Social Networks Essential to Rebuilding from Western Wildfires, Other Disasters

Homeland Security News Wire - June 21, 2012

A disaster recovery expert says that the relationships people have with their neighbors are invaluable in the recovery from natural disasters from the moment an evacuation issue notice is granted to living in shelters and to how a community rebuilds after a wildfire, flooding, or hurricane

How well residents evicted by Western wildfires know their neighbors will likely play a major role in how they cope and rebuild, says a Purdue University expert.

“The relationships people have with their neighbors are invaluable in the recovery from natural disasters from the moment an evacuation issue notice is granted to living in shelters and to how a community rebuilds after a wildfire, flooding or hurricane,” says Daniel Aldrich, an associate professor of political science who studies how people recover from natural disasters. “Supporting these social networks is just as important as the logistical planning of surviving and taking shelter from a natural disaster. My research shows that people who know their neighbors are more likely to survive and return to their communities to rebuild.”

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)