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The Devastation, Disruption and Challenges of Disaster Recovery

This is about Paradise, Calif., but it could be a flood or hurricane in another place.

As emergency managers, we are usually hustling from meeting to meeting, sitting down and writing or updating plans, meeting new people who should be part of our network and then going home in the evening and doing the same thing again the next day. 

We innately know that disasters have ramifications to people. Big disasters that destroy homes leave gaping holes in communities. When the business and utility infrastructure is also destroyed, it becomes difficult to rebuild their homes and lives. Read the article below that speaks to the journey back for people who did not lose their homes, but are existing in a community that is basically gone and only slowly recovering. 

This could be a story of a city/community hit by a hurricane, flood, earthquake, fire or tsunami. Starting over is very difficult both physically and emotionally. Paradise, Calif., 6 Months After California’s Worst Wildfire. It is a survivors' story. 

What about recovery planning for this type of event?

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.