Disaster Recovery Efforts Research Articles

Framing the COVID-19 Pandemic Through a Family Lens: Results of a Qualitative Thematic Analysis

Background: The growing proportion of older adults in the U.S. population tends to be most vulnerable to the effects of natural disasters such as pandemics. To date, little has been done to counteract the impacts of public health emergencies and disasters on the aging populations, particularly in African American and Latinx communities. Methods: We administered a survey to community-dwelling minority older adults, 55+, in the Houston metroplex, between 11/2020 and 01/2021. The survey assessed how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted minority older adults. This thematic analysis focused on open-ended questions regarding daily health management, biggest health concerns, and personal experiences with COVID-19. Results: A total of 575 older adults completed the survey. The mean age was 69 years, 74% were female, 71% reported English as their primary language and 27% were college educated. Three main themes of COVID-19 related concerns emerged from the thematic data analysis: 1) Fear of contracting COVID-19 from family members and fear of passing COVID-19 on to family members. 2) Social needs, including prolonged isolation from family/friends to stay safe, obtaining basic necessitates such as food, medications, and transportation . (3) Personal experiences focused on COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths of family/community members. Conclusions: These older minority adults framed their experiences and concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of family and their community. Their personal relationships permeated their responses and demonstrate the importance of integrating a family lens into future disaster planning, response and recovery efforts for minority older adults.

Assessing the Intermediate Function of Local Academic Institutions During the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Aceh, Indonesia

There is great scholarly and practical interest in local academic institutions’ potential contributions to community rehabilitation and reconstruction in the wake of disasters. Using survey data, this study seeks to quantitatively verify the intermediate function of local academic institutions in building mutual understanding and consensus between local residents and external actors during disaster recovery efforts. The survey measured Indonesians’ perceptions of disaster relief efforts following the Sumatran earthquake and Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. It was conducted by Syiah Kuala University Aceh, Indonesia, between July and October 2020. The authors applied parametric methods to analyze the data, including regression analysis, factor analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM). The analysis results reveal a relationship between the intermediate function of local academic institutions, and residents’ overall satisfaction with disaster recovery efforts. The findings suggest that the institutions’ expected intermediate functions may be influenced by regional factors, and that future policy-makers should consider regional characteristics to improve the efficacy of local disaster response and recovery efforts.

A scoping review of youth and young adults' roles in natural disaster mitigation and response: considerations for youth wellbeing during a global ecological crisis.

Youth and young adults, ages 15-29, have been identified as assets in mitigation and management for natural disasters around the world. This study reviews the literature on disaster mitigation, response, and recovery following natural disasters with a focus on the engagement of youth and young adults. The Arksey and O'Malley (2005) scoping review model was used to broadly summarize existing literature. A comprehensive electronic search was conducted using several databases. Keywords and index terms were searched using four concepts: (a) age (e.g., youth, young adult), (b) participation type (e.g., engagement, participation), (c) natural disaster type (e.g., hurricane, tsunami), and (d) disaster response type (e.g., planning, mitigation). The search yielded 214 articles published between 1990 and 2021. Of these articles, 19 met inclusion criteria. Identified literature focused on youth and young adults' mitigation and recovery efforts responding to natural disasters in several different countries. Themes of young people's participation or youth-led efforts focused on community mobilization and resilience (n = 5), youth empowerment and policy advocacy (n = 2), communication technology (n = 2), education-community partnerships (n = 9), and postdisaster rescue efforts (n = 1). With a changing climate and increased weather-related natural disasters, as well as in the context of a global health pandemic, community-based groups would benefit from learning from international efforts to engage young people in disaster mitigation and recovery efforts especially as it relates to promoting mental health and well-being.

The Aftermath of IrMaria in the U.S. Virgin Islands: Temporal Patterns of Looting, Burglaries, and Community Solidarity

