Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning
Guide for Local Governments
February
2017
FEMA Publication FD 008-03
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments - FEMA Publication FD 008-03
Page i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACRONYMS ..................................................................................................................................................... IV
I. INTRODUCTION
..........................................................................................................................................1
Purpose of this Guide
............................................................................................................................ 4
Audience
................................................................................................................................................ 5
Presidential Policy Directive 8
................................................................................................................ 7
National Preparedness Goal
.................................................................................................................... 7
II. NATIONAL RECOVERY PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS
..................................................................................7
National Disaster Recovery Framework
.................................................................................................. 8
National Mitigation Framework
............................................................................................................. 9
Recovery Activities are Locally Driven
................................................................................................. 11
III. KEY CONCEPTS FOR RECOVERY PLANNING
...................................................................................... 11
Disaster Recovery Planning Is a Broad, Inclusive Process
..................................................................... 12
Recovery Planning Builds Upon and Is Integrated with Other Community Plans
................................ 14
Recovery Planning is Closely Aligned with Hazard Mitigation
............................................................ 15
Recovery Planning Is Goal Oriented..................................................................................................... 16
Recovery Planning Is Scalable
.............................................................................................................. 17
Recovery Activities Are Comprehensive and Long-Term
...................................................................... 19
Resilience and Sustainability
................................................................................................................ 19
IV. LINKING PRE-DISASTER RESPONSE PLANNING AND PRE-DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNING
.... 21
V. LINKING PRE-DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNING AND POST-DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNING
. 23
VI. PRE-DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNING KEY ACTIVITIES
...................................................................27
VII. STEP 1 – FORM A COLLABORATIVE PLANNING TEAM
....................................................................29
VIII. STEP 2 – UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION
.........................................................................................39
IX. STEP 3 – DETERMINE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
................................................................................ 43
X. STEP 4 – PLAN DEVELOPMENT
............................................................................................................... 49
XI. STEP 5 – PLAN PREPARATION, REVIEW, AND APPROVAL................................................................. 61
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments
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XII. STEP 6 – PLAN IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE ...............................................................65
XIII. REFERENCES
.......................................................................................................................................... 69
APPENDIX A: PLANNING PROCESS COMPARISON
................................................................................... 73
APPENDIX B: STATE, TRIBAL, AND FEDERAL SUPPORT
.......................................................................... 75
APPENDIX C: FACTORS FOR A SUCCESSFUL RECOVERY
.........................................................................77
APPENDIX D: A RECOVERY-ENABLING TOOL: THE RECOVERY ORDINANCE
..................................... 81
APPENDIX E: PRE-DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN COMPONENTS
.............................................................. 83
APPENDIX F: RECOVERY CAPABILITY DOCUMENTATION TEMPLATE.................................................. 87
APPENDIX G: LOCAL PRE-DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNING KEY ACTIVITIES CHECKLIST
...............89
APPENDIX H: KEY TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
.......................................................................................... 93
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments - FEMA Publication FD 008-03
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FIGURES
Figure 1 Key Activities in the Pre-disaster Recovery Planning Process ..........................................................4
Figure 2 The Cyclical Nature of Planning ...................................................................................................14
Figure 3 Scalable Recovery System .............................................................................................................. 17
Figure 4 Disaster Response and Recovery Timeline ....................................................................................23
Figure 5 Key Activities in the Pre-disaster Recovery Planning Process ........................................................27
Figure 6 Example Planning Timeline ..........................................................................................................28
Figure 7 Pre-disaster Planning Communications Map: Community Planning Stakeholders and
External Supporters ......................................................................................................................30
Figure 8 Community and Regional Resilience Institute (CARRI) Network of Networks Concept ...............35
Figure 9 Post-disaster Local Planning Structure ..........................................................................................52
Figure 10 Pre-disaster Recovery Plan Components......................................................................................61
Figure 11 The Relationship between this Guidance and the Local Mitigation Planning Handbook ............73
Figure 12 Example Planning Timeline ........................................................................................................85
TABLES
Table 1 Pre- and Post-Disaster: Critical Planning Tasks ..............................................................................25
Table 2 Suggested Stakeholders and Partners for Recovery Core Capabilities ...............................................34
Table 3 Capacity Assessment Questions for Recovery Core Capabilities ......................................................44
Table 4 Sample Table of Risks and Mitigation Measures ..............................................................................83
Table 5 Sample Table of Partners and Their Responsibilities .......................................................................84
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments
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Acronyms
The list below applies to acronyms used throughout the base document. Acronyms may be included in
Appendices and will be defined as they are used.
Acronym Definition
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act
APA American Planning Association
CARRI Community and Regional Resilience Institute
CPG Comprehensive Preparedness Guide
CRS Community Rating System
DHS Department of Homeland Security
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
GCRC Galveston Community Recovery Committee
LDRM Local Disaster Recovery Manager
NDRF National Disaster Recovery Framework
NGO Nongovernmental Organization
NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology
NFIP National Flood Insurance Program
NREL National Renewable Energy Laboratory
NVOAD National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters
PAS Planning Advisory Service
PDRP Post-Disaster Redevelopment Plan
PPD Presidential Policy Directive
PRA Priority Redevelopment Area
RSF Recovery Support Function
THIRA Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
VOAD Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters
Page 1
I. Introduction
This planning guide is designed to help local governments prepare for recovery by developing pre-disaster
recovery plans that follow a process to engage members of the whole community, develop recovery
capabilities across governmental and nongovernmental partners, and ultimately create an organizational
framework for comprehensive local recovery efforts.
Disasters in the United States result in billions of dollars in damage and disrupt the lives of untold numbers
of citizens each year. According to the Center for American Progress, in 2011 and 2012 alone, 1,107 fatalities
and up to $188 billion in economic damage were the result of extreme weather events.
1
Although some
areas are more susceptible to disasters than others, no area is perfectly safe and all communities need to be
prepared for recovery after a disaster strikes.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) works to ensure that communities have the
tools needed to make informed decisions to reduce
risks and vulnerabilities and to effectively respond
and recover. Effective pre-disaster planning is an
important process that allows a comprehensive and
integrated understanding of community objectives.
Pre-disaster planning also connects community plans
to guide post-disaster decisions and investments. This
guide will aid in understanding the key considerations and process that a local government can use to build
a community’s recovery capacity and develop a pre-disaster recovery plan.
The ability of a community to successfully manage the recovery process begins with its efforts in
pre-disaster preparedness, mitigation, and recovery capacity building. These efforts result in resilient
communities with an improved ability to withstand, respond to, and recover from disasters. Pre-disaster
recovery planning promotes a process in which the whole community fully engages with and considers
the needs and resources of all its members. The community will provide leadership in developing recovery
priorities and activities that are realistic, well planned, and clearly communicated.
Local leadership is a key element of the national approach to disaster recovery embodied in the National
Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF)
3
, which is the national framework designed to support effective recovery
in disaster-impacted communities. The NDRF acknowledges that successful recovery depends heavily on
local planning, local leadership, and the whole community of stakeholders with an interest in recovery.
The NDRF emphasizes principles of preparedness, sustainability, resilience, and mitigation as integral to
successful recovery outcomes. These themes are highlighted throughout this guide.
“Without a comprehensive, long-term recovery
plan, ad hoc efforts in the aftermath of a signicant
disaster will delay the return of community stability.
Creating a process to make smart post-disaster
decisions and prepare for long-term recovery
requirements enables a community to do more than
react….”
2
1
Daniel J. Weiss and Jackie Weidman, Disastrous Spending: Federal Disaster: Relief Expenditures Rise amid More Extreme Weather, (Washington: Center for
American Progress, 2013), available at: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2013/04/29/61633/disastrous-spending-Federal-disaster-relief-
expenditures-rise-amid-more-extreme-weather/
2
Florida Department of Community Affairs / Florida Division of Emergency Management, Post-Disaster Redevelopment Planning: A Guide for Florida Communities
(2010), p. 4.
3
FEMA, National Disaster Recovery Framework (2016). http://www.fema.gov/national-disaster-recovery-framework-0.
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments
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Primary Sources for this Guide
Information provided in this Guide is drawn primarily from and builds on the general planning concepts in the following
documents, among others:
• National Disaster Recovery Framework (FEMA)
• National Mitigation Framework (DHS)
• Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans: Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101 (FEMA)
• PAS 576: Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery (APA)
• PAS 560: Integrating Hazard Mitigation into Local Planning (APA)
• Long-Term Community Recovery Planning Process: A Self-Help Guide (FEMA)
• Threat and Hazard Identication and Risk Assessment Guide: Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 201 (DHS)
• A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management Themes and Pathways for Action (FEMA)
Successful community recovery is broader than simply restoring the infrastructure, services, economy and
tax base, housing, and physical environment. Recovery also encompasses re-establishing civic and social
leadership, providing a continuum of care to meet the needs of affected community members, reestablishing
the social fabric, and positioning the community to meet the needs of the future. Encouraging a town or city
to make progress toward recovery efforts may be difficult, particularly after a catastrophic disaster. Preparation
efforts are critical to ensuring that leadership, government, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
are ready to act quickly. A community comprises a variety of partners, including economic development
professionals, business leaders, affordable housing advocates, faith-based organizations, and functional and
access needs populations, and each has a significant part to play in recovery.
At a fundamental level, disaster recovery requires balancing practical matters with broad policy
opportunities. Communities must be ready to invest significant effort to understand and acclimate to the
new conditions and growth opportunities post-disaster and to create a desirable future based on these
circumstances. Doing these things successfully requires the community to undertake a structured recovery
planning process after the disaster, through which the community develops a vision for itself, sets goals,
and identifies concrete methods for reaching these goals. Without an organized community planning
process that is ready to be implemented post-disaster, recovery may occur but is likely to be uneven, slow,
and inefficient.
Pre-disaster planning ensures that an affected community is ready to undertake an organized process
and does not miss opportunities to rebuild in a sustainable, resilient way. With a planning framework in
place (developed using this guide), a community is better situated to address pre-existing local needs,
take advantage of available resources, and seize opportunities to increase local resiliency, sustainability,
accessibility, and social equity. By working in advance to develop an understanding of needs and
vulnerabilities, identify leaders, form partnerships, establish resources, and reach consensus on goals and
policies, communities will be prepared to begin recovery immediately rather than struggle through a
planning process in the wake of a disaster.
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments - FEMA Publication FD 008-03
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Why Prepare a Local Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan?
• Establish clear leadership roles, including the mayor’s
ofce, city manager, and city council, for more decisive
and early leadership.
• Improve public condence in leadership through early,
ongoing, and consistent communication of short- and
long-term priorities.
• Avoid the often difcult, ad hoc process of post-disaster
discovery of new roles, resources, and roadblocks.
• Gain support from whole-community partnerships
necessary to support individuals, businesses, and
organizations.
• Improve stakeholder and disaster survivor involvement
after the disaster through a denition of outreach
resources and two-way communication methods the
local government and key organizations will employ.
• Maximize Federal, State, private-sector, and
nongovernmental dollars through early and more dened
local priorities and post-disaster planning activity.
• Provide for more rapid and effective access to Federal
and State resources through better understanding of
funding resources and requirements ahead of time.
• Enable local leadership to bring to bear all capability
and more easily identify gaps through a coordination
structure and dened roles.
• Better leverage and apply limited State and
nongovernment resources when there is no Federal
disaster declaration.
• Maximize opportunities to build resilience and risk
reduction into all aspects of rebuilding.
• Speed identication of local recovery needs and
resources and ultimately reduce costs and disruption
that result from chaotic, ad hoc, or inefcient allocation
of resources.
• Improve capability and continuity through pre-
identication of when, where, and how the local
government will employ and seek support for
post-disaster planning, city operations, recovery
management, and technical assistance.
• Proactively confront recovery and redevelopment policy
choices in the deliberative and less contentious pre-
disaster environment.
• Improve the ability to interface with State and Federal
Recovery Support Function structure.
Douglas County, CO, Disaster Recovery Plan
In 2015, ofcials in Douglas County, CO, adopted the county’s rst Disaster Recovery Plan. The plan establishes the
county’s comprehensive framework for managing recovery efforts following a major disaster. The plan is also linked to a
previously developed Continuity of Operations Plan to facilitate successful disaster recovery.
“Having been through our own wildres, oods, and other local emergencies, as well as having witnessed other counties
navigate their own disasters, our staff had the foresight to recognize the importance of collaboration among our
partners to assemble a recovery plan,” said Commissioner David Weaver. “By focusing on what could occur instead of
what is or already has happened, places Douglas County in the best possible shape to react to any potential disaster, be
it man-made or natural.
6
4
FEMA, Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans: Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101: (2010). http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.
do?=&id=5697.
5
FEMA, Local Mitigation Planning Handbook (2013). https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1910-25045-9160/fema_local_mitigation_handbook.pdf.
6
“County Adopts Disaster Recovery Plan” (March 20, 2015), http://www.douglas.co.us/county-adopts-disaster-recovery-plan/).
For more information, see the Douglas County Disaster Recovery Plan at http://www.douglas.co.us/documents/douglas-county-recovery-plan.pdf.
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments
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PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE
This guide is designed to help local governments work with community stakeholders to develop a
recovery plan that includes recovery roles and capabilities, organizational frameworks, and specific
policies and plans. Using a step-by-step discussion of the planning process, this guide introduces
principles underlying preparedness and recovery planning, describes topics to be considered as part of the
planning process, and identifies specific or
ganization-building and planning activities.
Achieving fundamental recovery preparedness, involves application of six standard planning process steps
as well as several associated key recovery activities. The key activities are intended to serve as additional
considerations that expand on the overarching six planning steps, as illustrated in the graphic below, and
focus more specifically on the challenges and unique partnerships necessary for successful pre-disaster
recovery planning. In the following chapters this guide provides guidance for applying these steps and
activities in a scalable fashion in large to small communities.
The planning process introduced and discussed in this guide directly aligns with the process outlined in
Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans: Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101 (CPG 101). This guide is
formatted to follow the six steps of CPG 101 and presents six standard planning steps in Chapters 7 through
12 and then presents key recommended activities that are specific to pre-disaster recovery planning efforts.
Figure 1 can help to serve as a basic orienting checklist for preparing for recovery.
Figure 1 Key Activities in the Pre-disaster Recovery Planning Process
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments - FEMA Publication FD 008-03
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Additionally, the considerations in this guide reflect the best practices and general sequence of other
planning guidance documents, such as the Local Mitigation Planning Handbook. Similarities among these processes
are discussed throughout this guide and are outlined in Appendix A of this guide.
Completing this process results in a pre-disaster recovery plan that provides a local-level framework for
leading, operating, organizing, and managing resources for post-disaster recovery activities. The plan
can then be used to implement the post-disaster recovery process and carry out post-disaster planning
and management of recovery activities, such as restoring housing, rebuilding schools and child care
services, recovering businesses, identifying resources for rebuilding projects, returning social stability,
and coordinating other community planning processes. This guide will also assist communities with the
creation of other tools, such as recovery ordinances, that support recovery activities.
AUDIENCE
The primary target audiences for this guide are local government officials and planners taking an active
role in organizing or managing the development of a recovery plan. Their titles can vary from
community to community but generally include community, economic, urban or emergency
management planners; key departmental staff and officials such as housing departments or authorities;
and city managers. Secondary audiences include organizations that represent key stakeholders in the
community, such as disability, cutural, social services or other interest groups. These secondary
audiences might also include local partners who have responsibility, oversight, or authority (formal or
informal) to manage resources, policies, programs, infrastructure, and institutions significant to the
recovery process.
Successful planning for recovery requires participation by local government and community leaders,
officials, organizations, and individuals who are able and ready to take responsibility for shaping the
future of their community. Additionally, government and community leaders who are involved in pre-
disaster recovery planning should have the ability to encourage participation from all segments of the
community. While this guide is more extensive than that needed for leadership, a key role of the planner
will be to take key materials and concepts in this guide to educate and inspire community leaders to
support the development and implementation of the recovery planning. The tools and resources
accompanying this guide located at www.fema.gov/plan will include an overview for use with
community leadership
Regional or county level agencies, councils or commissions may also be a potential audience.
This guide
acknowledges that some communities have more capacity and capability to address pre-disaster recovery
preparation than others do. While the primary responsibility for the planning process is at the local level,
emphasis is placed on identifying partners and resource providers able to collaborate with or supplement
local capacity. A regional or multi-jurisdictional effort may be appropriate where resources are more
limited.
