Recovery and Reconstruction after Disaster

Definition Disaster recovery. Disaster recovery has three distinct but interrelated meanings. First, it is a goal that involves the restoration of normal community activities that were disrupted by disaster impacts – in most people’s minds, exactly as they were before the disaster struck. Second, it is a phase in the emergency management cycle that begins with stabilization of the disaster conditions (the end of the emergency response phase) and ends when the community has returned to its normal routines. Third, it is a process by which the community achieves the goal of returning to normal routines. The recovery process involves both activities that were planned before disaster impact and those that were improvised after disaster impact. Disaster impacts. These are the physical and social disturbances that a hazard agent inflicts when it strikes a community. Physical impacts comprise casualties (deaths, injuries, and illnesses) and damage to agriculture, structures, infrastructure, and the natural environment. Social impacts comprise psychological impacts, demographic impacts, economic impacts, and political impacts. Incident stabilization. This is the point in time at which the immediate threats to human safety and property resulting from the physical impacts of the hazard agents have been resolved and the community as a whole can focus on disaster recovery.