This study investigates the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria (IrMaria) in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the dichotomy between media reports depicting mass looting and chaos with statements by public officials disputing these claims. Perceptions on post-hurricane criminality can influence sheltering and evacuation behavior as well as frame public policy. The authors review the post-disaster collective behavior literature and implement a mixed-methods approach to examine the veracity of these looting claims. Post-disaster interviews with impacted households, business owners, and public servants reveal a pro-social environment with strong community solidarity in the immediate aftermath of IrMaria. Sheltering behavior was not influenced by fears of looting, but was influenced by previous hurricane false alarms. Regression of available FBI-UCR data shows the rate of burglary has declined across the islands since 2010. An aggregate-level report by the U.S. Virgin Islands Police Department shows a decline in all crimes throughout the US territory compared to the fiscal year before IrMaria, but a four percent increase in burglary incidents. The comparable increase in incidents occurred within four months of IrMaria's landfall, followed by a precipitous decrease in incidents. This finding aligns with theoretical calls to consider temporal phases and patterns of post-disaster crime. Considering the delayed federal response and the decrease in all other crimes for the fiscal year, the authors attribute the momentary increase in burglary incidents as a misnomer and are likely survival appropriating acts that decreased with burgeoning humanitarian assistance. This study recommends disaster public policy and recovery efforts prioritize the unmet needs of hurricane survivors and greater scrutiny of the constraints of US colonialism that impede disaster resilience. Additionally, the paper highlights other concerns raised by participants during fieldwork interviews and emphasizes the necessity and value of ethical post-disaster qualitative research.

The individual and synergistic impacts of windstorms and power outages on injury ED visits in New York State

BackgroundThere is little work in assessing the impact of storm events combined with power outage (PO). In this study, we evaluated the individual and synergistic impacts of wind events and PO on overall and subtypes of injuries in New York State (NYS) and by demographics. MethodsThe emergency department (ED) visit data were obtained from the NYS Department of Health from November–April 2005–2013 to identify injury cases, length of stay and care costs. Wind event was defined according to high wind, strong wind or thunderstorm wind defined by NOAA. PO occurrence was defined when PO coverage exceeded the 50th percentile of its distribution. By comparing non-event days, we used distributed lag nonlinear models to evaluate the impacts of wind events, PO, and their combined effect on injuries during the cold season over a 0-3-day lag period, while controlling for time-varying confounders. The differences in critical care indicators between event and non-event days were also evaluated. ResultsOverall injuries ED visits (16,628,812) significantly increased during the wind events (highest Risk Ratio (RR): 1.05; 95% CI: 1.02–1.08), and were highest when wind events cooccurred with PO (highest RR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.10–1.18), but not during PO alone (RR: 1.00; 95%CI: 0.96–1.04). The increase was also observed with all subgroups through Day 2 after the event. Greater risks exist for older adults (≥65 years) and those on Medicaid. After the joint occurrences of wind events and PO, average visits are 0.2 days longer, and cost 13% more, compared to no wind/no PO days. ConclusionThere is a significant increase in ED visits, length of stay and cost of injuries during wind events, especially when they coupled with PO and especially among older cases and Medicaid holders. Our findings may be used for planning disaster preparedness and recovery efforts.

Local performing arts and recovery from the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami: A descriptive qualitative study

The purpose of this study is to understand the role of local performing arts in disaster recovery after the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami. A qualitative descriptive methodology was used to obtain insights into local people's experiences and perspectives. Three main methods were used to collect data: semi-structured group interviews with five traditional preservation societies including 13 participants, as well as interviews with two key informants, a questionnaire survey with 53 respondents, and field observation and visual data. The study setting was an area called Karakuwa, which is located in Miyagi Prefecture. Four themes with 11 associated sub-themes were generated: 1. Locality, 2. Connections with other areas, 3. Connections within the community, and 4. Psychosocial support. Findings indicated that local performing arts are embedded in people's lives and are based on knowledge and experiences that have been transmitted through generations. Although the people experienced the tsunami, they gradually began to perform again within the community as a means of regaining their identity and encouraging themselves and others. In addition, they began to perform to non-locals to show their appreciation for the assistance they had received and in attempts to increase the number of people involved in the activities. A key implication for policy is that, in disaster-recovery efforts, it is necessary to invest in local performing arts in order to help people restore their ways of life and promote ties among locals and connections with non-locals.