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Page 7
II. National Recovery
Preparedness Efforts
A number of Federal initiatives are designed to assist all levels of government, as well as businesses,
individuals, and families with disaster preparedness activities. This guide is one element among these
initiatives. Information on these national efforts is summarized below.
PRESIDENTIAL POLICY DIRECTIVE 8
Presidential Policy Directive 8:
6
National Preparedness, describes the Nation’s approach to preparing for the threats
and hazards it faces. At its core, PPD-8 requires the involvement of the whole community in a systematic
effort to keep the Nation safe from harm and resilient when struck by natural disasters, acts of terrorism,
pandemics, and other disasters. It directs the development of a National Preparedness Goal.
7
This guide supports
that goal at the local level by providing guidance to local government stakeholders for pre-disaster recovery
planning.
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS GOAL
The National Preparedness Goal defines what it means for a whole community to be prepared for all types of
disasters and emergencies. The National Preparedness Goal is:
“A secure and resilient nation with the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect
against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk.”
8
The National Preparedness Goal identifies five mission areas (Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response,
and Recovery) to organize preparedness activities. Within these mission areas, the National Preparedness Goal
defines the Core Capabilities that are necessary to prepare for the types of risks and hazards that pose the
greatest risk to the security of the Nation. Core Capabilities represent the competencies necessary for the
timely restoration, strengthening, and revitalization of communities impacted by a catastrophic disaster.
The National Preparedness Goal, along with the NDRF and all other frameworks, was refreshed in 2015 and 2016
to address lessons learned through implementation and stakeholder feedback. A number of new guidance
documents will help the public, businesses, NGOs, and all levels of government make the most of their
preparedness activities. This guide supports the achievement of this goal at the local level by providing
additional guidance to local governments for pre-disaster recovery planning to augment information in the
National Preparedness Goal and the NDRF.
6
Presidential Policy Directive 8: National Preparedness (2015): https://www.fema.gov/learn-about-presidential-policy-directive-8
7
DHS, National Preparedness Goal (2015): http://www.fema.gov/national-preparedness-goal
8
DHS, National Preparedness Goal, p.1.
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments
Page 8
PPD-8 requires an annual National Preparedness
Report that summarizes national progress in
building, sustaining, and delivering the Core
Capabilities outlined in the National Preparedness
Goal. The intent of the National Preparedness
Report is to provide the Nation—not just the
Federal Government—with practical insights
on Core Capabilities that can inform decisions
about program priorities, resource allocation,
and community actions. Since 2012, the Core
Capabilities within the Recovery Mission Area have
consistently emerged as areas for improvement.
Recovery Core Capabilities include Planning,
Public Information and Warning, Operational
Coordination, Economic Recovery, Health and
Social Services, Housing, Infrastructure Systems,
and Natural and Cultural Resources. Additionally,
many of the Mitigation Core Capabilities, such
as the incorporation of Long-Term Vulnerability
Reduction and Community Resilience into the
planning process, are intrinsically linked to
successful pre-disaster recovery planning. This
guide describes the process for delivering the
Recovery Core Capabilities at the local government
level. All of the Core Capabilities are discussed in
more detail throughout this guide and at https://
ww
w.fema.gov/core-capabilities.
NATIONAL DISASTER RECOVERY
FRAMEWORK
The NDRF provides recommendations on the local
role in preparing for and implementing recovery.
It also identifies guiding principles, best practices,
and expectations to enable efficient and effective
recovery support and coordination for the whole
community. It is built on a scalable, flexible, and
adaptable coordinating structure to align key
roles and responsibilities to deliver the necessary
capabilities. As such, it is a valuable resource to
help local stakeholders understand the practices
and guidelines followed by Federal agencies in
supporting disaster recovery. The NDRF also
identifies strategies that can be used to inform local
recovery planning. In addition to these strategies,
the NDRF identifies leadership responsibilities at the
local, State, tribal, and Federal levels.
Discussion Point:
Recovery Core Capabilities
The National Preparedness Goal denes eight Core
Capabilities that apply to the Recovery Mission Area.
The efforts of the whole community – not any one
level of government – are required to build, sustain,
and deliver the Core Capabilities.
• Planning – Conduct a systematic process engaging
the whole community as appropriate in the
d
evelopment of executable strategic, operational,
and/or tactical approaches to meet dene
d
objectives.
• Public Information and Warning – Deliver
coordinated, prompt, reliable, and actionable
in
formation to the whole community through
the use of clear, consistent, accessible, and
culturally and linguistically appropriate methods to
e
ffectively relay information regarding any threat
or hazard and, as appropriate, the actions being
taken and the assistance being made available.
• Operational Coordination – Establish and maintain
a unied and coordinated operational structure
a
nd process that appropriately integrates all
critical stakeholders and supports the execution o
f
core capabilities.
• Economic Recovery – Return economic and
business activities (including food and agriculture)
to a healthy state and develop new business
and employment opportunities that result in a
sustainable and economically viable community.
• Health and Social Services – Restore and improve
health and social services capabilities and
networks to promote the resilience, independence,
h
ealth (including behavioral health), and well-being
of the whole community.
• Housing – Implement housing solutions that
effectively support the needs of the whole
c
ommunity and contribute to its sustainability and
resilience.
• Infrastructure Systems – Stabilize critical
infrastructure functions, minimize health and
safety threats, and efciently restore and revitalize
s
ystems and services to support a viable, resilient
community.
• Natural and Cultural Resources – Protect natural
and cultural resources and historic properties
through appropriate planning, mitigation, response,
a
nd recovery actions to preserve, conserve,
rehabilitate, and restore them consistent with post-
d
isaster community priorities and best practices
and in compliance with appropriate environmental
and historic preservation laws and Executive
Orders.
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Page 9
A key feature of the NDRF is its use of Recovery Support
Functions (RSFs) to organize Federal resources. The
six RSFs (Community Planning and Capacity Building,
Economic, Health and Social Services, Housing,
Infrastructure Systems, and Natural and Cultural
Resources) are intended to promote a flexible recovery
structure at the Federal level; they are designed to
support local, State, and tribal recovery structures. The
NDRF also identifies factors that facilitate a successful
recovery, such as resilient rebuilding, effective decision-
making, and coordination. These factors are expanded
on in Appendix C. Finally, an NDRF Overview Course is
available through the Emergency Management Institute.
9
NATIONAL MITIGATION FRAMEWORK
The National Mitigation Framework
10
establishes a common
platform and forum for coordinating and addressing how the Nation manages risk through mitigation
capabilities. Mitigation reduces the impact of disasters by supporting protection and prevention activities,
easing response, and speeding recovery to create better prepared and more resilient communities.
During the recovery planning and coordination process, actions can be taken to address the resilience of tribal
or local communities. The NDRF defines resilience as the ability to adapt to changing conditions and withstand
and rapidly recover from disruption due to emergencies, while mitigation includes the capabilities necessary to
reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of a disaster. Consideration should be given to integrating
the National Mitigation Framework and Mitigation Core Capabilities into the structure, policies, and roles developed
during the course of building a local recovery plan. A recovery plan can contain important elements to
operationalize the Mitigation Core Capabilities during the recovery period. The best way to integrate mitigation
activities is to link the recovery plan with the local hazard mitigation plan.
Discussion Point:
Mitigation Core Capabilities
The National Preparedness Goal denes seven Core
Capabilities that apply to the Mitigation Mission
Areas. The rst three are common Core Capabilities,
shared with all mission areas.
• Planning
• Public Information and Warning
• Operational Coordination
• Community Resilience
• Long-Term Vulnerability Reduction
• Risk and Disaster Resilience Assessment
• Threats and Hazards Identication
Key References to Use in Conjunction with this Guide
• Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery: Next Generation (PAS Report 576), APA
Provides extensive information and examples for organizing, planning, managing, and implementing recovery. Also
includes a resource library and model recovery ordinance. https://www.planning.org/research/postdisaster/
• Community Resilience Planning Guide for Infrastructure and Buildings, NIST
Follows the same six-step planning construct used in this guide, helps bridge physical planning for infrastructure
resilience with the social and organizational dimensions of the community, and provides a method to evaluate
and set recovery goals for return of functioning infrastructure that can help drive recovery as well as pre-disaster
mitigation. http://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.1190v1.pdf.
• Local Mitigation Planning Handbook, FEMA
Provides guidance for the required local hazard mitigation plans and links to risk assessment resources. http://www.
fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=7209.
• Effective Coordination of Recovery Resources for State, Tribal, Territorial and Local Incidents, FEMA
Provides examples and guidance for building whole-community partnerships and coordination structure at the local,
State, tribal, and Federal levels to serve recovery. https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/101940
aspx?code=IS-2900.
10
DHS, National Mitigation Framework (2016). https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1466014166147-11a14dee807e1ebc67cd9b74c6c64bb3/National_
Mitigation_Framework2nd.pdf.
9
An independent study course called “National Disaster Recovery Framework Overview” is available at http://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.
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Page 11
III. Key Concepts for Recovery
Planning
Through years of national, State, tribal, and local experience implementing community disaster recovery
efforts, several key concepts have emerged that serve as a foundation for successful pre- and post-disaster
recovery planning. These concepts, discussed briefly below, are expanded upon throughout the NDRF.
RECOVERY ACTIVITIES ARE LOCALLY DRIVEN
First and foremost, recovery planning should be driven by the community. The NDRF emphasizes, as one
of its nine principles, the concept and importance of local leadership and local primacy. Local governments,
businesses, NGOs, and their community members in particular have the primary responsibility for
many recovery decisions, investments, and actions. Therefore, local governments serve in the lead role in
planning for and managing many aspects of community recovery. Local recovery organizational structure
must have a direct nexus with local government. Local input is also needed by State, tribal, and Federal
partners so that they can design programs and policies to meet local needs.
11
In some cases, it may be difficult for the community to take on significant responsibility for the recovery
process because of lack of capacity, resources, staff, or other factors. External partners may need to support
recovery planning, outreach, communication, and implementation activities. However, this support must
still be guided by community leaders, the local government, and a broad range of community stakeholders.
Care must be taken to ensure that support is applied where necessary, beginning immediately after disaster
strikes and continuing through challenging redevelopment decisions.
Case Example: Community-Driven Recovery - Galveston, TX
The ability of the local community to lead, manage, and implement its own recovery process is central to the success of
long-term recovery. Technical assistance from outside partners can support the community’s efforts, but local vision is
necessary to guide the process, and local capacity is needed to maintain momentum over the months or years required
for complete recovery.
To guide recovery from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, City of Galveston leaders created the Galveston Community Recovery
Committee (GCRC), which included 330 city-appointed representatives serving on ve focus groups (Economic;
Environment; Housing and Community Character; Human Services; and Infrastructure, Transportation, and Mitigation).
Beginning in January 2009, the GCRC worked with Federal, State, and local partners over a 12-week period to develop a
recovery plan. GCRC continued to meet periodically over the next 2 years, during which, implementation of 30 of the 42
projects in the original plan commenced.
Pre-disaster planning can help communities develop the organization, leadership, and stakeholder engagement
necessary to carry out a process such as the one undertaken in Galveston after Hurricane Ike. Establishing these
aspects of the recovery process before the disaster increases the community’s resilience and speeds recovery efforts.
11
Appendix B of this document includes further explanation of the integration of State and local resources during recovery.
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments
Page 12
DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNING IS A
BROAD, INCLUSIVE PROCESS
Preparedness is a shared responsibility, and it is
important that planning be a whole-community
activity involving individuals; businesses; faith-based
and community organizations; nonprofit groups;
schools and academia; media outlets; cultural,
environmental, and recreational organizations; and
all levels of government. Participation of all parts of
the community strengthens the planning process
and facilitates an equitable implementation after
a disaster strikes. Broad participation is especially
important because buy-in from community
members and organizations is strengthened by
an inclusive process. Recovery planning must
also involve stakeholders and elements of local
government not typically involved in emergency
planning, including economic development,
housing advocates and homeless organizations,
insurance companies, lenders, apartment owners
associations, environmental and historic preservation
stakeholders, and many others. Inclusion is necessary
to ensure that all aspects of a community are
considered.
Whole Community
As a concept, Whole Community is a means by which
residents, emergency management practitioners,
organizational and community leaders, and
government ofcials can collectively understand and
assess the needs of their respective communities and
determine the best ways to organize and strengthen
their assets, capacities, and interests. By doing
so, a more effective path to societal security and
resilience is built. In a sense, Whole Community
is a philosophical approach on how to think about
conducting emergency management.
There are many different kinds of communities,
including communities of place, interest, belief, and
circumstance, that can exist both geographically and
virtually (e.g., online forums). A Whole Community
approach attempts to engage the full capacity of the
private and nonprot sectors, including businesses,
faith-based and disability organizations, minority
and underserved or under-represented populations,
and the general public, in conjunction with the
participation of local, tribal, State, territorial, and
Federal governmental partners. This engagement
means different things to different groups. In an
all-hazards environment, individuals and institutions
make different decisions on how to prepare for
and respond to threats and hazards; therefore,
a community’s level of preparedness will vary.
The challenge for those engaged in emergency
management is to understand how to work with the
diversity of groups and organizations and the policies
and practices that emerge from them in an effort
to improve the ability of local residents to prevent,
protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from
any type of threat or hazard effectively.
12
Case Example: City of Pembroke Pines and Seminole Tribe of Florida Mutual Aid
Agreements - Pembroke Pines, FL
Many local governments have mutual aid agreements with neighboring tribes. These governments and tribes look to one
another for assistance on a day-to-day basis for routine emergencies, and would also look to one another after a disaster.
In Florida, for example, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has mutual aid agreements with at least ve other counties that are
outlined in State, local, and tribal laws and policies.
Keeping these pre-existing agreements in mind, local recovery planning teams should include representatives from
neighboring tribes.
13
12
For more information about the Whole Community approach, see FEMA’s A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management: Principles, Themes, and
Pathways for Action. https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1813-25045-0649/whole_community_dec2011__2_.pdf.
13
For more information about tribal-local government mutual aid agreements, see https://ppines.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2229607&GUID=4F5DA8FA-
B5C5-44F3-87AE-091765AE800C&Options=&Search=.
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As emphasized in the U.S. Department of Justice’s An ADA Guide for Local
Governments,
14
recovery planning, both before and after a disaster, must
include people with disabilities and others with access and functional
needs from the beginning to prevent delays or exclusion in post-disaster
recovery efforts. For example, affected populations may need to relocate,
and including these stakeholders in pre- and post-disaster planning
processes helps to better integrate their needs into plans and recovery
actions. Maximum efforts should be made to ensure that community
members whose involvement has historically been low are encouraged
to participate. Youth, for example, can often convey the preparedness
message more strongly than others in the community. Emphasis should
also be placed on including seniors, individuals with disabilities, and
others with access and functional needs
15
; those from religious, racial,
and ethnically diverse backgrounds; and people with limited English
proficiency. To ensure full and meaningful participation, there must
be physical, programmatic, and communication access for all those
potentially affected by a disaster.
Partnerships with regional, State, tribal, and Federal agencies and
organizations are important for recovery planning and post-disaster recovery because disasters can stress
even the most prepared or equipped local community, and partnerships offer a multitude of mutually
beneficial resources. Mutual aid agreements between local governments, councils of governments, tribes,
and regional planning entities are one way partnerships can help alleviate the burden of recovery. Others
include technical assistance from universities, financial assistance from NGOs and charitable organizations,
various other assistance from existing long-term recovery groups, and volunteer assistance from Volunteer
Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD).
Galveston, TX: Community
resident participates in a recovery
planning session, learning about
where he lives, risk and recovery
issues.
Discussion Point: Equity in Disaster Planning and Recovery
Disasters can disproportionately affect some members of the community, including low-income, aging, functional and
access needs, and minority populations. These groups are more likely to be displaced and have more limited access
to resources, mobility issues, or difculty participating or being represented in recovery planning and community
activities. The planning process should evaluate the risk of these groups and their likelihood of displacement and
establish a strategy for basic communication, as well as a plan for ensuring equal participation in post-disaster
recovery planning and decisions.
