Recovery and Rebuilding
How neighborhoods hold together, how displaced residents stay connected, and how the social fabric that gets torn in a disaster gets rebuilt.
Community recovery is slower and harder to measure than the other recovery domains. A house can be repaired in months. A neighborhood takes years. The social infrastructure that makes a community function, the relationships between neighbors, the local businesses, the schools and faith institutions and community organizations, is damaged by disaster in ways that are not captured in damage assessments or insurance claims.
Displacement is the central challenge of community recovery. When residents are forced out of a neighborhood, even temporarily, some do not return. Renters who lose housing move away. Elderly residents who move in with family don't come back. The resulting population loss changes the character of a neighborhood and can create a slow spiral: fewer residents means fewer customers for local businesses, which means fewer services, which makes the neighborhood less attractive to those deciding whether to return.
The research on community recovery is consistent on one point: communities that had stronger social ties before a disaster recover faster and more completely. Neighborhoods where people knew each other, had existing organizations, and had practiced some form of collective action were more resilient in the aftermath. This finding, replicated across Katrina, Sandy, and dozens of smaller events, is the reason community preparedness is part of this site at all.
Act first
Important first step
Long-Term Recovery Groups (LTRGs) typically form in the weeks after a major disaster and coordinate resources through the recovery period. Connect with your county emergency management office to find or help form one. The window for organizing is early: groups formed in the first weeks are more effective than those formed months later.
Go to the official resourceGuides in this section
Establishing communication networks, identifying needs, and coordinating mutual aid in the first weeks after a disaster.
Guide coming soon
Keeping in contact with displaced neighbors, helping them navigate assistance programs, and supporting their return.
Guide coming soon
How school disruption affects children and families, and how communities support educational continuity during recovery.
Guide coming soon
Why local businesses matter to community recovery, and how residents can support them during the slow rebuild.
Guide coming soon
Community-led organizations that coordinate recovery resources after federal programs end. How they form and how to participate.
Guide coming soon
Engaging with local government decisions about rebuilding, zoning, and infrastructure after a disaster.
Guide coming soon
Before the next one
Communities that recover fastest are communities where neighbors already knew each other before the disaster. The relationships that sustain community recovery are built during normal times. See our guides to knowing your neighbors and community resilience.
See the guideSources