Post-Disaster Infrastructure Delivery for Resilience

As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of disasters and associated infrastructure damage, Alternative Project Delivery Methods are well positioned to enable innovative contracting and partnering methods for designing and delivering adaptation solutions that are more time- and cost-effective. However, where conventional “build-back-as-before” post-disaster reconstruction occurs, communities remain vulnerable to future disasters of similar or greater magnitude. In this conceptual paper, we draw on a variety of literature and emergent practices to present how such alternative delivery methods of reconstruction projects can systematically integrate “build-back-better” and introduce more resilient infrastructure outcomes. Considering existing knowledge regarding infrastructure resilience, post-disaster reconstruction and project delivery methods, we consider the resilience regimes of rebound, robustness, graceful extensibility, and sustained adaptability to present the potential for alternative project delivery methods to improve the agility and flexibility of infrastructure against future climate-related and other hazards. We discuss the criticality of continued pursuit of stakeholder engagement to support further improvements to project delivery methods, enabling new opportunities for engaging with a broader set of stakeholders, and for stakeholders to contribute new knowledge and insights to the design process. We conclude the significant potential for such methods to enable resilient infrastructure outcomes, through prioritizing resilience alongside time and cost. We also present a visual schematic in the form of a framework for enabling post-disaster infrastructure delivery for resilience outcomes, across different scales and timeframes of reconstruction. The findings have immediate implications for agencies managing disaster recovery efforts, offering decision-support for improving the adaptive capacity of infrastructure, the services they deliver, and capacities of the communities that rely on them.

Stressors and Supports in Postdisaster Recovery: Experiences After the Black Saturday Bushfires

ABSTRACT Many studies show that long-term poor mental health outcomes for disaster-affected people are predicted by postdisaster stressors. Despite this finding, existing recovery frameworks vary in how these stressors are conceptualised. This paper examines community members’ subjective perceptions of what they found problematic and useful in their recoveries after the Australian 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, and considers them in the light of these frameworks. We report the findings from responses to semi-structured survey questions as part of the Beyond Bushfires study, 3–4 years after these bushfires (n = 811). Participants identified the biggest problems as managing rebuilding processes and managing their own mental health, memories of the Black Saturday fires, and their concerns for family members. The four most useful supports were family, friends, rebuilding resources, and their community. We found a complex interplay of the same factors operating as both stressors and supports, particularly in relation to family levels of coping. IMPLICATIONS Disaster recovery efforts require the simultaneous management of physical rebuilding and human processes. Families, friends, and neighbours are underestimated resources in postdisaster recovery. Given the complex interplay of the same factors operating as both stressors and supports, interventions are needed that maximise the positive dimensions of these factors. To manage this complexity, multiple frameworks are needed to guide disaster recovery.

Social, Economic and Health Effects of the 2016 Alberta Wildfires: Pediatric Resilience

The 2016 Alberta wildfires resulted in devastating human, socio-economic, and environmental impacts. Very little research has examined pediatric resilience (5–18 years) in disaster-affected communities in Canada. This article discusses the effects of the wildfire on child and youth mental health, community perspectives on how to foster resilience post-disaster, and lessons learned about long-term disaster recovery by drawing on data collected from 75 community influencers following the 2016 Alberta wildfires. Community influencers engaged in the delivery of services and programs for children, youth, and families shared their perspectives and experiences in interviews (n= 30) and in focus group sessions (n= 35). Using a purposive and snowball sampling approach, participants were recruited from schools, community organizations, not-for-profit agencies, early childhood development centers, and government agencies. The results show that long-term disaster recovery efforts require sustained funding, particularly in meeting mental health and well-being. Implications and recommendations are provided.

The impact of social media on disaster relief effort – recovery coordination for Hurricane Harvey

PurposeThis study aims to investigate patterns of social media posting occurring during the initial post-disaster recovery period. In addition, the study investigates the antecedents of user engagement with Twitter posts or “tweets.”Design/methodology/approachThis study uses Hurricane Harvey as the research focus because of its $125bn in damage and the recovery effort associated with it. Analyzing nearly 38,000 tweets related to 2017’s Hurricane Harvey and specifically focuses on rescuers who became to be known as the “Cajun Navy.”FindingsThe popularity of the tweet significantly influences social media engagement; disaster relief organizations first should seek out alliances and partnerships with those who already are well-known or influential in social media. In addition, by regularly monitoring and participating in social media, such as encouraging retweets and mentions even when not responding to a disaster, agencies will gain social media followers and influence when these are most needed.Research limitations/implicationsBy analyzing patterns of social media posts during and after Hurricane Harvey, this study attempts to quantify social media’s effectiveness during this disaster, in particular with a focus on what characteristics of Harvey-related Twitter posts most influenced user engagement.Practical implicationsFindings underscore the need for agencies to strengthen their social media presence and use it in all three phases of disaster conceptualization. Beyond managing communication with other agencies and the community, which alone is critical for an agency’s impact, social media offers the world as a potential audience for agencies that can deftly leverage it.Originality/valueSocial media has revolutionized not only communication but also inter-connectivity as people have normalized its use. Its ubiquity and efficiency have seen its incorporation into the critical area of emergency management, both during and after disasters. The main objective of this paper is to investigate and evaluate the usefulness of social media in disaster recovery efforts, focusing on its advantages in relation to a recent disaster event.