For example, housing construction costs and replacement home values are likely to increase as a result of increased
demand and reduced supply in a signicant disaster. This can disproportionately affect the ability of the low- or
xed-income residents to nd adequate and safe housing. Hazard mitigation strategies used after a disaster, such as
buyouts, can also have the effect of reducing the stock of affordable housing if housing redevelopment plans are not
adequately addressed. The community’s affordable and fair housing plans should be coordinated with its recovery plan
to ensure that all residents can participate and are served in recovery and that workforce housing can be replaced. For
communities receiving Community Development Block Grant funds, the Consolidated Plan can also address recovery
and resilience issues.
Housing support or mitigation programs should take care to ensure equal access where possible. In some cases,
resources from Federal, State, or non-governmental agencies can be used to augment housing or mitigation programs
to encourage the participation of these groups or assist in the redevelopment of affordable housing in safe areas.
14
U.S. Department of Justice, An ADA Guide for Local Governments: Making Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to People
with Disabilities (n.d.). http://www.ada.gov/emerprepguideprt.pdf.
15
People with disabilities and other people with access and functional needs must be able to access the same programs and services as the general population.
Providing access may require including modications to programs, policies, procedures, architecture, equipment, services, supplies, and communication methods.
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments
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RECOVERY PLANNING BUILDS UPON AND IS INTEGRATED WITH OTHER
COMMUNITY PLANS
The planning process should incorporate the results of other applicable planning processes in the
community and region. Hazard mitigation plans, comprehensive plans, housing plans, and other
planning documents can define a wide range of goals for the community and represent shared priorities
of community members. Linking recovery planning to build on the community’s existing plans helps
inform recovery planning efforts and capitalize on past planning efforts so as not to “reinvent the wheel.”
Additionally, linking recovery planning with other applicable planning processes helps to incorporate
community perspectives. Recovery activities can then in turn be used to inform revisions to the
community’s other plans. Including the whole community in the pre-disaster recovery planning process
means including all sectors of the community.
Many existing Federal programs relate to disaster recovery. While many of these programs are voluntary for
communities, the requirements for participation could benefit communities when they develop their pre-
disaster recovery plan. For example, the Economic Development Administration requires communities to
produce Community Economic Development Strategies, and the Department of Health and Human Services
has preparedness requirements for communities that relate to disaster recovery. A pre-disaster recovery
planning process would build upon these existing efforts.
Figure 2 outlines the relationship between existing plans, like those mentioned above, and the pre-disaster
recovery plan. In addition, the figure explains how these existing plans and the pre-disaster recovery plan
are used after a disaster to support the development of post-disaster recovery plans, policies, and projects.
Figure 2 The Cyclical Nature of Planning
16
Many of these voluntary programs have grants or other funding opportunities associated with them that can be used by communities to support recovery-focused
initiatives.
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RECOVERY PLANNING IS CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH HAZARD MITIGATION
A key goal of both hazard mitigation and recovery is increasing resilience, defined in the National Preparedness
Goal as “the ability to adapt to changing conditions and withstand and rapidly recover from disruption due
to emergencies.” Although these two activities differ in many respects, this shared objective of increased
resilience allows mitigation and recovery planning to reinforce one another and leverage greater benefits
within the development of plans, and programs or projects. Because both mitigation and recovery planning
can be carried out pre-disaster, there is generally ample time to coordinate activities and promote more
widespread attention to resilience. Recovery planning can support hazard mitigation and resilience building
by providing a post-disaster mechanism for implementation and integration into the roles, processes,
and decisions that occur in the complex recovery environment. Additionally, much of the analysis and
information involved in the development of mitigation plans can be used to inform the pre-disaster
recovery planning effort. (Note that while recovery planning can support hazard mitigation, the intent of
the pre-disaster recovery planning process is not to add to the community’s mitigation plan.)
The pre-disaster recovery planning process benefits from and builds on hazard mitigation as:
• The mitigation planning process identifies local
hazards, risks, exposure, and vulnerability;
• Implementation of mitigation policies and
strategies reduce the likelihood or degree of
disaster-related damage, decreasing demand on
resources post-disaster;
• The process identifies potential solutions to
future anticipated community problems; and
• Mitigation activities increase public awareness of
the need for disaster preparedness.
Pre-disaster planning efforts also increase resilience
by:
• Establishing partnerships, organizational
structures, communication resources, and access
to resources that promote a more rapid and
inclusive recovery process;
• Describing how hazard mitigation underlies all
considerations for reinvestment;
• Laying out a process for implementing activities
that will increase resilience; and
• Increasing awareness of resilience as an
important consideration in all community activities.
In many ways, the process outlined in this guide aligns closely to the steps contained in the Local Mitigation
Planning Handbook. The Key Activities presented in later sections of this guide and the tasks associated with
those Key Activities facilitate close coordination and collaboration across these two planning processes.
Appendix A compares the process outlined in this document and the process outlined in the Local
Mitigation Planning Handbook.
Discussion Point: Hazard Mitigation
Plans
Reviewing the community’s hazard mitigation plan is
a good way to prepare for the pre-disaster planning
process. The hazard mitigation plan identies likely
hazards and can be used to determine priority
activities and policies to be undertaken as part of
disaster recovery, when resources and opportunities
are available to rebuild in a more resilient fashion.
The local jurisdiction may have its own mitigation
plan or may have participated in a multi-jurisdictional
mitigation plan. The State Hazard Mitigation Ofcer
can be contacted if there are difculties locating a
plan.
The State hazard mitigation plan is also a good
resource. Much like the local or multi-jurisdictional
plan, the State plan will identify potential hazards as
well as State hazard mitigation goals, priorities, and
funding sources.
FEMA developed the Local Mitigation Planning
Handbook (2013) as step-by-step guidance for
developing a mitigation plan. Many of the steps in the
handbook apply to recovery preparation as well.
17
16
The handbook is available at https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1910-25045-9160/fema_local_mitigation_handbook.pdf.
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments
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Building Resilience into the Recovery Process – The National Mitigation Framework
Recovery offers a unique opportunity to reduce future risk. Following any disaster, recovery efforts can be leveraged
to implement solutions that increase community resilience in the economic, housing, natural and cultural resources,
infrastructure, and health and social services and government sectors. Well planned, inclusive, coordinated, and
executed solutions can build capacity and capability and enable a community to better manage future disasters.
The National Mitigation Framework establishes a common platform and forum for coordinating and addressing how
the Nation manages risk through mitigation. Mitigation reduces the impact of disasters by supporting protection
and prevention activities, easing response, and speeding recovery to create better prepared and more resilient
communities.
The mitigation and recovery mission areas focus on the same community systems—community capacity, economic,
health and social services, housing, infrastructure, and natural and cultural resources—to increase resilience. Cross-
mission area integration activities, such as planning, are essential to ensuring that risk avoidance and risk reduction
actions are taken during the recovery process. Communities have developed hazard mitigation plans that outline
strategies and priorities to further community resiliency through mitigation. Integrating mitigation actions into pre- and
post-disaster recovery plans also provides systematic risk management after a disaster, with effective strategies for an
efcient recovery process.
Recovery projects that increase resilience can be implemented in any of the community systems outlined above. For
instance, housing and infrastructure projects may increase resilience by rebuilding housing to meet new building
and accessibility codes that minimize future damage or relocating critical infrastructure out of hazardous areas.
Other resilience strategies could focus on diversifying the economy and bringing in sustainable industries or helping
community organizations to increase the resilience of all populations through preparedness efforts. Using innovative
solutions to meet recovery needs is an important consideration in developing recovery strategies. State, tribal,
territorial, and local communities can look to a wide range of organizations, such as the Rockefeller Foundation or
various university centers and research institutes, for help in increasing resiliency.
Lessons learned during the recovery process also inform future mitigation actions and pre-disaster recovery planning.
Linking recovery and mitigation breaks the cycle of damage-repair-damage resulting from rebuilding after disasters
without considering resilience.
RECOVERY PLANNING IS GOAL ORIENTED
Thorough, comprehensive, and community-supported pre-disaster recovery plans allow a locality to
more easily and effectively begin the recovery process immediately after a disaster. The development and
documentation of recovery planning goals, including the partnerships necessary to achieve those goals,
help recovery stakeholders understand existing capabilities and gaps. Equally important is the development
of realistic goals. Although a community may have its own resources or partner resources at its disposal,
the resources available to recover effectively are finite. Goal development in both the pre-disaster and
post-disaster environments needs to account for the availability of resources so that they may be leveraged
strategically to achieve desired outcomes. Appendix F includes a template that can be used to document
existing capabilities as they relate to recovery goals and the partnerships and resources in place (or not
currently in place) to achieve those goals.
In addition to determining capability gaps, using a goal-oriented process for pre-disaster recovery planning
helps to build consensus among the involved stakeholders. Establishing common, mutually agreeable,
strategic goals early in the planning process reduces conflicts when the plan is implemented in a post-
disaster setting.
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RECOVERY PLANNING IS SCALABLE
Recovery plan components should be scaled to meet both the capacity of the community to manage its own
recovery process and the level of risk the community faces. Communities that have minimal resources to
manage recovery but many vulnerabilities and risks will want to emphasize partnership-building in the
planning process and seek assistance from State or regional bodies. Communities with a high capacity to
manage recovery will want to emphasize local roles and responsibilities in facilitating the recovery process
and may be in a position to develop a robust recovery plan.
Pre-disaster recovery plan components such as recovery goals and policies, administrative structure, and
activation of personnel (see Appendix E) will vary depending on the capacity of the community and the
partnerships needed or already in place. Operational guidance included in the pre-disaster recovery plan
should also consider the different phases of disaster management, transition from or coordination with
response coordination structures, and identify times when recovery operations peak and when they begin
to wind down. An example of a scalable recovery system is shown in
Figure 3.
Figure 3 Scalable Recovery System
Source: Adapted from American Planning Association (APA) Planning Advisory Service (PAS) Report 576, page 53
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments
Page 18
Communities with limited capacity to plan for recovery and with low risk factors for disasters can
undertake certain basic planning activities that can lay the groundwork for recovery planning, and require
little staff time or funding. Examples of basic planning activities include:
• Committing to risk reduction and risk management
• Designating a point-person for recovery planning (ideally, someone who understands both emergency
management and community planning)
• Identifying vital facilities that, if damaged or destroyed, would have the strongest consequences to the
community (e.g., facilities used by the public, facilities that serve critical economic functions)
• Developing a public engagement strategy that is inclusive of the entire community’s population (this
also includes determining the best ways to communicate)
• Identifying existing recovery stakeholders (local agencies or organizations that would be critical to
facilitate the recovery process after a disaster)
• Identifying outside partnerships to build resilience (State agencies or other organizations that have
resources to support local recovery after a disaster)
• Identifying training programs that could help build the community’s capacity to plan for recovery
(these may include training offered by the State or independent study courses offered by the
Emergency Management Institute)
• Identifying key post-disaster responsibilities of local government and officials, not only for immediate
rebuilding, such as permitting requirements, but also for establishing a post-disaster strategy for
interim and long-term recovery
Basic planning activities generally involve the identification of people, partnerships, and programs that can
support the community’s recovery planning process.
Alternatively, communities that do have the capacity needed to plan for recovery, or communities facing
higher risk factors for disasters, can undertake more comprehensive planning activities in addition to the
basic activities listed above. Examples of comprehensive planning activities include:
• Developing recovery priorities based on existing plans and initiatives already in place (assessing
known planning goals that should be incorporated into recovery planning)
• Establishing a Local Disaster Recovery Manager (LDRM) position, office, and/or set of functions
• Conducting a vulnerability analysis (determining not only which facilities are critical, but how
vulnerable they are to disaster impacts and why they are vulnerable)
• Conducting an assessment of recovery capacity (reviewing resources available to support recovery
after a disaster and where there are gaps)
• Developing and adopting a recovery ordinance (a formal ordinance that describes how the
community will undertake the recovery process after a disaster)
• Developing a hazard mitigation plan (required by FEMA for most disaster assistance);
• Developing a formal, stand-alone pre-disaster recovery plan
• Formalizing mutual aid agreements with other jurisdictions to support long-term recovery needs
• Integrating resilience strategies into economic development, housing, infrastructure improvement,
historic preservation, health policies, and other regional or community programs and plans
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Comprehensive planning activities require resources such as staff and possibly funding (though it is
noteworthy that developing an approved hazard mitigation plan can open the door to future funding
opportunities, which can be used to implement mitigation actions).
RECOVERY ACTIVITIES ARE COMPREHENSIVE AND LONG-TERM
The pre-disaster recovery planning process should address all of the Core Capabilities under Recovery
and Mitigation (see Section II.C of this guide for a list of Recovery Core Capabilities and Mitigation Core
Capabilities). Recovery activities may continue for months or years after a disaster, and the organizational
structure for overseeing recovery needs to be flexible and durable so the appropriate responsibilities can be
carried out. The recovery structure will need to change and adapt to the changing priorities and goals of
the community over the course of the many months and years of recovery operations.
RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY
A truly holistic recovery process must include activities that support building community resilience and
encouraging sustainable development. This concept can be implemented in recovery planning efforts
through coordination with mitigation planning. Mitigation is a sustained action eliminating or reducing
potential effects of hazards, and mitigation planning attempts to identify those hazards, reduce any impacts
from those hazards, and identify potential solutions. Thus mitigation planning, pre-disaster recovery
planning, and other types of planning have parallel perspectives with overarching recovery goals of:
• Increasing the speed of community recovery;
• Effectively using resources; and
• Increasing opportunities for community betterment that take into account and balance all community
populations, needs, and risks.
A successful mitigation program and other pre-disaster planning can set the stage for a more sustainable
and resilient community by positioning the community to be able to adapt to changing conditions, identify
future natural and human-related disaster threats and hazards, and withstand and rapidly recover from
disruption due to future emergencies. By addressing potential risks and developing solutions, policies, and
action statements, communities become both more resilient and sustainable.
Discussion Point: National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System
The Community Rating System (CRS) was implemented in 1990 through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
to recognize and encourage activities in communities that work to exceed the minimum standards of the NFIP. Through
the CRS, communities that take actions that meet the goals of the program are entitled to discounted rates for ood
insurance premiums. Many of the resilience and sustainability programs that communities either already engage in, or
seek to engage in as a part of recovery planning, complement the activities highlighted by CRS. By conducting planning
for recovery in coordination with mitigation and other resilience-focused programs, communities can see a tangible pre-
disaster benet through CRS.
16
16
For more information on the NFIP CRS, see https://www.fema.gov/national-ood-insurance-program-community-rating-system.
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IV. Linking Pre-Disaster Response
Planning and Pre-Disaster
Recovery Planning
Response and recovery are fundamentally different
and separate elements of disaster management,
but they are closely linked. Initially, when disaster
strikes, response takes the spotlight. Emergency
responders provide the most urgent and immediate
assistance to the disaster-impacted communities,
including food, water, shelter, debris clearance,
and medical attention. Response operations are
typically short-term, and usually focused on issues
of life safety and property protection. However,
recovery addresses the short-, intermediate-, and
long-term needs of an impacted community with a
focus on rebuilding for resilience. Recovery begins
during the response period when information is
gathered through damage assessments, ensuring
an early strategic focus on recovery. Coordination
with response operations is essential to ensure that
recovery begins immediately and minimizes any
potential negative impacts on the recovery process.
CPG 101 serves as the foundation for all emergency
planning. Because the process presented in this
guide is an expansion of the CPG 101 process, the
Key Activities for pre-disaster recovery planning
build on the same concepts from response
planning. Examples of similar fundamentals
between the two processes include a community-
based and inclusive planning process; analytical
problem-solving processes; the consideration of
a variety of hazards, risks, and vulnerabilities;
flexibility; and the identification of goals.
Furthermore, effective plans for both response
and recovery delegate responsibility and authority,
and contribute to overall community preparedness
ahead of disasters.
Discussion Point: Differences in
Response and Recovery Planning Goals
A few high-level (and hypothetical) examples of the
fundamental differences in response planning and
recovery planning goals are listed below. Notice
that the goals in response planning are short-term,
whereas the goals in recovery planning are long-term.
Disaster Impact on Local Water Supply
• Potential Response Goal: Deliver emergency water
supply to affected residents.
• Potential Recovery Goal: Address infrastructure or
natural resource impacts to return and enhance
the resiliency of the water supply in the long-term.
Disaster Impact on Local Hospital
• Potential Response Goal: Relocate patients
to other hospitals and establish temporary,
emergency medical care facility.
• Potential Recovery Goal: Establish facilities within
the community, or use regional facilities, to re-
establish a sustainable medical care system.
