The 10 Recovery Policies Every State Should Have: What does the research show?

2. The 10 Recovery Policies Every State Should Have:What does the research show? Daniel J. Alesch, Ph.D. Emeritus Professor BCLC Forum: Next Steps for Improving Local, State, and National Disaster Recovery Strategies January, 2009 Boca Raton, Florida

3. Disasters Have Made it Clear . . . • State government has an extremely important role in community disaster mitigation, response, and recovery. • Some states are much more prepared to perform their role than others. • Major disaster relief donors want assurance that their aid will make a lasting difference. • The BCLC asked us for our help in identifying the “top ten” policies every state should have in place to facilitate recovery.

4. Our Approach toIdentifying the Top Ten • No fair just sitting in our offices thinking about what might be our favorite “top ten”. • The conclusions would have to flow from what has been learned from field research • in real disasters in real communities and real recovery efforts from across America and from abroad.

5. Fortunately, we have been doing that kind of research. • Since 1995, doing on-site disaster research in a dozen states from ocean to ocean and north to south. • Studied more than two dozen communities that suffered one or more extreme events. • Seen almost every kind of natural hazard event. • Made repeated visits to each of them over the years. • Conducted hundreds of interviews with victims, officials, community leaders, and observers.

6. Our Approach is straight-forward • Premise: it is not the extreme event that is the disaster; the disaster is when bad consequences follow the event. • To know how to intervene to facilitate community recovery, we have to understand recovery processes. • But, to understand recovery processes, we have to understand how extreme events result in community disasters.

7. Assume an Extreme Event • Initial effects on the community depend on: • The event itself • Exposure of the parts of the community • Vulnerability of the exposed parts.

9. Initial Effects are bad enough, but don’t always result in disaster • It is messy, costly, and inconvenient, and painful, but • Given sufficient resources, it can be rebuilt and continue to operate. • The real disaster comes when adverse consequences cascade through the community and the community system itself suffers major damage.

11. So, we conclude the following • Recovery is never guaranteed. • The more initial damage, the more likely there will be cascading consequences. • The more cascading consequences, the more difficult recovery is. • Thus, the very best way to “recover” is not to suffer a disaster. • Or, only suffer a mini-disaster.

12. And the following as well • It makes sense to make communities more disaster-resistant • But, we can never be entirely disaster-resistant , so response and recovery are essential. • Those two conclusions essentially define the breadth of the States’ roles in helping with community recovery.

13. Five State Policies to Protect Against Initial Damage • REDUCE EXPOSURE TO EXTREME EVENTS. • REDUCE VULNERABILITY TO EXTREME EVENTS • PROTECT PEOPLE DURING THE EMERGENCY PERIOD • ENSURE ADEQUATE INSURANCE PROTECTION • HELP ALL AFFECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONINUE OPERATIONS

14. FIVE STATE POLICIES TO FACILITATE POST-DISASTER RECOVERY • PROVIDE STAFF SUPPORT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE • EXPEDITE PERMITTING AND LICENSING • LOOK ACROSS THE LOCAL BOUNDARIES TO MAP OUT REGIONAL RECOVERY • “SEED” LOCAL RECOVERY WITH TIMELY REPAIRS AND INVESTMENTS • HELP BUILD RESISTANCE AND RESILIENCY INTO THE COMMUNITY

15. Thank you very much for your kind attention.