The Emergency Prescription Assistance Program's (EPAP): Providing continuing chronic health care for Hurricane Maria survivors from USVI

In this study we explore the capabilities and the impact of Emergency Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP) during Hurricane Maria in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) using descriptive analytic methods and mapping from the data provided by the Department of Health and Human Services. To date, this is the first peer-reviewed analysis of EPAP claims conducted since its launch in 2008 post Hurricanes Ike and Gustav. Three primary study objectives are explored: a) characterization of the chronic care medication needs met by EPAP; b) characterization and analysis of the type and timing of claims processed and c) involved pharmacy characterization. During the study period of November 2017–April 2018, EPAP has served over 2000 patients amounting to over 17,000 prescription claims. Maintenance medications claims for hypertension, diabetes and antibiotics were the top three drug categories processed by the program. Through local pharmacies enrolled with EPAP, continuity of care for the uninsured was safeguarded, and local business operations were not required to donate inventory and services to provide that continuity of care. EPAP services are a critical component of the disaster recovery efforts to address chronic care medication needs of displaced disaster survivors.

Readying for a Post-COVID-19 World: The Case for Concurrent Pandemic Disaster Response and Recovery Efforts in Public Health.

Readying for a Post-COVID-19 World: The Case for Concurrent Pandemic Disaster Response and Recovery Efforts in Public Health.

Social Work Profession and Disaster Risk Reduction in Pakistan

There is a long history of Social Work, helping the weaker sections of society and those who are affected by disasters - natural or man-made. Historical records reveal that social workers have been part of the disaster relief, recovery and rehabilitation efforts because they are equipped with the required knowledge and skills. The purpose of this study is to get acquaintance about the need and importance of social work profession in disaster risk reduction in Pakistan. In addition, it also identifies the responsibilities of professional social worker in disaster mitigation and management. This study concludes that Pakistan, due to its geographical and climatic conditions is faced with disasters like earthquake, floods, windstorms, avalanches, cyclones, storms, droughts, landslides, tsunamis and epidemics. Therefore, social workers have to play an effective role in pre and post disaster period. The study recommends that social workers should make their theoretical base strong by equipping themselves with up-dated knowledge, skills and use of the new techniques of social work for the rehabilitation of individuals, groups and communities affected by the disasters.

On Seeing and Listening: How to Better Support Affected Communities before the Disaster Starts

This article draws on insights from disaster anthropology and medical anthropology, using examples from community-based research after Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy on Staten Island, and after Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico, illustrating how lack of cultural knowledge and contextual “not seeing” hampers both emergency response and longer term recovery efforts. Using these two distinct examples, it reveals underlying biases within the culture of emergency management that hamper agency effectiveness. It then makes recommendations as to how emergency management personnel can work to overcome these biases, and quickly obtain and incorporate previously unfamiliar information about local context. Building equitable partnerships with local organizations and networks will better support disaster preparedness, emergency response, and recovery efforts.

ОЦІНКА МАКРОЕКОНОМІЧНИХ НАСЛІДКІВ ПРИРОДНИХ КАТАКЛІЗМІВ ТА НАСТУПНІ РОЗКРИТТЯ У ФІНАНСОВОЇ ЗВІТНОСТІ НА ПРИКЛАДІ ПАНДЕМІЇ КОРОНАВІРУСУ