Disaster Impact on Central Business District
• Potential Response Goal: Inspect and condemn
damaged properties.
• Potential Recovery Goal: Assist small businesses
to resume operations and redevelop a resilient
Central Business District.
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Page 23
V. Linking Pre-Disaster Recovery
Planning and Post-Disaster
Recovery Planning
A variety of steps can be taken before a disaster occurs to plan post-disaster response. Creating a common
understanding of needs and potential challenges, institutional and community disaster awareness, and risks
and vulnerabilities prior to a disaster, all help facilitate the post-disaster recovery process. Additionally,
establishing leadership and outside support (partnerships), reaching consensus on priorities, and
accomplishing other planning activities through a pre-disaster process will benefit the community after a
disaster. If they plan in advance, communities greatly reduce, or in some cases eliminate, the need to address
these activities in the wake of a disaster, and are better prepared to begin timely and efficient management
of impacts and long-term consequences shortly after disaster strikes. Pre-establishing consensus on roles and
responsibilities, leadership, policies, and processes enables the local government, and community at large, to
streamline implementation of the recovery process.
As shown in
Figure 4, the period of organizing for post-disaster recovery and carrying out the post-disaster
recovery planning process must start early as the community transitions to recovery efforts. This period
can be shortened if a pre-disaster plan is in place that defines the steps that are expected to occur, how they
occur, and who will be responsible for them.
Figure 4 Disaster Response and Recovery Timeline
Source: APA, Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery: Next Generation (PAS Report 576) (2015)
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments
Page 24
During the planning process, common issues to consider include timeline and transition among functions
and personnel. It is recommended that planners address challenges in early recovery, establish the interface
between response and recovery, and determine when and who will initiate post-disaster recovery planning
and actions. For example, emergency managers and recovery planners often have different perspectives
regarding the appropriate scope of recovery activities, which can lead to coordination conflicts after a
disaster. By involving emergency managers in the pre-disaster planning process, recovery planners can gain a
better understanding of how their methods and goals differ from those of emergency response management,
allowing both processes to operate more smoothly.
Table 1, which is also included in the NDRF, outlines the critical tasks associated with planning for recovery
both pre- and post-disaster. While the process outlined in this guide discusses the tasks associated with all
types of pre-disaster planning activities (i.e., strategic, operational, and tactical planning), it is important to
remember that successful pre-disaster recovery planning will speed post-disaster planning and activities.
Therefore, post-disaster planning tasks are equally important considerations during pre-disaster planning.
For post-disaster planning process guidance, FEMA’s Long-Term Community Recovery Planning Process: A Self-Help Guide
17
describes and discusses a range of critical activities, including assessing needs, assigning leadership, securing
outside support, and reaching consensus. Reviewing the Self-Help Guide to gain a complete understanding of
what a post-disaster planning process entails is highly recommended as preparation for pre-disaster planning
because successful pre-disaster planning prepares a community to act quickly and efficiently and apply a post-
disaster planning process. Critical planning tasks are shown in
Table 1.
17
FEMA, Long-Term Community Recovery Planning Process: A Self Help Guide (2005). http://www.fema.gov/pdf/rebuild/ltrc/selfhelp.pdf.
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Type of
Planning
Pre-Disaster Post-Disaster
STRATEGIC
Driven by policy,
establishes
planning
priorities
• Develop a mitigation plan that establishes
post-disaster risk reduction priorities and
policies to guide post-disaster recovery and
redevelopment.
• Establish pre-disaster priorities and policies
to guide recovery and reinvestment across the
other Recovery Core Capabilities.
• Develop an inclusive and accessible whole
community public engagement strategy.
• Evaluate current conditions; assess risk,
vulnerability, and potential community-wide
consequences.
• Integrate recovery and mitigation goals and
policies into other Federal, State, regional, and
community plans.
• Establish priorities and identify opportunities
to build resilience, including sustainable
development, equity, community capacity, and
mitigation measures.
• Evaluate community conditions, re-assess risk,
evaluate needs, and forecast future needs and
trends.
• Set goals and objectives: short-term,
intermediate, and long-term; engage the public
in the process.
• Identify opportunities to build in future
resilience through mitigation.
• Consider standards for sustainable, universally
accessible, healthy community design and
construction that also integrates mitigation and
long-term resilience building activities.
• Ensure policies are inclusive of the whole
community, including people with disabilities
and others with access and functional needs.
OPERATIONAL
Describes roles
and
responsibilities,
focuses on
coordinating
and integrating
the activities
of the whole
community
• Establish clear leadership, operational
coordination, and decision-making structures at
the local, State, tribal, and Federal levels.
• Develop pre-disaster partnerships to ensure
engagement of all potential resources.
• Identify and engage whole community
stakeholders, including the general public,
community leaders, faith-based organizations,
nonprot organizations, private-sector entities,
and health providers (including behavioral
health).
• Identify limitations in community recovery
management capacity and the means to
supplement this capacity, such as training
and education, and make it available to all
stakeholders.
• Determine roles, responsibilities, and resources
of whole community partners.
• Establish continuity of operations plans to
ensure essential recovery services can be
delivered during all circumstances.
• Organize, build on, and adapt as necessary,
pre-existing plans and priorities, including pre-
disaster recovery and mitigation plans.
• Use a community-driven and locally managed
process designed to promote local decision-
making and ownership of the recovery planning
and implementation effort.
• Work collaboratively with all groups of people
affected by the disaster to promote inclusive
and accessible outreach to their communities
and address issues relevant to them.
• Ensure inclusion and encourage participation of
individuals and communities that may require
alternative and/or additional outreach support.
• Keep the public informed on all aspects of
recovery and encourage collaboration across
partners.
• Implement a coordination structure and
build partnerships among local agencies,
jurisdictions, and State, tribal, and Federal
governments.
• Develop tools and metrics for evaluating
progress against set goals, objectives, and
milestones.
TACTICAL
Identifying
specic projects
and managing
resources
• Establish specic local procedures,
requirements, regulations, or ordinances
to address specic, expected post-disaster
recovery actions.
• Establish specic plans, contracts, and
resources for tactical activities expected post-
disaster (e.g., debris management, recovery
management, temporary housing, building
permitting).
• Identify, adapt, implement, and manage
actions, procedures, programs, requirements,
organizations, regulations, ordinances, and
policies to address specic needs.
• Identify specic projects in areas of critical
importance to the State, region, or community’s
overall recovery.
• Provide well-dened activities and outcomes,
including schedules and milestones, aimed at
achieving recovery.
Table 1 Pre- and Post-Disaster: Critical Planning Tasks
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VI. Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning
Key Activities
Addressing disaster recovery activities is most effective when the whole community has thoroughly
considered and discussed the inclusive recovery process before a disaster has even occurred. Discussions as
to how a community is going to handle disaster recovery must be organized and structured. By following
CPG 101 and subsequently the Key Activities outlined in the following sections of this guide, communities
will be able to create a written pre-disaster recovery plan that can aid them in effective management of
recovery operations after a disaster. This guide outlines pre-disaster activities according to the six standard
planning steps with nine Key Recovery Activities outlined in
Figure 5. The guidance for each of the Key
Activities is intended to support and build upon the six steps and information included in CPG 101.
Figure 5 Key Activities in the Pre-disaster Recovery Planning Process
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The Local Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Key Activities Checklist can be found in Appendix G. The
checklist summarizes the detailed activities in this guide and can be used to track progress.
A general timeline is provided in the following descriptions of each planning activity. These timelines
provide estimated schedules that will vary by community and are intended to serve as an example
only. Some Key Activities must be completed sequentially and others can be done concurrently. Because
every community is unique, the amount of time it takes to work through each Key Activity may vary.
Additionally,
Figure 6 summarizes the individual timelines and displays the overall schedule for a typical
pre-disaster recovery planning process.
Figure 6 Example Planning Timeline
Page 29
VII. Step 1 – Form a
Collaborative Planning Team
As outlined in CPG 101, successful planning is launched using a team made up of a variety of partners
from the whole community. In Key Activities One and Two below, planners will identify the collaborative
recovery planning team and partners, outline and scope the planning activities as they relate to recovery,
and establish a process for engaging recovery-specific stakeholders.
KEY ACTIVITY ONE: DEFINE THE COLLABORATIVE RECOVERY PLANNING TEAM
AND SCOPE OF PLANNING ACTIVITIES
Timeline: Beginning of Planning Effort to Month 3
A collaborative recovery planning team leads the recovery planning process and steers the community
through the steps needed to be prepared for recovery.
Identify Collaborative Recovery Planning Team Representatives
Identify collaborative recovery planning team representatives from jurisdiction departments/agencies that
have roles in community planning, development, recovery sectors, and disaster recovery.
17
It is important
to impress upon potential participants that the recovery planning process is not intended to be limited
to those typically involved in emergency planning. Local agencies or departments well-positioned to
participate in the collaborative planning team may include:
Stakeholders contribute ideas and recommendations
for recovery.
• Local elected or appointed officials
(e.g., Mayor, City/County Manager)
• Emergency Management and Public Safety
(Police/Fire/Emergency Medical Services)
• Community Planning
• Zoning and Building Inspection
• Finance and Administration
• Floodplain Management
• Public Works
• Education
• Community Development or Redevelopment
Agencies
• Economic Development (local and regional)
• Environmental Protection
• Historic Preservation Boards or Commissions
17
For a sample list of representatives and their potential roles, see APA’s Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction (1998), Table 4-1. 15.
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• Museums, Cultural Institutions, Libraries, and Archives
• Health and Social Services
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinators
• Housing
• Transportation
In addition, members of the team that developed the community’s hazard mitigation plan or
comprehensive plan are valuable participants.
Figure 7 provides a basic depiction of how local community
planning stakeholders and external community planning supporters work together.
Figure 7 Pre-disaster Planning Communications Map: Community Planning Stakeholders and External
Supporters
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Identify Key Community Organizations That Should Serve as Planning Partners
Developing strong participation and ownership by all parts of the community helps build the resilience
needed for a community to act quickly and in a coordinated fashion following a disaster. Many
organizations that should participate in the planning process will take on key roles working hand-in-hand
with local government or with one another. Planning partners may include NGOs, or business leaders
that work inside or outside of the area covered by the recovery planning process, that have responsibilities
or authority relevant to some aspect of community development, social services, economic development,
business, or disaster recovery, and can assist with data collection or analysis, provide advice on planning,
policy development, or other technical assistance. Many other entities, such as NGOs, advocates for
those with disabilities, housing and homeless advocates, environmental advocates, and business and
community organizations can provide input for policy development and other technical assistance during
the recovery planning process. These organizations also bolster the community’s capacity to recover by
providing additional expertise or other support needed both to plan for and implement recovery activities.
Neighboring communities and governments, neighboring tribes, and regional planning organizations
should also be considered as planning partners.
Identification of team members should promote the concept of making recovery planning an inclusive
process. It is important to include as planning partners those who serve as advocates for the needs of
children, seniors, those with disabilities and others with access and functional needs, those with limited
English proficiency, and those from historically underserved and culturally sensitive populations. This
ensures that the collaborative recovery planning team includes voices from a wide range of perspectives and
fosters wide-ranging support for both pre-disaster plan development and post-disaster plan implementation.
Examples of organizations that may have a role in supporting recovery efforts include:
• Chambers of commerce
• Educational and medical institutions
• Housing non-profits
• Faith-based organizations
• Realty organizations / associations of realtors
• Power and utility companies/cooperatives and
any operator of critical infrastructure
• American Red Cross
• Community Development Finance Institution
• Independent national, regional, and local social
services delivery agencies
• Fraternal organizations
• Independent charities
• Volunteer recruitment groups
• Child-focused non-profits/experts
• Private-sector trade associations
• Apartment owner associations
Organizations that help with donations management
are key partners for short-term recovery.
Public and private utilities and facilities that serve
community needs like hospitals can be valuable
participants.
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• Neighborhood partner networks
• Homebuilders associations
• State Insurance Boards/Commissions
• Parks and recreation areas
• Historic sites, museums, and other historic preservation organizations
• Organizations that represent traditionally underserved populations
• Disability advocacy organizations
• Existing long-term recovery group(s) (This entity may represent multiple NGOs active in a
community that focus on disaster recovery. See your State VOAD contact for information).
After NGOs and other community organizations are identified for partnership, formal agreements with
organizations that may provide or support local services after a disaster should be considered. Care should
be taken to align NGOs and other organizations with the appropriate agencies or departments that serve
similar functions.
Define the Scope of Recovery Planning Activities
Before any in-depth planning can begin, the planning team must carefully define the geographic area to be
served by recovery preparedness activities. If the community has limited resources, it may be beneficial to
consider a multi-jurisdictional recovery plan that covers multiple towns and cities or is county-wide. This
would be particularly appropriate if the community is covered by a multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation
plan. Regional or multi-jurisdictional planning can help establish common processes as well as facilitate
mutual aid for longer-term recovery activities. Planners need to consider the current mitigation plans and
hazard information when determining geographic scope.
The geographic scope and/or multi-jurisdictional partners may need to be revisited as further hazard analysis
occurs (e.g., hazards cross boundaries, strong economic linkages may be affected). Regardless of multi-
jurisdictional planning, local governments, individually, may still need to establish specific roles, policies,
requirements, and legal mechanisms but could do so within the framework of the regional or multi-
jurisdictional effort.
A recovery plan does not need to be lengthy, and should not duplicate, but rather complement, key
elements of recovery that are already addressed in other planning documents. Care should be taken to
identify which activities will be considered and included in the pre-disaster recovery plan and which
will not. The planning team should determine whether existing community planning documents can be
leveraged or built upon to inform recovery planning. Essential recovery information, such as policies and
requirements that support recovery, operational processes and guidelines, key people and partners and their
recovery roles, and recovery resources, may be documented in the community’s other existing planning
documents. Those elements from other planning documents should be summarized or consolidated in
the pre-disaster recovery plan and referenced appropriately. These plans’ applicability to recovery should
be identified in the pre-disaster recovery plan. For example, there may be certain hazard mitigation,
development, or housing priorities in other community plans that should be consulted during the recovery
period to guide disaster-specific decisions on these topics. Therefore, the pre-disaster recovery plan should
note the existence of such plans and summarize the information contained in those documents, as well as
suggest how and when those planning documents should be incorporated post-disaster.
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KEY ACTIVITY TWO: DEVELOP AND
IMPLEMENT A STAKEHOLDER AND
PARTNER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY
Timeline: Ongoing
Key Activity Two, which aligns with Step 1 of
CPG 101, is an ongoing activity. While involving
stakeholders and partners early in the planning
process is important to ensure inclusiveness,
stakeholders and partners involved will likely change
over time. As risks, impacts, consequences, capability
gaps, and capacity are determined, additional partners will need to be identified. It is critical that
stakeholders and partners be continually evaluated and that new partners be identified and included as
needed throughout the planning process.
Using the Core Capabilities is one way to identify stakeholders and partners to engage in the pre-disaster
recovery planning process.
Table 2 includes potential partners for each Core Capability. The table is not
intended to be an exhaustive list.
While there are many strategies for identifying and engaging new partners, one useful approach is to
build upon existing partnerships with organizations that have already been identified and included in
the planning team. These established partner organizations likely have their own network of contacts and
organizations that provide support, in some fashion, to the recovery organization. This concept is known as
using a “network of networks” and is illustrated in
Figure 8. Although these additional partners might not
traditionally be associated with recovery operations, they could be a vital resource to a community.
Define the Scope of Stakeholder Engagement
Stakeholders are those who will be involved with the work of the collaborative planning team but do not
directly serve on the team. Generally speaking, stakeholders can be anyone with an interest in the recovery
planning process. They may include local individuals and organizations or those from outside of the
community, at the county, State, or even national level. The list of stakeholders should include those with
community ties that can help with outreach, as well as those with technical knowledge associated with
addressing the key community sectors, including all of the Core Capabilities. Considering the local risk
assessment and identifying structures, facilities, and services in areas potentially affected by a disaster helps
to identify additional stakeholders. Additional stakeholders may be identified by those on the collaborative
planning team, as well as by other sources, such as community advocacy organizations.
Stakeholders will be motivated to participate in the planning process for a variety of reasons, and the
collaborative planning team needs to take those reasons into account. Additionally, the planning team will
need to set expectations for stakeholder involvement and define the contribution needed from stakeholders
throughout the process.
