disaster as they recover.
Mittler, Elliott. 1997. An Assessment of Floodplain Management in Georgia's Flint River Basin.
Boulder, CO: University of Colorado, Institute of Behavioral Science, Natural Hazards
Research and Applications Information Center. 190 pp.
On July 3, 1994, Tropical Storm Alberto struck the Florida panhandle and proceeded northeast
before stalling just south of Atlanta, Georgia, inflicting over $1 billion in damage. The flood
provided an opportunity to identify and document the successes and failures of state and local
floodplain management programs and activities. The author assessed the impact of federal, state,
and local floodplain management activities on losses in the Flint River Basin, paying particular
attention to the impact of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and local floodplain
management efforts. He examines previous floodplain studies; evaluates the political situation
affecting flood recovery in each community; examines federal, state, and local responses to the
disaster, concentrating on recovery plans and the use of hazard mitigation programs to reduce
future flood losses; analyzes the effectiveness of the NFIP; and offers a series of findings and
recommendations based on the relatively successful recovery programs he found.
Reddy, Swaroop. 1992. A Study of Long Term Recovery of Three Communities in the Aftermath
of Hurricane Hugo. HRRC Monograph 9B. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University,
College of Architecture, Hazard Reduction Recovery Center. 171 pp.
The objectives of this report-a doctoral dissertation-included: 1) to determine the factors that
explain the successful adoption of hazard mitigation measures during recovery, 2) to develop a
conceptual understanding of the problems inherent in the adoption of mitigation during disaster
recovery, and 3) to gain an understanding about the influence of pre-storm institutional
regulations on mitigation during the recovery period. The major findings were: the stronger and
greater the presence of eight implementation factors in a community, the greater the successful
adoption of mitigation measures; local institutional involvement is essential in the successful
adoption of mitigation; there is a strong linkage between development management and hazard
mitigation; a strong linkage also exists between the protection of coastal resources and coastal
hazard mitigation; and the existence of strong pre-storm institutional regulations help local
jurisdictions promote the adoption of mitigation during recovery.
Rubin, Claire B. Martin D. Saperstein, and Daniel G. Barbee. 1985. Community Recovery from a
Major Natural Disaster. Monograph No. 41. Boulder, CO: Natural Hazards Research and
Applications Information Center. 295 pp.
The publication describes what was learned by a team that spent four years observing how 14
communities coped with the deleterious effects of disasters. The focus of the research was on the
ways in which the local government's activities, as well as its interactions with other levels of
government, affected the speed and/or efficiency of recovery. The role of community officials in
recovery and post-disaster mitigation, the kind of disaster agent involved, the level of emergency
planning and preparedness, the community's sense of itself and its future are all analyzed. Part I
of the monograph discusses previous research, describes the design of the study, presents a
framework for thinking about recovery, and explains how various elements of that framework
affected the actual recovery processes of the communities studied. Part II of the monograph
presents case studies.
Schwab, Jim, Kenneth C. Topping, Charles C. Eadie, Robert E. Deyle, and Richard A. Smith.
1998. Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction. PAS Report No. 483/484.
Chicago, IL: American Planning Association. 346 pp. Abstract available at
http://www.planning.org/apapubs/details.asp?Num=1178. [accessed September 21, 2001]
This document helps community leaders and planners educate their constituents on how
informed decisions and choices can affect the rebuilding process and yield a safer, more
sustainable community. This report introduces planners to their roles in post-disaster
reconstruction and recovery, and provides guidance on how to plan for post-disaster
reconstruction side by side with all other players involved. A key theme throughout this report is
to rebuild to create a more disaster-resilient community. The report contains many references to
technical resources.
Southern California Earthquake Preparedness Project. 1991. Earthquake Recovery and
Reconstruction Planning Guidelines for Local Governments. Sacramento, CA: Southern
California Earthquake Preparedness Project (SCEPP) and California Governor's Office of
Emergency Preparedness. 75 pp.
This document recommends that local governments adopt a planning team approach to anticipate
problems associated with community recovery from an earthquake. Following an introductory
discussion of earthquake recovery concepts, the guidelines present separate sections dealing with
the planning process, rehabilitation and rebuilding, local business recovery, housing displaced
persons and families, the restoration of public facilities and services, and financing the recovery
process. Recommended actions for local governments are provided for preparedness and
mitigation, emergency relief, short-term recovery, and long-term reconstruction phases.
Appendices list a set of lessons learned from previous earthquake recovery efforts and reprint
California's Disaster Recovery Reconstruction Act of 1986.
Wetmore, French and Gil Jamieson.. 1999. "Flood Mitigation Planning: The CRS Approach."
Natural Hazards Informer 1 (July). Boulder, CO: Natural Hazards Research and Applications
Information Center. Available at http://www.colorado/edu/hazards/informer/index.htm.
[accessed September 21, 2001]
Under the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System, flood insurance
premiums are reduced based on a community's floodplain management activities. This issue of
Natural Hazards Informer reviews the CRS planning criteria and offers some suggestions for
implementing a plan locally. It is based on the authors' 40 years of combined experience in flood
mitigation planning and the lessons learned by others who have helped refine the CRS criteria.
Additional Reading
American Planning Association, 1994. Growing Smart Legislative Handbook: Model Statues for
Planning and the Management of Change. Chicago, IL: APA.
Berke, Philip R. Timothy Beatley, and Clarence Feagin. 1993. Hurricane Gilbert Strikes
Jamaica: Linking Disaster Recovery to Development. HRRC Article 89A. College Station,
TX: Texas A&M University, College of Architecture, Hazard Reduction and Recovery
Center. 23 pp.
Berke, Philip R. Jack D. Kartez, and Dennis E. Wenger. 1993. "Recovery after Disaster:
Achieving Sustainable Development, Mitigation and Equity." Disasters 17(2):93-109.
Eadie, Charles. 1991. Phases of Earthquake Response and Recovery Planning. Santa Cruz: CA:
Santa Cruz Redevelopment Agency.
Emmer, R. E. 1994. Flood Damage Reduction and Wetland Conservation. Three Successful
Projects in Louisiana have Common Characteristics. Topical Paper #6. Madison, WI:
Association of State Floodplain Managers, Inc. (September.) 23 pp.
Executive Office of the President. 1998. Federal Programs Offering Non-Structural Flood
Recovery and Floodplain Management Alternatives. A Federal Interagency Publication.
Washington, D.C. 90 pp.
National Academy of Sciences. 1990. Practical Lessons from the Loma Prieta Earthquake.
Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
Nigg, Joanne M. 1995. Disaster Recovery as a Social Process. Article No. 284. Newark, DE:
University of Delaware, Disaster Research Center. 13 pp.
Plafker, George and John P. Galloway, eds. 1989. Lessons Learned from the Loma Prieta,
California, Earthquake of October 17, 1989. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the
Interior, Geological Survey.
Spangle, William & Associates, Inc. 1991. Rebuilding After Earthquakes: Lessons from
Planners. Portola Valley, California: William Spangle & Associates, Inc.
Spangle, William E., ed. 1987. Pre-Earthquake Planning for Post-Earthquake Rebuilding
(PEPPER). Los Angeles, California: Southern California Earthquake Preparedness Project.
Wilson, Richard C. 1991. The Loma Prieta Quake: What One City Learned. Washington, D.C.:
International City Management Association.