The article reviews the macroeconomic consequences of natural disasters based on the ECLAC methodology, which separates direct physical damage from indirect damage and additional or secondary effects. A study of the impact of natural disasters on long-term economic growth and development has shown that the scarcity of financial resources after a natural disaster reduces future growth and requires the disclosure of risks associated with dangerous natural phenomena for three reasons. Firstly, there are large opportunity costs associated with diverting scarce financial resources into relief and disaster recovery efforts. Secondly, natural disasters can damage an already complex budgeting process. Thirdly, natural disasters place high demands on international aid resources, diverting resources from development. Natural disasters have a negative impact on both the short and long term. These developments refute the somewhat simplistic notion of a general decline in vulnerability to natural disasters as the economy grows. Instead, a more sophisticated perspective needs to be adopted and applied when conducting detailed macroeconomic risk assessments. Based on the results of such assessments, the risks associated with natural hazards should be included in general development policies and plans. Risk management strategies should also reflect the fact that disasters occur in different hazard categories (climatic, geophysical or epidemic) and entail different risk reduction options. It is also necessary to assess the experience gained from specific events and, if necessary, take appropriate action. Disasters can cause policy and institutional innovation changes that ultimately benefit, in some cases, not only in reducing vulnerability but also in supporting economic growth and development: deregulating agricultural investment, applying climate forecasting to reduce the impact of climate variability, financial risk management mechanisms. In order to manage risks and mitigate the effects of natural disasters by informing users of financial statements about possible side effects of the pandemic, the issue of disclosure and recalculation of financial statements was considered to reflect the effects of coronavirus on companies and assess financial risks.

Disaster Recovery Efforts and Seismic Reinforcing Structure Project on NEXCO-West

Disaster Recovery Efforts and Seismic Reinforcing Structure Project on NEXCO-West

How Social Workers Can Use a Human Rights Approach to Disasters: Lessons Learned from the International Community

Disaster management strategies have often relied on a humanitarian approach which responds to societal needs through the use of support and assistance. A growing trend has been to apply a human rights approach to disaster management, which emphasizes human dignity, participation, equitable use of resources, transparency, accountability, and the obligations of governments to protect people’s rights during disasters. In this paper, I introduce the reader to the human rights approach, and international human rights bodies that have operated during disasters, as well as to the international laws and guidelines that have been produced by these bodies in relation to disasters. Then I examine the ways in which a human rights approach has been used during disaster mitigation, preparation, response and recovery efforts, and how a human rights approach can be enhanced in these efforts in the future. Finally, I make a case for why social workers should consider using a human rights approach to disaster management, and discuss how social work practitioners, researchers, and advocates can promote this approach in their disaster-related work.

An Attempt to Grasp the Disaster Situation of “The 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake” Using SNS Information

Whenever a natural disaster occurs, a damage assessment must be conducted to determine the extent of the damage caused, in order to quickly and effectively undertake disaster response, recovery, and reconstruction efforts. It is important to consider not only natural phenomena, but the impact of the damage on local communities as well (which is a pressing concern at any disaster site). Although a conventional, field-survey-based disaster assessment can yield solid information, it still takes time to gauge the overall implications. While an SNS system can facilitate information collection in real time, it is riddled with problems such as unreliability, and the challenge of handling vast amounts of data. In this study we analyzed Twitter content that was generated after the 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake and was related to disaster response efforts at the site of the disaster, and used it to test an approach that combines and utilizes natural language processing and geo-informatics for disaster assessment. We then verified the use of this process in two different disaster response scenarios. In this paper, we discuss some possible approaches to disaster assessment that utilize SNS information analysis technology.

A Philanthropic Approach to Supporting Emergent Disaster Response and Recovery.

In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey struck the US Gulf Coast and caused more than US $125 billion in damages in Texas. The loss of lives and the economic damages resulted in an outpouring of support for the recovery efforts in the form of federal assistance and private donations. The latter has supported more creative approaches to recovery. Organizations that normally would not receive funding were able to obtain resources to use in novel manners. Using the framework of Dynes typology to identify groups and their respective structures and tasks, this report from the field analyzes Hurricane Harvey and the financial support mechanisms used to support recovery efforts in Texas, what organizations were funded to do, and where they fit into Dynes typology. The authors close by noting the importance of these emerging organizations and the need to support diversity in funding disaster response and recovery efforts beyond large nonprofit organizations.

Nurses Were Built for the Front Lines.

Increased severity of natural disasters and a rise in man-made disasters have underscored the importance of disaster planning, mitigation, and recovery. Designating and credentialing professionals assigned to protect the health and well-being of the public is a major component in safeguarding the public during and after a disaster. The nursing professional is a subject matter expert in care provision and advocacy in the community. Nurses excel in high stress environments and routinely manage scarce resources making them a natural ally in disaster preparedness and recovery efforts. Disaster education for nurses and home preparedness planning create an eager every-ready responder.