Interim disaster housing is often a major challenge for
communities.
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Core Capability Suggested Stakeholders and Partners
PLANNING
Consider people who are experienced engaging the entire community and who are strategic
thinkers. These people may have backgrounds in elds such as planning, public administration,
architecture, and landscape architecture; experience with accessibility and universal design is
also desirable. Professional planning and design organizations, such as the American Planning
Association (APA), American Institute of Architects, and American Society of Landscape Architects
are also resources. Include regulators (such as zoning and permitting, safety, ADA coordinators),
and those involved in the mitigation plan and other community development planning.
PUBLIC
INFORMATION AND
WARNING
Consider people with community outreach experience or expertise in mass communications,
facilitation, and/or civic engagement. Stakeholders should also have experience in reaching out to
populations with functional and access needs. Involve a public affairs ofcer or communications
department.
OPERATIONAL
COORDINATION
Consider involving leaders in the community to make sure that all recovery processes are
integrated. These leaders may include city managers, county administrators, or local government
ofcials and leaders from community organizations. Consider groups that may be at odds post-
disaster to address coordination upfront.
HEALTH AND
SOCIAL SERVICES
Consider including representatives from local government departments, medical professionals,
school district superintendents, consumer and legal service organizations, and managers of
non-prots providing services that support physical, programmatic, and effective communication
access for the community. Also involve voluntary organizations that are active after a disaster
and other organizations that represent the service and support needs of all community members,
including immigrants and refugees, and people with disabilities, or access or functional needs.
ECONOMIC
RECOVERY
Consider including economic development ofcials, representatives of Community Development
Corporations, major employers, local business owners, representatives from employment and labor
departments, labor organizations, and faculty from colleges and universities.
HOUSING
Consider including developers, residential construction companies, fair or affordable housing
advocates, homeless organizations, representatives of housing agencies, and housing department
staff.
INFRASTRUCTURE
SYSTEMS
Consider including public works ofcials and local engineers. The American Society of Civil
Engineers and other similar professional organizations are potential resources.
NATURAL AND
CULTURAL
RESOURCES
Consider including historic preservation experts; members of cultural, museum, library,
and archival organizations; members of landmarks, parks, and tree boards; and parks and
environmental protection department staff.
Table 2 Suggested Stakeholders and Partners for Recovery Core Capabilities
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Establish Recovery Activity Support Roles for Regional, State,
Tribal, and Federal Governmental Agencies
Local governments and community leaders need
to coordinate with recovery counterparts from
the regional, State, tribal and Federal levels to
ensure effective post-disaster recovery operations.
Identifying which agencies have the related
mission expertise or resources to support recovery
activities during the pre-disaster planning process
will help to facilitate implementation after a
disaster. Through pre-disaster recovery planning,
organizations with similar missions and functions
will already be aligned and have established
relationships.
The Networks of Networks Concept
The Networks of Networks Concept (depicted
in
Figure 8) is promoted by the Community and
Regional Resilience Institute (CARRI). The concept
emphasizes two things:
• Multiple partners to support local recovery. This
includes partners from within the community and
outside the community.
• Organization and structure, linking potential
partners who may not have a direct relationship
with the community (Network of Network Partners)
to Strategic Stakeholders or Partners that already
work closely with the communities Recovery
Organization.
18
Figure 8 Community and Regional Resilience Institute (CARRI)
Network of Networks Concept
18
http://www.resilientus.org/
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Establish External Partnerships
Disasters do not recognize political boundaries. Regional, State, tribal, and Federal partnerships are
important because disaster impacts are typically regional and felt by people both inside and outside
of city limits, across county lines, and/or across State lines. External partnerships (partnerships with
organizations, associations, and agencies not already part of the collaborative planning team) facilitate
the sharing of resources across and between jurisdictions and can help compensate for local capability
deficits. Pre-disaster communication and coordination among external partners helps ensure that these
partners are prepared to help the community recover more quickly after a disaster. At the Federal level,
there are numerous examples of external partners that support the RSFs, which can be found in the NDRF.
Additional information about identifying State, Tribal, and regional partners can be found in Planning for Post-
Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction.
20
Case Example: Stakeholder Expectations
Cannon Beach, OR
The University of Oregon’s Community Service Center, Cascadia Regional Earthquake Workgroup, U.S. Geological
Survey, and Oregon Emergency Management partnered to help develop a recovery plan for the communities in the
Cascadia Region of Oregon. This undertaking began with a community forum during which participants identied what
they thought would be recovery issues after a disaster and potential next steps to address those issues based on their
eld(s) of expertise.
After the forum, participants were interviewed about their reasons for attending. Some of the common reasons were
personal interest and a sense of responsibility for a particular segment of the community. Participants were also asked
to provide suggestions as to what would have made the forum more productive. Common responses included being
provided hypothetical scenarios as a basis for discussion and more information (e.g., maps and other data), as well as
having a better idea of what was expected of them. When engaging stakeholders, it is important to understand what is
motivating them and to convey clear information and expectations.
19
Case Example: Involving Partner Organizations - Greensburg, KS
Because local communities can rarely complete recovery from signicant disasters on their own, locating the right
partners early on helps achieve the community’s recovery goals.
In May 2007, Greensburg was struck by an EF5 tornado that destroyed or damaged nearly all of the buildings in the
city. To help implement the community members’ goal of a “green” recovery, the U.S. Department of Energy National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) became involved only a month after the disaster occurred. NREL played a critical
role by providing specic guidance on recovery projects, developing studies and recommendations, and creating an
integrated energy plan that became part of the city’s comprehensive plan.
With NREL’s assistance, the City’s green initiative led to a variety of positive results, including:
• Signicantly lower energy usage by new homes in Greensburg
• Signicantly lower energy use and environmental impact by the city’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED)-certied public buildings
• Creation of a 12.5-megawatt wind farm that produces enough energy to power the entire city
• Increased expertise in green design throughout the region
While very successful, NREL acknowledges that the green planning process would have been more efcient if it was
considered prior to the disaster, before there was a pressing need for immediate redevelopment. Nonetheless, by being
prepared to partner with NREL and other organizations, Greensburg was able to quickly and effectively address a key
community goal and develop a very productive recovery strategy.
21
19
For more information about this planning effort, read the Cannon Beach Post-Disaster Planning Process Report https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/
handle/1794/5570/CREW_Report_07.17.06.pdf?sequence=1
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Identify How External Agencies Align with the Local Recovery Organization’s Structure and Process
When aligning external agencies with the local recovery organization’s structure and process, planners
must consider the key community sectors (such as housing, healthcare, social services, businesses, etc.)
and other community needs to be addressed by local agencies and organizations. Additional information
about determining how external agencies align with local agencies and organizations can be found in APA’s
Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction.
Considering how external organizations interact with one another is also important. For example, when
connecting with a State agency, it is important to understand their relationships with other State agencies and
Federal agencies as all of these agencies from all levels of government play a role in post-disaster recovery
efforts. There may also be Federal resources that can be funneled through State partners or opportunities to
leverage resources from respective State and Federal agencies.
Establish Agreements with Agencies to Fulfill the Roles Outlined in the Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan
Establishing agreements about roles and responsibilities includes making sure that agencies understand
their roles and the chain of communication among recovery stakeholders, and have a firm understanding of
their capacity to execute their responsibilities (or an understanding of where gaps exist). Local leadership
may want to consider securing written agreements (such as interagency agreements, memoranda of
understanding, mutual aid compacts) that describe commitments to roles, relationships, and resources.
Case Example: Accessibility through Partnerships - Joplin, MO
Because local communities can rarely complete recovery from signicant disasters on their own, locating the right
partners early on is essential to achieving the community’s accessibility recovery goals. Joplin, MO, was struck by an
EF5 tornado in 2011, resulting in $2.8 billion dollars in damages. To help implement the community members’ goal of
integrating “universal design” into infrastructure and building projects completed as part of disaster recovery, the City
involved independent living centers and other disability organizations, which provided specic guidance on recovery
projects. These partners played an integral part in developing studies, recommendations, and drafting an integrated
accessibility plan that became part of the city’s comprehensive plan.
With the assistance of planners, architects, and disability organizations, the City’s accessibility initiative led to a variety
of positive results. Examples include:
• Continuity in the planning and development of public facilities and infrastructure that fostered accessibility, thus
avoiding separate “islands” of accessible developments
• Expanded sensitivity and understanding among community developers and planners regarding the relevance and
importance of universal design
• Strengthening of long-term partnerships and ongoing working relationships between local ofcials, developers,
planners, and accessibility advocates and experts
By being prepared to partner with disability organizations, Joplin was able to quickly and effectively address a key goal
of the community and develop a very productive recovery strategy.
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy10osti/45135-1.pdf
20
For more information, see APA’s Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction (PAS 483/484) (1998), Model Recovery Ordinance (see Appendix D).
21
For more information about the partnership between Greensburg and NREL, see Rebuilding Greensburg Kansas, as a Model Green Community: A Case Study,
Page 38
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VIII. Step 2 – Understand the
Situation
In CPG 101, Step 2, the planning team will identify threats and hazards and assess the community’s risks.
For recovery planning, this analysis and assessment will be based, in part, on existing community planning
products. Key Activity Three outlines the need for the planning team to focus on impacts and a broader
range of consequences specific to recovery.
KEY ACTIVITY THREE: DETERMINE THE COMMUNITY’S RISKS, IMPACTS, AND
CONSEQUENCES
Timeline: Months 1 to 6
Obtain Existing Disaster and Community Planning Products
Planners should begin by assembling all available,
up-to-date risk assessment data. If the community
has a hazard mitigation plan, risk assessment
information in that document should be used
as a starting point. If a hazard mitigation plan
does not exist, use guidance provided in the Local
Mitigation Planning Handbook, Task Five, to conduct a
risk assessment. In most cases, hazard mitigation
plans address only natural hazards. Planners should
consult other documents, such as Threat and Hazard
Identification and Risk Assessments (THIRAs),
22
that
have been completed by States, regions, tribes, and
some communities for additional threat and hazard
information. Other risk assessment documents, such as critical infrastructure assessment plans, and current
conditions of a community should also be considered when identifying a comprehensive list of hazards.
Some planning documents may focus only on short-term impacts. The recovery planning process must
ensure that long-term impacts and consequences are considered. Plans such as regional Comprehensive
Economic Development Strategies
23
provide a broader view of risks and consequences.
These existing documents provide detailed information to assist in identifying potential impacts from
threats or hazards. Reviewing these plans helps planners throughout the recovery planning process
to identify threats and hazards, and will also serve as a baseline for determining existing roles and
responsibilities, and existing policy and capability gaps. Examples of existing documents to review and
consider include:
22
CPG 201 can also assist in identifying threats or risks that may not be addressed in a local mitigation plan.
23
The Economic Development Administration has updated the Community Economic Development Strategies requirements to include a section on resilience and
recovery planning http://restoreyoureconomy.org/recovery/post-disaster-planning-for-economic-recovery/
Know Your Community
The key to determining risks, impacts, and
consequences is to know your community and
understand what denes your community’s identity.
Using existing data that may be available in local
planning documents or from local community
organizations, identify and map all community
features, attributes, community makeup, people,
and assets (social, political, nancial, infrastructure,
public and private sector, institutional, etc.).
Understanding these community features will assist
the hazard identication process and provide a
more thorough understanding of resources at the
community’s disposal. You should examine previous
disaster events and their impacts and communicate
to the planning team any community insights from
these previous disasters.
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• Emergency operations plans
• Local hazard mitigation plans, including risk
assessments
• State hazard mitigation plan
• Tribal hazard mitigation plan(s)
• THIRAs
• CRS documentation
• Floodplain management regulations and
policies
• Continuity of operations plans
• Local agency program operations/guidelines
• Local or county comprehensive plans or
master plans
• Capital improvement or facilities plans
• Regional transportation plans
• Local or regional Comprehensive Economic
Development Strategies
• Climate action plans
• Resiliency plans
• Community visioning document or
statement(s)
• Sector or facility-specific disaster mitigation,
recovery, or preparedness plans (i.e., plans for
schools, child care facilities, and hospitals)
Identify Impacts and Community Consequences
Understanding the community’s risks and possible
direct, indirect, long-term, and systematic impacts
will provide a foundation for the pre-disaster
recovery planning process. The collaborative
planning team assembled in Key Activity One
should use the risk assessment information and
the existing plans to conduct additional analysis
to identify the broad range of recovery-specific
impacts and consequences. Understanding impacts
allows members of the planning team to focus
recovery planning efforts and to determine
potential capability gaps according to sector-specific
impacts.
Recovery team members evaluate risks and impacts to
affected areas.
Considerations for conducting an assessment of
impacts and community consequences include:
• Identifying potential direct impacts to major
community assets and systems, such as:
Community and regional economy, small
and large business
Museums, historic sites, and other cultural
resources
Environmental resources and protected
natural areas
Infrastructure systems
Social and community fabric
Affordable and accessible housing
Critical infrastructure systems and the
cascading impacts that the loss of such
systems may have on other aspects of the
community
• Identifying potential indirect impacts, such as:
Business disruptions from relocation of
workforce and/or customer populations
or inaccessibility, and other cascading
economic impacts
Access to services such as health care,
public transportation, grocery stores, day
care and schools
24
If the community does not have a hazard mitigation plan, refer to the State Mitigation Plan and contact the State Hazard Mitigation Ofcer for more information.
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Population shifts
Household pets, service animals, and
livestock
• Identifying local government and other
organizations that will have an increased
workload as a result of the disaster (e.g.,
increased demand for social services, need for
building inspectors and permitting).
• Considering impacts and consequences
for individuals with disabilities and others
with access and functional needs; those
from religious, racial, and ethnically diverse
backgrounds; children and teens; people with
limited English proficiency; and those who
may be underserved or may not normally
participate in or contribute to public outreach
efforts. Consider ways to communicate with
and involve members of the community
in the recovery process (such as displaced
residents), ensuring accessible formats.
• Developing a baseline recovery scenario based
on expected impacts to identify recovery
consequences and issues to be used during
the next Key Activity.
Using information collected and analyzed in this
step, the collaborative planning team should hold
community meetings or workshops, accessible to
stakeholders and all members of the community, to
evaluate risks and discuss impacts.
It is important to look at the interdependencies
and connections among the identified impacts and
highlight to all participants the ramifications of
the indirect, cascading, and long-term impacts of a
disaster across the community. This understanding
motivates not only a stronger commitment to
participate in a recovery process, but also a
stronger interest in taking mitigation actions in
advance to reduce losses and lessen those potential
consequences. Collectively, understanding the
potential impacts, and taking steps to reduce
potential losses and consequences, helps improve
community resilience.
Case Example: Financial Risk - Colorado
Springs, CO
In its 2012 risk analysis, the City of Colorado Springs
focused on fund reserves for a city affected by
signicant forest res earlier that year. In 2013,
the city gave the disaster-impacted area additional
scrutiny because of new post-disaster threats of
ooding and mud slides due to the destruction
of protective vegetation. Whereas the estimated
(unreimbursed) disaster cost to the municipality,
$3.75 million, was considered a manageable
expense to be covered by special reserve funds,
the infrastructure costs to upgrade the stormwater
management system to handle increased runoff
may be much higher—in the range of $10 million.
This example highlights the interrelated aspect of
hazard mitigation planning as part of a city-wide risk
management strategy and having the foresight to
anticipate unbudgeted expenses through the use of a
reserve account.
Seek Peers from Nearby or Regional
Communities
Community leaders and ofcials from communities
that have experienced a signicant disaster can
be a powerful resource to the planning team and
community at-large in grasping the consequences
and challenges for long-term recovery. Planners
may want to reach out to emergency management
networks as well as state-wide associations in other
key professions to identify peers with valuable
experience, such as a municipal league; association
of towns, cities, or counties; the APA; city and county
managers associations; association of regional
planning commissions; the State Hazard Mitigation
Ofcer; State-level VOAD, Chamber of Commerce; or
Indian Tribal governments to name a few.
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IX. Step 3 – Determine Goals and
Objectives
Core Capabilities
The National Preparedness System denes eight
Core Capabilities applicable broadly to disaster
recovery at all levels of government:
• Planning
• Public Information and Warning
• Operational Coordination
• Economic Recovery
• Health and Social Services
• Housing
• Infrastructure Systems
• Natural and Cultural Resources
These Core Capabilities are described in further
detail in the National Disaster Recovery Framework.
