New book offers tips on surviving disasters’ aftermath
It may be impossible to predict when disaster may strike, but a new book from the Fairfax, Va.-based Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI) aims to help local government officials plan their response to disasters’ aftermath. Drawing from studies of dozens of disaster-stricken communities, “Managing for Long-Term Community Recovery in the Aftermath of Disaster” presents methods to restore the social, political and economic elements of a city or county after a destructive event.
It can take years for a community to recover from a natural or manmade disaster, and the book’s authors, Daniel Alesch, Lucy Arendt and James Holly, wrote that things do not have to go back to the way they were before for recovery to happen. “Recovery means establishing viability within the post-event environment, viability for individuals and households, businesses, local government, and the community as a whole,” according to the book. “It means adapting to new realities.”
“Managing for Long-Term Community Recovery” can be ordered at PERI’s Bookstore.