COVER STORY by Christine Becker Disaster Recovery: A Local Government Responsibility isasters happen. A massive flood inundates a central downtown. A tor- nado levels a small town in a matter of minutes. A hurricane ravages a community. And, all disasters are local. They happen in cities and towns and counties of all sizes where citizens look to their local government man- Dagers and elected officials to lead the immediate response, guide the longer- term recovery, and reassure them that life will be normal again . someday. Regardless of community size or the nature of the disaster, local government leaders are responsible for overseeing all four phases of emergency manage- ment—preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation (see Figure 1). Federal and state governments play a supporting role in the immediate aftermath and in providing funding and guidance for long-term recovery and mitigation. Preparation and response—half of the emergency management cycle—gen- erally get the most attention, particularly in high-risk areas. Preparing to re- spond usually involves significant training and practice to ensure that key local employees and supporting resources are ready to jump into action quickly and that local residents understand their roles and responsibilities in preparing for and responding to disasters. Local government leaders—particularly those who have been through a major community disaster—recognize that preparing for long-term disaster recovery demands as much attention as preparing for short-term response. After a major disaster, the recovery process takes months and even years to bring a community back to a “new normal” and as strong as or better than before the disaster. 6 Public Management March 2009 Figure 1. The Emergency Management Cycle. Frances L. Edwards, associate di- rector of the Collaboration for Disas- ter Mitigation in San Jose, California, espons R e and former director of emergency services in San Jose, California, says the recovery process begins “when the situation is no longer getting worse, s all the living have been rescued, and s R the community has found the floor.” e e Brett Kriger, director of the In- n c stitute for Building Technology and d o e Safety’s (IBTS) Disaster Management v r Group, says the recovery process be- e a r gins even before the response stage p y e is complete because decisions made r while responding to the emergency P can affect the recovery process (see Figure 2). “There’s usually a 30 per- cent overlap in the middle where the M n i t o i i community is still responding while g t gearing up for recovery,” Kriger says. a Kriger, who has worked in numer- ous disaster response and recovery Emergency Management is an ongoing process with four mutually dependent and operations with and for the Fed- eral Emergency Management Agency overlapping components. Source: Institute for Building Technology and Safety Di- (FEMA), says actions taken during saster Management Group. the response phase can have an im- pact on overall results once the com- FOCUSING ON LONG-TERM a program designed to help cities and munity moves into recovery. RECOVERY counties be better prepared for long- “Sometimes local officials become Long-term recovery involves more term recovery in the event of a disaster. so wrapped up in the urgency of the than debris removal and restoring Based on a survey and a series of meet- response that they don’t do the neces- power, which are considered short- ings and workshops, ABAG identified sary documentation to qualify for re- term recovery actions. According to four areas that cities and counties imbursements and longer-term recov- FEMA, long-term recovery refers to should address to prepare for long- ery funds,” Kriger says. “That’s why the “need to re-establish a healthy, term disaster recovery: planning for recovery is as important functioning community that will as planning for response.” sustain itself over time.” In its Long- • Financing. And, according to Kriger, good Term Community Recovery Planning • Expediting long-term housing work at the response stage supports re- Process: A Self-Help Guide, FEMA recovery. covery. “The four phases of emergency outlines a recovery approach that • Supporting recovery of downtown management produce the ebb and flow emphasizes a community-driven businesses and the local economy. of a preparedness-based community process with significant public in- • Ensuring local government facilities life and define how the community volvement and local control.1 The and services recover smoothly.2 perseveres before, through, and after process also emphasizes a “project- times of crisis,” he adds. oriented” focus on actions that will Long-term recovery strategies and Marcy Douglas, city administra- have the greatest impact on commu- needs will vary depending on the tor of Northwood, North Dakota, a nity recovery. scope of the disaster. In small commu- community of 1,000 that was leveled In this guide, FEMA also urges a nities like Northwood, North Dakota, by a category 4 tornado on August significant focus on mitigation as part and Greensburg, Kansas, tornadoes 26, 2007, believes that a commitment of long-term recovery to prevent or at damaged or destroyed everything— to recovery from the first day of the least minimize similar damage in the homes, businesses, municipal build- emergency has helped that tiny com- event of another disaster. ings, schools, recreation facilities, and munity rebound. The Association of Bay Area Gov- more. For those communities, decid- “If you respond to a disaster with ernments (ABAG), which serves 109 ing to rebuild was a first step, followed recovery in mind, recovery will hap- cities and counties in the San Fran- quickly by engaging the entire com- pen,” Douglas says. cisco, California, area, has developed munity to ensure that their hometowns ICMA.org/pm Public Management March 2009 7 Figure 2. Transitioning from Response to Recovery Process. each disaster and get better prepared for the next one. Kyle Hayes, city manager of Beau- mont, Texas, which was hit by Local Response to Contain & Control Threats to Life & Property Hurricane Rita in 2005 and more recently by Hurricane Ike, notes that businesses ramped up quickly in both cases, which helped sustain the local t economy. Because 35 percent of Beau- ry mont’s revenue comes from sales tax, TRANSITION PHASE ve the rapid recovery of retail businesses was essential to community recovery. Response Reco Disaster Even Disaster Hayes explains that the massive devastation sustained in Louisiana and Mississippi from Hurricane Ka- trina only a few weeks before Hurri- Combined Agency Operations to Return Life to Normal cane Rita occurred helped Beaumont and other cities in Texas get ready. “We hadn’t had a hurricane in de- Time From Event Response to Prestorm Condition Recovery cades, and when we saw what hap- pened from Katrina, we started get- When a crisis occurs, the needs are vast and the humanitarian response rela- ting ready,” Hayes says. tively proportional. As the humanitarian community provides for the vulnerable In Biloxi, Mississippi, where 35 population, the crisis fades away. But to establish good foundations and effective percent of city operating revenue linkages to longer-term development, the recovery from the crisis needs to start comes from taxes on the gaming in- as early as possible. As can be seen from the diagram, the transition phase over- dustry, the city had purchased a busi- laps both the relief and development phases. Recovery is the process of trans- ness interruption insurance policy at the beginning of the 2005 hurricane formation from relief to development. Source: Institute for Building Technology season. The policy guaranteed $10 and Safety, Disaster Management Group. million in income if the gaming in- dustry were shut down because of would come back, and then bringing • Affordable and available housing for a disaster. Hurricane Katrina shut other resources to the table. workers. down the gaming industry, but the In other communities, when signif- • Large employers with business con- payment from the business continuity icant damage is confined to one area, tinuity plans who can get up and insurance policy provided some fi- local leaders must balance ongoing running quickly to launch the eco- nancial breathing space as city leaders public service expectations with ur- nomic comeback. launched the city’s recovery. gent long-term recovery needs while • Strong connections between gov- In Northwood, North Dakota, ensuring that the vision for “new nor- ernment and business to facilitate a city officials met with all the local mal” keeps the community together. recovery partnership. businesses right after the tornado to The following sections highlight identify needs and figure out how to long-term recovery approaches and les- Bruce Moeller, city manager of encourage local rebuilding. “They all sons; they draw on the direct experience Sunrise, Florida, says open communi- had a scared, stoic look but eventu- of managers who have been there. cation with the business community ally we talked about plans to rebuild,” is essential. says City Administrator Marcy Doug- ECONOMIC RECOVERY “The city manager needs to have las. “In a small town like Northwood, Most managers who have experienced a frank discussion with the business buying local is a way of life, and disasters recently say getting the lo- community regarding the importance everyone wants everyone else to sur- cal economy working again is vital to of business continuity