As outlined in CPG 101 Step 3, the planning team will begin to
establish the mission, priorities, goals, and objectives based on the
threats, hazards, and risks that face the community. Key Activity
Four focuses this step on important aspects of recovery, specifically
directing the planning team to evaluate a community’s ability to
address recovery needs and establish appropriate targets, goals, and
objectives based on the community’s capacity.
KEY ACTIVITY FOUR: ASSESS COMMUNITY’S
CAPACITY AND IDENTIFY CAPABILITY
TARGETS
Timeline: Months 1 to 6
Based on the risk assessment and identified recovery
impacts and consequences, Key Activity Four, which
aligns with Step 3 of CPG 101, helps the collaborative
planning team evaluate the community’s ability to
address the recovery consequences. This evaluation
of recovery capacity can be framed around the eight
Core Capabilities that apply to the Recovery Mission
Area, as well as the Mitigation Core Capabilities
that address integration of community resilience.
Suggested questions for community self-assessment,
framed around the cross-cutting Recovery Core
Capabilities, are included in Table 3. Completing
this evaluation and comparing identified needs
to established roles and existing community
resources allows the community to identify gaps.
Understanding capacity gaps will then serve as
the basis for resource and partnership decisions
throughout the recovery planning process, while understanding
strengths will allow the community to leverage its existing resources
and expertise. Table 3 lists capacity assessment questions related to
recovery core capabilities.
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Table 3 Capacity Assessment Questions for Recovery Core Capabilities
Core Capability Questions for Capacity Assessment
PLANNING CORE
CAPABILITY
•
•
How will your local government and partners implement a post-disaster recovery process
that structures, coordinates, and communicates major community decisions, actions, and
investments, and where necessary apply a formal post-disaster community recovery planning
process?
How will your community be able to ensure community stakeholders participate in shaping the
community-wide recovery, providing input to key decisions and plans?
OPERATIONAL
COORDINATION
CORE CAPABILITY
•
•
•
How will your local government implement a LDRM role or functions across appropriate elements
of local government? Local government should be able to orchestrate and manage local
government redevelopment actions and planning and recovery projects, as well as coordinate
local government with private-sector and nongovernment recovery and reconstruction activities?
How will your local government establish linkages with regional, State, and Federal entities and
other appropriate private-sector, nongovernmental, and nonprot partners?
How will your local government identify, prioritize, and proactively obtain resources to fund and
enable recovery actions on behalf of all actors in the community?
PUBLIC
INFORMATION AND
WARNING CORE
CAPABILITY
• How will your local government ensure adequate public information, communication,
inclusiveness, and information sharing in accessible formats throughout the phases of recovery?
All stakeholders should be informed of permitting requirements, opportunities, resources,
activities, and progress in recovery. Communications should be accessible to all populations in
the community.
HEALTH AND
SOCIAL SERVICES
•
•
At a time of increased need for governmental effort, resources, and staff after a disaster,
how will the local government surge and maintain stafng in key areas that support recovery
planning, operational coordination, public information, and implementation of the other
capabilities (housing, economic, health and social services, natural and cultural resources,
and infrastructure), and carry out overall long-term management of various aspects of recovery
activities?
How will hazard risks be considered throughout recovery, with risk reduction and resiliency
measures integrated into recovery actions, investments, and decisions?
The team should also to consider identifying additional capabilities or needs that may be relevant to
recovery in the community. Additional capabilities should include formal capabilities from the mitigation
mission area, such as Community Resilience, or capabilities that do not appear in the National Preparedness
Goal (such as individual and family empowerment or volunteer management) but are very important to the
community.
General questions for additional consideration when assessing community capacity include:
• What must be done to ensure that the necessary resources to carry out a post-disaster coordination,
planning, and management process are identified and available? Are additional partners, technical
expertise, funding, or other resources required? How can the community address each of the
Recovery Core Capabilities and any additional needs during an actual recovery process?
• What are the indicators of successful recovery? How does the community define a successful
recovery? For example, would a certain percentage of homes need to be rebuilt or rehabilitated?
A certain percentage of businesses or schools? Would stabilized local revenues indicate successful
recovery? Is an increased level of resilience or mitigation of risk a priority outcome?
• How well do the other elements of local government outside emergency management fully
understand the workload, activities, and needs associated with their roles in recovery?
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Evaluate Planning and Regulatory Strengths and Weaknesses
Those involved in the pre-disaster recovery planning process should inventory and review current policies
and regulations that relate to recovery operations or other potential post-disaster community development
activities. Careful consideration is needed to evaluate whether these policies and regulations work to
support, or could potentially hinder, post-disaster recovery. Additionally, policies and regulations that could
potentially conflict with one another should be considered at this point. Documents to consider include:
The issuance of building permits is often an area that
challenges the capacity as well as the policies of a
local government after disaster. Be ready with surge
capacity and communicate permitting requirements to
property owners.
• Local ordinances (zoning ordinances,
subdivision regulations, building codes, ADA
accessibility guidelines, and others)
• Planning documents, such as:
Required local hazard mitigation plan;,
Comprehensive or land use plans
Capital improvements plans
Fixed transportation and para-transit plans
Small area development plans
Emergency preparedness and response
plans
Some questions to consider when conducting this
review include:
• What current State policies and regulations would encourage or inhibit recovery activities?
• Are there financial, staffing, or other constraints that affect the community’s ability to develop or
update policies and regulations?
• What local, regional, tribal, or State policy, planning, or intergovernmental conflicts might be
significant in the event of a major disaster? Is the local policy, plan, or coordination process adequate
to address this limitation or does it conflict in a post-disaster environment? Is the magnitude of
possible rebuilding considered in these activities?
Policies from other levels of government that may impact local recovery efforts (e.g., State policies) should
be referenced to ensure that local recovery can take place without violating those policies. For example,
some States are “Dillon Rule” States, whereby local governments can only exercise authority expressly
granted by the State. In the context of pre-disaster recovery planning, communities in “Dillon Rule” States
need to coordinate with State counterparts to determine responsibilities and authorities post-disaster. If
there is any doubt about the legality of a recovery action such as the development of a recovery ordinance,
local stakeholders should work with their town, city, or county attorney to de-conflict policies and
procedures.
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Evaluate Local Organizational and Staff Resources Available
Inevitably, recovery operations create an increased workload for partners. During pre-disaster recovery
planning efforts, it is critical that partner agencies and organizations evaluate their staffing resources.
This evaluation will serve to not only identify gaps in staffing quantity or expertise, but will also identify
strengths and capacities of various partners. For example, expertise related to community development,
housing, community planning, social services, disability access, historic preservation, identifying funding
sources, grant writing, public administration, and financial management are particularly important in
developing a robust pre-disaster recovery plan.
Some questions to consider when evaluating staff resources include:
• What staffing resources are available to assist with the increased workload associated with recovery
activities?
• Does current staff have subject matter expertise necessary to undertake recovery activities, develop
new programs, or organize complex long-term projects?
• Do all city departments fully understand their roles in recovery and redevelopment?
• What organizational structures already exist within partner organizations to manage recovery?
Are there long-term recovery organizations or committees to coordinate those NGOs supporting
individuals and families, to manage volunteers and donations, or to use nontraditional assets? What
community leadership is available to lead recovery efforts, within local government and among
external organizations?
Evaluate Financial Strengths and Weaknesses
Recovering from a disaster costs money. Partner agencies and the community as a whole must consider a
community’s normal tax base in conjunction with the post-disaster potential loss of tax base, and increased
government operational costs. The costs of recovery management and activities should be considered as
well. As financial aspects of disaster recovery are evaluated, some questions to consider include:
• What current local government and NGO
financial resources are available to use for
potential recovery activities?
• Are contingency plans available for continuity
of the operation of local government and/
or NGOs over an extended period of time?
Specifically, are mechanisms in place for
emergency funding and procurement after a
disaster?
• Are financial reserves available to address
potential risks? What is the ability of the local
government and NGOs to apply for grants,
establish lines of credit, or secure other funds
needed for recovery?
Case Example: Financial Mechanisms to
Support Housing Recovery Earthquake
Recovery - Northridge, CA
A key resource for the rebuilding of housing after the
1994 Northridge Earthquake was the tax exempt
mortgage revenue bond resource available from the
Private Activity Bond allocation from the Internal
Revenue Code (from U.S. Department of Treasury).
The City was able to negotiate with the State to
target a substantial amount of bond authority for
their “Loans to Lenders” program to enable Home
Savings and other lenders to nance repairs in rental
properties that were “underwater” as a result of the
early 1990s recession, and had been rejected by the
Small Business Administration. A state agency that
handles the annual allocation of tax-exempt private
activity bond authority needs to be exible to help
localities with specic post-disaster recovery needs.
Are nancing mechanisms available locally, or barriers
in State law or operations that could be modied to
facilitate recovery?
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Evaluate Communication and Outreach Strengths and Weaknesses
As discussed above, effective pre-disaster recovery planning is based on inclusive partnerships and
considerations of the whole community. Communication and outreach strategies are the foundation of
developing inclusive partnerships and taking a holistic approach to both pre- and post-disaster recovery
planning. Pre-disaster, local governments and their partner agencies should identify their plans and
resources available to conduct outreach. Attention should be paid to identify strategies to effectively
communicate with seniors, people with disabilities, people with access and functional needs, people with
religious, racial and ethnically diverse backgrounds, and people with limited English proficiency.
Questions for consideration when evaluating strengths and weaknesses include:
• What capabilities does the community have
to involve residents and other stakeholders in
recovery planning?
• What capabilities does the community have
to educate residents and other stakeholders
about the importance of recovery planning and
preparedness?
• What capabilities does the community have to
communicate with community members after
a disaster and to engage them in coordinated
recovery activities?
• What relationships does the community have
with organizations that can assist with recovery
planning and implementation?
Information should be collected in an organized manner to help maintain a clear understanding of the
community’s capabilities. To assist with this, a Recovery Capability Documentation Template Worksheet is
provided in Appendix F. Understanding strengths and weaknesses enables the community to determine what
additional partnerships may be required, such as NGOs or other levels of government, to improve strengths
and weaknesses. The information in this section (particularly the identification of resource gaps) will assist
the planning team in identifying new partners to engage. Building partnerships is an ongoing activity that
ought to be regularly revisited to ensure maximum partnership and community engagement in the process.
Community stakeholders participate in recovery
planning meetings.
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Case Example: Assessing Capacity Throughout the Process - Panama City, FL, and New
York, NY
While an initial capacity assessment is needed to successfully launch the recovery planning process, it is important to
continuously evaluate capacity to provide current feedback and information for the future.
In Panama City, FL, assessments of institutional capacity carried out during the planning process noted a number of
issues that were successfully addressed. One issue was that coordination between participating agencies on recovery-
related subjects had been limited in the past. To address this during the planning process, emphasis was placed on
dening how post-disaster roles and responsibilities could be best coordinated. This additional work was successful
in developing a strong foundation for recovery but did affect the schedule for the overall planning process. For more
information, read Panama City Post-Disaster Redevelopment Plan (PDRP) Case Study, 6.
25
Information on capacity gaps can also be identied through a review of past recovery activities. When reviewing
its response to Hurricane Sandy, New York City found that the large number of volunteers and unsolicited material
donations overwhelmed the non-prot organizations that were helping the city coordinate this assistance.2 In its
recommendations, the city noted the need to improve its processes for pre-identifying partners assisting with this work,
so that adequate capacity is available to address both the scale of these resources and the need to distribute them
over large geographical areas.
26
25
Available at http://www.oridadisaster.org/Recovery/IndividualAssistance/pdredevelopmentplan/documents/Toolbox/CaseStudyPanamaCity.pdf.
26
For more information, read the City of New York’s Hurricane Sandy After Action Report, pp. 29-30. Available at http://www.nyc.gov/html/recovery/downloads/pdf/
sandy_aar_5.2.13.pdf.
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X. Step 4 – Plan Development
CPG 101 Step 4 outlines strategies for developing, analyzing, and comparing possible solutions for
achieving goals and objectives. Key Activities Five and Six outline recovery-specific decisions that should
be made during the pre-disaster planning process, such as leadership, resources, organizational roles, and
responsibilities.
KEY ACTIVITY FIVE: DETERMINE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AND DEFINE OPERATIONS
NECESSARY FOR POST-DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
EFFORTS
Timeline: Months 3 to 9
To have the right people in place to implement recovery post-disaster, it is important to determine which
positions and applicable skills are necessary. The following sections outline some decisions that must be made
during the pre-disaster recovery planning process to prepare a community for post-disaster recovery activities.
As explained in CPG 101 Step 4 (the step with which this Key Activity aligns) pre-disaster recovery
leadership and operations solutions should be carefully developed, analyzed, and compared before a
decision is made. CPG 101 provides general guidance on conducting this analysis.
Determine Leadership
The first major leadership decision that planners and community leadership must make is the identification
of a LDRM. The LDRM, as defined in the NDRF, organizes, coordinates, and advances recovery at the local
level. This position has both pre- and post- disaster responsibilities. The person in this position requires
knowledge of the community, relationships with other local leadership, the ability to pull a team together
to develop a long-range vision, strong communication skills, and knowledge and experience in community
planning. Additionally, an effective LDRM needs to have the following general qualities:
• Authority: The ability to direct and execute
recovery. As noted in FEMA’s Effective Coordination
of Recovery Resources for State, Tribal, Territorial and
Local Incidents,
27
the LDRM will need to have
the authority and influence to convene and
coordinate recovery stakeholders while
emergency managers continue with disaster
response.
28
This requires support from senior
leadership for recovery. The LDRM should be
respected and recognized as a leader across as
many sectors of the community as possible.
Galveston, TX, mayor and city council preside at a city
recovery plan meeting after Hurricane Ike.
27
FEMA, Effective Coordination of Recovery Resources for State, Tribal, Territorial, and Local Incidents (2015), https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/
documents/101940.
28
Section 2 (Leading the Recovery Coordination Process” of Effective Coordination of Recovery Resources for State, Tribal, Territorial and Local Incidents).
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• Accountability: Recovery leadership must be accountable to the stakeholders of the community and
those that empowered them to manage recovery in the first place.
• Attitude: Recovery leadership must understand that recovery is a long-term endeavor involving many
stakeholders, each with their own interests, needs, opinions, and resources. Being persistent but
patient in working with local stakeholders and other partners is critical to managing the recovery
process.
• Aptitude: The ability to think strategically over the long-term about recovery needs, the ability to
be flexible in using nontraditional approaches and resources, and an understanding about how to
leverage resources and bring about stakeholder consensus are all necessary in an effective LDRM.
Strong leadership is critical for successful recovery, so the identification of such leadership must be a high
priority. A strong leader makes securing partnerships easier, in part because the community will be able to
demonstrate that it has put time, thought, and talent into preparing for recovery. The LDRM ought to also
have the relationships and expertise necessary to ensure that recovery activities are closely coordinated with
response and mitigation efforts. Partnerships across the various mission areas need to be made long before
a disaster.
Case Example: Establishing Leadership Roles - Beaufort County, SC
Under Beaufort County’s Disaster Recovery Plan, existing county ofcials are given responsibility for managing long-term
recovery activities (as well as short-term recovery and response activities):
• The County Administrator oversees recovery activities and is responsible for establishing recovery policies and
procedures.
• The Deputy Administrator for Public Services and Land Management serves as the Disaster Recovery Coordinator.
• The County Administrator for Public Services and Land Management and the Deputy Administrator for Community
Services are responsible for recovery operations and coordination. Each of these positions coordinates recovery
a
ctivities for the agencies they regularly oversee.
• A Recovery Task Force, staffed by representatives of county agencies as well as some outside organizations, provides
advice and assists with coordination.
T
his approach to dening leadership roles facilitates involvement of high-level ofcials as needed while not burdening
them with responsibility for day-to-day operations. It also facilitates input from the complete range of agencies that will
be involved in recovery. If applied in other communities, it may be necessary to adjust this approach to best t the size
and form of local government.
29
29
For more information about Beaufort County’s Disaster Recovery Plan, visit http://www.bcso.net/Emergency%20Management/Plans/Disaster%20Recovery%20
Plan.pdf.
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Develop an Organizational Structure
After the LDRM has been selected, planners must
decide which agencies and organizations will serve in
lead roles and which will provide support during the
post-disaster recovery process.
Creation of a recovery management office may be
appropriate depending on the potential complexity of
the recovery or the structure of the city government.
The APA report Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery: Next
Generation provides detailed recommendations (see
pages 57–59 of that report) for integrating such an
office that would focus on four objectives:
• Offering a foundation for preparation of a
recovery plan that anticipates as clearly as
possible pre- and post-disaster recovery needs,
as well as short- and long-term recovery
requirements
• Providing an administrative umbrella for
recovery management under which both
short-term emergency-related and long-term
development-related recovery initiatives can be coordinated
• Creating an action-oriented organizational venue for kick-starting effective short-term recovery
initiatives and actions
• Coordinating short-term recovery initiatives and actions with visioning, exploration of options, and
public policy making more characterized by long-term recovery for rebuilding.
Examples of governmental agencies that may have a role in supporting recovery efforts include the local
planning department, regional planning organizations, environmental and historic preservation offices,
health department, department of economic development, public works, housing and community
development, department of social services, zoning and building code department, the public school
system, and area colleges and universities.
30
The Relevance of Regionalism for
Recovery Management
For smaller communities with limited capabilities to
manage recovery on their own, designated recovery
leaders should be regional leaders. The LDRM does
not have to represent a single jurisdiction, but can
represent a region consisting of small towns and
rural counties, and in the wake of disaster, lead
a coordinated recovery effort that benets the
entire region. Regional cooperation also allows
communities to demonstrate a critical mass of
disaster-impacted people, infrastructure, housing,
businesses, etc. that will attract more collective
resources than individual communities competing for
the same resources.
Regionalism also comes with challenges—mainly,
the coordination of individual communities that may
have different needs and different policies. The
regional approach is a strategic one when it comes
to recovery management, but requires additional
coordination, relationship building, and the ability to
inspire unity of effort.
Case Example: A Regional Approach to Recovery - Chambers County, TX
When Hurricane Ike struck Chambers County, TX, much of its infrastructure and services were destroyed. Chambers
County is rural, home to a population of almost 30,000 over nearly 600 square miles of land. It comprises small towns
with populations up to 5,000 people. When Chambers County decided to create a stronger, more resilient community,
it took a regional county-wide approach that incorporated stakeholders from all of its towns. Chambers County created
the Chambers County Recovery Team (ChaRT), which comprised representatives from all parts of the county and from
various community sectors. This regionalist approach promoted unity of effort by merging the capacity and capabilities
of multiple communities into one collective effort.
31
30
Additional information about recovery roles of various agencies can be found in the APA document Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery: Next Generation, available
at https://www.planning.org/research/postdisaster/.
31
For more information, read the Chambers County, TX, Long-Term Community Recovery Plan. Available at http://www.tbrpc.org/tampabaycatplan/pdf/resource_
docs/case_studies/Chambers_TX_LTRPlan.pdf.
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Decisions need to be made as to how local government will work with and leverage the capabilities of
NGOs and other partners. One significant mechanism used for coordination by NGOs that focus on
local disaster recovery is the establishment of a long-term recovery group. If one does not exist, the local
government needs to be a proponent to establish such an organization and then define the coordination
points.
Figure 9 illustrates a generalized post-disaster structure that basically addresses roles of community
leadership, coordination, and planning, as well as links to outside resources.
Figure 9 Post-disaster Local Planning Structure
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Create Sector-Specific Coordinator Positions
In addition to leadership, other positions need to be identified in the recovery organization. These positions
should be coordinators associated with key areas of community recovery. These coordinators may be
drawn from local government staff or other recovery partners. In organizing these key areas, it is helpful
to consider aligning core roles and capabilities with key community needs. In addition to the expertise
required as part of their normal duties, coordinators would also be the primary points of contact for
recovery in that subject area and would provide updates and other situational awareness to the LDRM. The
Core Capabilities, listed below and discussed in detail above, can be used as a framework and modified to
meet the community’s situations both pre- and post-disaster.
The Importance of Drawing on Others’
Expertise
A local housing expert may understand affordable
and accessible housing and the need for it within
the community (e.g., affordable price ranges and
locations), while the LDRM may not have that specic
knowledge. Ofcials with specic expertise should
support the LDRM to ensure successful recovery.
Other organizations may also need to support recovery
by assuming leadership roles and representing their
constituents in a way that ensures that the recovery
process is inclusive and community driven.
• Operational Coordination (LDRM)
• Recovery Planning
• Public Information
• Economic Recovery
• Health and Social Services
• Housing Recovery
• Infrastructure Systems
• Natural and Cultural Resources
Beyond the Core Capabilities, other categories for
sector-specific positions could include:
• Individual and Family Recovery
• Hazard Mitigation and Resilience
• Volunteer Coordination
• Children and Youth
• Accessibility or ADA Coordination
When assigning personnel to recovery positions,
it is important to consider and follow local
protocols and procedures; planners must consider
how appointments and assignments of staff must
take place. Recovery committee(s), stakeholder
group(s), and existing task forces or committees
can be used as appropriate when determining the
sector-specific structure that a community will
use. Communities with limited staff may want
to take a regional approach, or look to county or
regional governments for assistance in coordinating
activities.
Case Example: Joplin Child Care Task
Force - Joplin, MO
The May 2011 tornado in Joplin destroyed or
damaged more than 25 child care centers, impacting
slots for more than 600 children. Because the
availability of child care services also impacted
parents’ ability to work and begin repairs, the Joplin
Child Care Task Force was formed to address issues
for that specic sector. This group worked to meet
the needs of families after normal child care services
were disrupted by the tornado.
32
32
For more information, see the Administration for Children and Families’ Children and Youth Task Force in Disasters: Guidelines for Development. https://www.acf.
hhs.gov/sites/default/les/ohsepr/childrens_task_force_development_web.pdf.
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Determine Sources of Additional Resources, Technical and Administrative Support
Individuals representing different sectors will support the sector-specific coordinators as subject matter
experts in their particular fields. The pre-disaster recovery planning process presents the opportunity to
identify sources of expertise in subjects including recovery planning, resource management, fundraising,
public outreach, partnership engagement, project implementation, and coordination with State, tribal, and
Federal government agencies.
The identification, acquisition, and coordination of resources play a significant role in post-disaster
recovery. Resources employed to facilitate recovery may include shared information (such as data,
intelligence, and key stakeholders contacts), technical assistance, subject matter expertise, and funding
mechanisms (such as existing financial reserves, grants, and loans). Planners can also look to the Effective
Coordination of Recovery Resources for State, Tribal, Territorial, and Local Incidents guide for more detailed information
specific to recovery resource identification, management, and coordination. A lack of resource coordination
among recovery participants can lead to conflicts and inefficiencies.
After recovery leadership positions and their responsibilities are determined, it is also important to identify
general administrative coordination and planning activities that occur during a recovery process. This is
a prerequisite for all other recovery planning activities and is a key component of a pre-disaster recovery
plan. Some of these administrative activities can be addressed in a recovery ordinance (Appendix D),
discussed in Key Activity Six.
Discussion Point: Recovery Committees, Stakeholder Groups, and Existing Task Forces
Existing task forces or groups of stakeholders may already be formed and could be utilized to establish recovery
committees. As a result of the U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Investment Act programs, there may be an
existing collaborative local task force focused on the issues and needs of youth and adult workers (including single
parents, people with disabilities, and others with access and functional needs). Similarly, under the Federal Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families program, there may be an existing local task force concerned with issues and needs
of welfare recipients that could address those needs for that sub-population group or for the social services sector
in general. There may also be existing school facility planning groups that can address needs at schools. The Local
Emergency Planning Committee can also address environmental disasters. Existing committees, groups, or task forces
can be resources for technical assistance for local governments.
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Define Recovery Operations Guidelines and Strategies
After positions have been determined within the
recovery organization, operating guidelines and
strategies must be established to ensure effective
communication and coordination that will fully
meet the needs of the community. Agencies serving
in lead roles as a sector-specific coordinator need
to work with their respective supporting agencies
and partners to determine their own operational
strategies. Careful consideration of existing
statues, policies, and regulations will be required
during this phase of the planning process. Defined
guidelines and strategies vary from sector-to-sector
and from community-to-community. In a pre-
disaster planning process, coming to an agreement
ahead of time about coordination mechanisms and
strategies facilitates more efficient and effective post-
disaster activities.
Develop a Process for Notifying and Engaging Recovery Partners in Preparation for or Immediately after a Disaster
Creating a chain of communication and pre-determined location(s) for convening partners enables
recovery planning and implementation to be initiated in a timely manner. Use of technology for virtual
coordination and information sharing can be considered. Not every emergency will require a robust
recovery organization, which means planners need to take steps in a pre-disaster context to determine
what situations would require the recovery organization to take action. Care should be taken in this step to
clearly delineate responsibility for leading the engagement of recovery partners either in preparation for,
or immediately after a disaster has occurred. These communications must be accessible to partners with
disabilities or access and functional needs to ensure inclusiveness of the whole community.
Prepare a Process for Gathering Damage Information and Assessing Impacts to Evaluate and Support Recovery Activities
through the Long-Term
One of the first post-disaster recovery activities is to assess damage and gather information. While each
disaster impacts a community in a different way, steps can be taken during the pre-disaster planning
process to establish information sharing practices. Emergency managers and responders may be a source of
initial impact information immediately after a disaster has occurred. The full range of partners identified
through the planning process will assist with preparing a broader and longer-term statement of impact
needs. Sector-specific coordinators and other community leaders should identify, pre-disaster, what sorts
of information they need and how best to obtain that information. Consideration must also be given to
data collection mechanisms and long-term impact analysis. Information sharing and analysis processes
should be considered with partners from all sectors to ensure that the products can be used by all partners
involved in the recovery process.
Historic buildings and districts and other cultural
resources should be factored into pre-disaster and
post-disaster priorities.
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Many options exist for information collection, analysis, and sharing; what works for one community may
not work for another. Local governments may also want to consider the use of tools and software to assist
in completing these tasks. While the specific execution of an information gathering and sharing strategy
will likely need to be addressed post-disaster, preliminary decisions can be made pre-disaster in regards to
who is responsible for data management and what partners can provide pertinent community information.
Develop Guidelines for Recovery-Related Public Communications
Coordinated messaging is a challenge in any
portion of a disaster. In recovery specifically,
information for citizens can be complex, confusing,
and even conflicting. The recovery organization
needs a defined position dedicated to ensuring
that information related to the recovery effort is
being effectively communicated to the public in
accessible formats. Specifically, the planning team
should determine who is responsible for delivering
effective public communication, how this will be
accomplished, how often, in what formats, and
for what purposes. To the extent possible, it is
important to be transparent in informing the public
so that expectations can be identified in advance,
properly addressed, and clarified. Transparency
helps to build public confidence in the recovery effort.
Develop Strategies for Tracking the Needs of Individuals and Families and Connecting Them with Recovery Support Resources
(Referred to as “Disaster Case Management”)
The primary goal of disaster recovery operations is to address the needs of survivors and communities.
Recovery planners should develop holistic, pre-disaster recovery plans and strategies, based on potential
disaster scenarios, to address both disaster-caused and pre-existing, ongoing social service and community
development needs. These plans and strategies should include a comprehensive disaster case management
process that integrates technological solutions as well as tracks and matches survivors and available
resources, develops individual disaster recovery plans, and provides referrals and advocacy services.
Whole-community recovery includes disaster case management for individual recovery and efforts to
rebuild community infrastructure. Both approaches require strong partnerships among government, local
community, NGO, and private-sector stakeholders and are key for survivor recovery.
NGO-led disaster case management has been the cornerstone of recovery for more than 40 years. In 2006,
FEMA was authorized to develop and implement a disaster case management program when Congress
enacted the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, with States including Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey,
and New York implementing disaster case management under FEMA grants. Working under their own
missions, NGOs continue to provide disaster case management services to survivors and training to
practitioners.
33
A variety of public recovery communications were
used in Greensburg, KS, following a destructive
tornado.
33
The National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) website contains disaster case management tools developed by subject matter experts: National
Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster: http://www.nvoad.org/; Disaster Case Management Points of Consensus: http://www.nvoad.org/wp-content/uploads/
dlm_uploads/2014/04/POC_CaseManagement_Final1.pdf; Disaster Case Management Guidelines: http://www.nvoad.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2014/04/
dcm_guidelines_-_nal_-_2012_-_feb.pdf
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Case Example: Long-Term Recovery Group Roles - Greater New Orleans, LA
After Hurricane Katrina, each impacted parish developed its own long-term recovery group. Four of them chose to work
together on processes, forms, trainings, sharing information, and sharing an Unmet Needs Roundtable where funders
collaborated to serve cases presented by disaster case managers. They also worked together through committees that
addressed traditional long-term recovery group topics, such as Disaster Case Management, Donations Management,
Rebuilding Coordination, and Emotional and Spiritual Care. At the height of the recovery effort, this coordination through
the Greater New Orleans Disaster Recovery Partnership had 70 agencies regularly participating, many of which were
National VOAD members or their afliates. For more information on the formation of long-term recovery groups, please
see the National VOAD Long-Term Recovery Guide and other helpful resources at www.nvoad.org.
Identify Strategies for Securing and Managing Financial Resources
After the evaluation of financial strengths and weaknesses in the previous Key Activity, the planning team
will need to develop strategies for filling identified financing gaps. Financial resources to consider include
both grants and low-interest loans. It is important to be aware that loans may be necessary to support
recovery, especially in cases where grants and similar funds are not available or do not fully support
recovery needs. Financial resources are not only needed for individuals and families, but for businesses
and various sectors of the government as well. Many potential post-disaster funding sources can be pre-
identified.
Identify Strategies and Processes for Engaging with State-Level Recovery Structure and Variety of State, Tribal, and Federal
Agencies
Most States have a recovery leadership and coordination structure that addresses the recovery Core
Capabilities. Some States may have a structure that includes a function for assistance to and outreach to local
recovery entities and organizations. During pre-disaster recovery planning, the mechanism for coordinating
with external partners, such as State government agencies and departments, and Federal resources, should
be identified. Local governments may elect to have a position within the local recovery organization that
works directly with the State or may choose to have State and local resources that work in similar functional
areas collaborate directly. The pre-disaster recovery plan should also identify existing relationships between
local departments and State and Federal agencies, and ought to identify strategies for leveraging and
coordinating those relationships in a post-disaster environment. These relationships, as well as the strategies
for engagement that are identified pre-disaster vary greatly among local communities.
Case Example: Structuring Post-Disaster Operations - Fairfax County, VA
Fairfax County, one of the rst jurisdictions in the United States to develop a disaster recovery plan under the NDRF,
modeled its recovery organization structure on the NDRF.
After a disaster, the Fairfax County Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan would guide the establishment of a temporary Recovery
Agency, led by a Recovery Coordinator / LDRM and Recovery Policy Advisory Board. Depending on the scope and scale
of the disaster, one or more RSF Branches would be activated under agency leadership and assigned responsibility for
addressing recovery objectives.
Using the NDRF as an operational model is an approach that any community can take. This method provides a number of
benets, including improved partner agency coordination. The full plan and additional information is available on Fairfax
County’s website: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem/pdrp/.
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KEY ACTIVITY SIX: ESTABLISH PROCESSES FOR POST-DISASTER DECISION-MAKING
AND POLICY SETTING
Timeline: Months 3 to 9
In addition to establishing an effective organizational structure with all of the necessary agencies and
partners, stakeholders and participants in recovery must also establish leadership principles and a decision-
making process. Similar to Key Activity Five, the decisions that relate to post-disaster decision-making
processes and priority-setting should be made using CPG 101 Step 4 as a guide.
With likely threats and hazards in mind, the pre-disaster recovery planning team will need to determine
what goals, priorities, and policies can be established prior to a potential disaster. While priorities for
short-, intermediate-, and long-term recovery established pre-disaster are ideal in helping to facilitate and
inform post-disaster decision-making, the impacts of a disaster vary, and therefore some decisions, policies,
and procedures will be made in the midst of the recovery process. For example, understanding that much
of the community is in a flood zone allows local officials to begin thinking about a relocation plan. The
considerations and decisions related to recovery from a flood are very different from the decisions made in
the wake of an earthquake. However, in both cases, if baseline priorities for leadership addressing short-,
intermediate-, and long-term recovery have been established pre-disaster, the outcomes for the impacted
community will be improved.
Planners must determine a process for making decisions post-disaster. As recovery needs are identified,
there must be a process for making decisions to address those needs. Establishing this decision-making
process guides leadership in allocating limited resources. As the decision-making process is developed
during this Key Activity, it will be helpful to organize decisions through a process that:
• Evaluates the conditions and needs after a disaster
• Sets recovery goals and objectives
• Measures progress against those goals and objectives as well as the process, protocol, and policy
concerning recovery funding
• Ensures there is sufficient input on recovery priorities from key stakeholders and makes sure that
stakeholder outreach is linked to post-disaster decision-making (i.e., the process to involve key
stakeholders pre-disaster is reflected in the post-disaster process)
The processes for enacting post-disaster recovery policies or ordinances should also be established during
pre-disaster recovery planning. Even before a disaster, a person with the responsibility for enacting policies
(including considerations for when policies ought to be enacted and for how long) can be identified.
Disaster recovery may require that certain authorities and policies be in place to initiate and expedite
recovery activities. This helps to compensate for losses in government capacity or significant challenges and
choices after a disaster.
Case Example: Hurricane Floyd in Kinston, NC
After severe ooding from Hurricane Floyd in 1999, Kinston, NC, developed a plan to relocate residents out of the
oodplain. Using Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds, the community bought out properties in a coordinated fashion
that allowed residents to move into the same neighborhoods together. This helped preserve the social and economic
fabric of the community.
34
34
For more information, see https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1515-20490-7614/kinston_cs.pdf.
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The planning team must determine which policies may need to be altered post-disaster to address recovery
needs. Examples of potential policies include expedited zoning and building code compliance review for
rebuilding and expedited procurement or hiring policies. Ordinance language can then be developed to
implement these policies. When drafting policy language, it is important to consider State statutory laws
or authorities that may invalidate or limit the proposed changes. It is also essential to understand the
local government’s post-disaster responsibilities under an adopted Floodplain Management Ordinance for
communities participating in the NFIP.
Roles and responsibilities for those who would be responsible for overseeing these policies also need to
be established pre-disaster. For example, local governments need to determine who would be responsible
for overseeing expediting zoning review and what authorities they must be granted to accomplish their
assignments. Policies should be drafted to ensure that recovery participants will have the authority needed
to execute their responsibilities. Formalizing authority legitimizes the pre-disaster recovery plan and
indicates commitment by local leadership. Authority and responsibility of designated recovery leaders
should also be clearly defined. This step can be accomplished by developing a recovery ordinance, which
grants the recovery organization the authority to implement recovery planning activities after a disaster
strikes. For more information about how to develop an ordinance, see Appendix D of this guide.
Finally, formal approval must be obtained by the governing body for policies and ordinances that have been
developed. Proposed ordinances and the recovery plan can be adopted by the jurisdiction at the same time.
Discussion Point: Recovery Ordinances
A recovery ordinance formally establishes the organizational structure for disaster recovery and denes pre- and post-
disaster regulatory authorities. By adopting an ordinance prior to a disaster, the local jurisdiction will be able to respond
more quickly and effectively.
A typical recovery ordinance authorizes:
• Authority
• A pre-disaster recovery planning organization
• Temporary post-disaster modication of development regulations
• A hazard mitigation program
• Creation of a post-disaster recovery strategy or plan
35
35
For more information, see the Model Recovery Ordinance in APA’s Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery: Next Generation (also see Appendix D).
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XI. Step 5 – Plan Preparation,
Review, and Approval
CPG 101 Step 5 outlines guidance for writing effective plans and explains how information,
documentation, and decisions made in previous steps are consolidated to form a written plan. Key Activities
Seven and Eight discuss the need to draft and approve a written pre-disaster recovery plan, as well as the
need to approve ordinances or regulations associated with the plan.
KEY ACTIVITY SEVEN: WRITE THE LOCAL PRE-DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN
Timeline: Months 6 to 10
Aligning with CPG 101 Step 5, information,
documentation, and decisions from the preceding
Key Activities should be consolidated to formulate
a written local recovery plan. CPG 101 includes
general guidelines for writing effective plans. The
plan must be concise and clearly communicate
the decisions made by the pre-disaster recovery
planning team to operators, partners, and the
public in an accessible format. The plan ultimately
provides a framework for action, accounting for
known pre-disaster issues and resource gaps, and
addresses leadership, partners, priorities, and
polices for recovery.
Figure 10 outlines suggested components or
sections of a written pre-disaster recovery plan.
Further explanation regarding these components is
provided in Appendix E.
Figure 10 Pre-disaster Recovery Plan Components
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KEY ACTIVITY EIGHT: APPROVE THE PRE-DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN AND
ASSOCIATED REGULATIONS
Timeline: Months 8 to 12
Community members should be invited to review and provide feedback ahead of final approval and
publication of the plan. This activity aligns with Step 5 of CPG 101. Public outreach may be accomplished
through a variety of means, including advertising through traditional media outlets, such as newspapers
and radio, and through other nontraditional outreach, including organizational bulletins and social media
websites, such as Facebook and Twitter.
Many communities have used social media as one means of public outreach. While there may be a legal
obligation to use traditional media, supplementing those kinds of outreach efforts with nontraditional
outlets helps ensure that the overall outreach effort is as inclusive as possible. The plan should be made
available by various means (including printed and electronic versions) and in formats accessible to
those with communication access needs. A short summary of the plan and/or plan topics should also be
developed as the plan is finalized to serve as a quick reference.
Notification to the community about this review process may include traditional means, including print
media, as well as nontraditional means, such as social media or other online forums. Public outreach
should be used to determine accessibility needs. Furthermore, planners must be sure to consider the use
of appropriate auxiliary aids and services (e.g., interpreters, captioning, alternate format). It is critical, as
part of this outreach effort, to include representation from the whole community, including children;
individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs; those from religious, racial, and
ethnically diverse backgrounds; and people with limited English proficiency.
Case Example: Ongoing Preparedness – Evaluation of Priorities - Hillsborough County, FL
A key ongoing preparedness activity is strengthening the community’s resilience through pre-disaster planning and
implementation activities. An innovative example of just such an activity is Hillsborough County’s identication of Priority
Redevelopment Areas (PRAs). PRAs are a tool for addressing the county’s foremost redevelopment issue: prioritizing
where rebuilding, reconstruction, and redevelopment will occur after a disaster. The PRA strategy permits redevelopment
priorities to be determined pre-disaster, so that the community’s development vision is well-supported and recovery can
occur quickly and efciently. Exactly how redevelopment is facilitated is based on a pre-disaster gap analysis of each
PRA, but could include incentives, transfer of development rights, specialized permitting procedures, or other methods.
To differentiate PRAs based on their current level of resiliency, two general classes have been dened (each of which
includes multiple subclasses):
Sustainable PRAs are areas that can be sustainably redeveloped at a higher intensity and are a focus of the jurisdiction’s
land use plans. They are considered “sustainable” in the sense that their vulnerability to disaster impacts is relatively low.
Vulnerable PRAs contain essential facilities that are key to economic recovery and/or are a focus of the jurisdiction’s
land use plans. However, their vulnerability to disasters is relatively high; consequently, pre- and post-disaster hazard
mitigation investment in these areas is a priority.
The concept of PRAs was integrated into the county’s 2010 PDRP and later that year two pilot PRAs (Ruskin and
University Area) were identied for use in testing the concept. Both pilots have housing stock that is diverse and
affordable, and conforms more closely to current building standards, which makes them priorities for redevelopment.
However, Ruskin is vulnerable to ooding and so is designated as a Vulnerable Established Community PRA, while
University Area, which is less vulnerable to ooding, is designated as a Sustainable Regional PRA.
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36
For more informationabout Hillsborough County’s PRAs, visit: http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/index.aspx?nid=1795.
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After an appropriate period of time to allow for
comments, planners need to hold hearings to adopt
the plan and any ordinances, resolutions, or other
authorities needed to support plan implementation
and other recovery activities. This process will vary
among jurisdictions based on standard approval
and adoption practices. Many times this task can be
accomplished through means normally employed
to adopt ordinances, resolutions, and authorities.
At this point, planners should also encourage that
an annual (or other regularly occurring interval)
administrative review requirement be included in
the final plan, as a mechanism to make necessary
changes to the document.
A community stakeholder in Galveston reviews a map
of the disaster-impacted area.
Case Example: Reaching the Public for Recovery Planning - Jamestown, CO
After experiencing historic ooding and subsequent landslides and mudslides in 2013, the town of Jamestown utilized
all of the resources available to engage the community for plan development and review. The most immediately useful
technique that the town used was one that was in place before the ood: a town Quick Topic board. When people were
divided, everyone already knew to go to the board, where they could ask questions, make comments, and learn valuable
information. As time went on and the recovery progressed, the Town implemented a more comprehensive communication
strategy, including Rebuild Jamestown Community Meetings, mass email communications, an updated and more concise
town website, a regular digital newsletter, Facebook postings, and, for people not online, phone calls as needed as well
as information posted in the post ofce and town hall.
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XII. Step 6 – Plan
Implementation and Maintenance
Step 6 encourages planners to identify training and exercise opportunities, and to establish a schedule
for revision and review of plans. In recovery, as outlined in Key Activity Nine, actions to increase overall
preparedness and community resilience and capacity are vitally important to the success of a pre-disaster
recovery plan. Review and revisions of pre-disaster recovery plans should be based on real world and
exercise experiences, as well as lessons learned by other jurisdictions.
KEY ACTIVITY NINE: IDENTIFY ONGOING PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES
Timeline: Ongoing
Ongoing activities such as training, exercises, and document revisions ensure that local stakeholders are
able to effectively undertake post-disaster recovery activities. The final Key Activity (which aligns with Step
6 of CPG 101) is vital to ensure that the plan remains a useful document for the community and to ensure
that stakeholders are prepared to implement the plan if necessary.
Establish Which Agency or Committee is Responsible for Overseeing Ongoing Preparedness Activities
Having collaborative recovery planning team members oversee ongoing activities provides a stable and
consistent means for enabling the community’s continuous understanding of the recovery plans and the
steps and resources available to follow the plan. Adopting formal procedures and policies to govern ongoing
preparedness activities will provide a framework for standardization of and consistency in subsequent
recovery actions undertaken. Ideally, one of the agencies on the planning team is designated to manage and
monitor preparedness activities related to the plan.
Undertake Regular Activities to Increase Preparedness
To maximize understanding and build capacity in the recovery process, communities should establish
a regular schedule of training, exercises, and document review, revision, and update. This will enable
planners to address outstanding capability or process gaps, mitigation needs, and other preparedness needs.
Recovery plan–focused exercises should be integrated into other community preparedness activities. The
recovery plan should be discussed along with any activity associated with other planning projects that
already have built-in public involvement, such as the comprehensive plan, hazard mitigation plan, or
economic development strategies. Additionally, considerations for recovery operations (guided by the pre-
disaster recovery plan) should be included in exercises of the emergency response plans for the community.
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Test Pre-Disaster Planning, Preparation, and Staff Capabilities through Recovery Exercises
Recovery exercises are drills used to test execution of recovery operations. Exercises involve developing
hypothetical disaster scenarios and asking the recovery organization and other partners to consider the
community ability to implement recovery under those circumstances. This process enables evaluation of
the plan, aides the community in understanding its role in recovery preparedness and plan implementation,
and helps identify gaps in policies, roles, partners, resources, and procedures.
When testing the pre-disaster recovery plan, it is important to consider unanticipated challenges that could
hamper the community while addressing a disaster. For example:
• The building permit office does not have enough staff to manage the increased permitting workload.
How will the locality increase the permitting capacity to meet post-disaster demands and support
rebuilding efforts?
• The fire chief has been asked to take the lead role in overseeing the pre-disaster recovery planning
process and establish new partners for redevelopment. Does the fire chief have the authority and
capability to do that?
Case Example: Tabletop Exercise - Fairfax County, VA
In 2012, Fairfax County, VA, held a recovery tabletop exercise that was intended to train and educate participants on
their newly developed pre-disaster recovery plan. By completing an exercise using the plan, Fairfax County was also able
to identify areas for future improvement of their plan, including roles that needed to be further developed.
37
Conduct Regular Reviews of Pre-Disaster Recovery Plans, Policy Documents, and Ordinances
As a community’s population, economic base, leadership, and demographics shift, local capabilities and
capacity may change, it is important to periodically take stock of the community’s capabilities and capacity
to support recovery. This may include new or previously ignored assets and capabilities that may come with
those shifts. This reevaluation may occur in conjunction with other planning updates, such as:
• The comprehensive planning process involves evaluating changes in local demographics, the
economy, and other local conditions, which pre-disaster recovery planning should take into account.
• Local mitigation plans are required to be reviewed and updated at least once every 5 years; updating
the pre-disaster recovery plan on the same schedule allows it to include up-to-date risk assessment
information.
Stakeholders, partners, and the public should be regularly invited to comment on the plan, provide their
concerns and suggestions for revision/updates, and participate in exercises.
Regular evaluation and review may require a process for the receipt of notifications of necessary or
proposed changes with respect to other State, county, and/or local statutes, rules and regulations. This may
also include notifications of proposed and effected budgetary changes to agencies and programs that are a
part of the plan.
37
The formulated After Action Report and Improvement Plan can be viewed at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem/pdrp/ffx-pdrp-ttx-feb10-2012.pdf.
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Evaluate New Vulnerabilities
Characteristics of a community may change
over time, which means that planners must
regularly reevaluate the threats, hazards, and
vulnerabilities of their community. Vulnerabilities
could be physical, environmental, cultural, or
geographic elements of a community that could
be risk prone, or policies that could inhibit the
ability of a community to recover from a disaster.
They could also be the result of a new hazard or
new information about an existing hazard. Pre-
disaster recovery planners need to work closely,
and regularly, with hazard mitigation experts to
research and understand changing community
vulnerabilities. Hazard mitigation is a fundamental
cornerstone of preparedness, and opportunities
to mitigate should be considered and utilized.
Planners must also consider new community
vulnerabilities that arise from changes in policy at
the local, State, tribal, and Federal levels that could
impact the pre-disaster recovery plan. Regardless of
how new vulnerabilities are identified, many of the
previous Key Activities will need to be repeated to
ensure the validity of any decisions that were made
during the planning process.
Document Best Practices and Lessons Learned
As the final activity in developing a pre-disaster
recovery plan, the collaborative planning team
should document the steps that were followed in
the planning process. No two jurisdictions conduct
their planning process in exactly the same way, so it
is important that planners take the time to document
best practices and lessons learned. Analysis of the
planning process and defined areas for improvement
in future planning efforts benefit the community
and partner communities as well. Lessons learned
from the planning process, or from execution of
the plan post-disaster should also be used to guide
future revisions of the pre-disaster plan.
Seattle area Federal, State, tribal, and local
governments hold a recovery exercise.
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Case Example: Using Lessons from Hurricane Sandy
Some of the best guidance for recovery planning comes from lessons learned by those tackling the effects of actual
disasters. The following are summaries of proposals that appear in the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy (h t tp ://
portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=HSRebuildingStrategy.pdf). Based on Hurricane Sandy recovery work
undertaken in a number of States, these proposals illustrate a few best practices that can be incorporated into pre-
disaster planning.
Restoring and Strengthening Homes and Providing Families with Safe, Affordable Housing Options
Addressing temporary housing needs is one of the most critical activities post-disaster, and addressing permanent
housing issues can be complicated. Consider strategies for making damaged residences habitable that will expedite the
recovery process.
Issue: Finding short-term housing for displaced households was very difcult.
Solution: Rapid repairs programs should be used to quickly make damaged residences habitable and reduce
demand for shelters and temporary housing.
Issue: Persistence of mold due to water damage was a common and intractable problem for many households
and requires expertise to address properly.
Solution: Develop consolidated guidance on addressing mold, asbestos, and other indoor air pollutants.
Supporting Small Businesses and Revitalizing Local Economies
Small businesses have limited resources and are very vulnerable after a disaster. Consider ways to provide small
businesses with immediate, direct, and consistent assistance.
Issue: Lack of a centralized location for business recovery information made it difcult for small business
owners to nd information they needed.
Solution: A business assistance team should be developed to coordinate with assistance providers.
Issue: Small businesses had difculty obtaining capital needed to retain employees and replace inventory.
Solution: Develop methods to expedite loans and adjust loan programs to better match “real world” needs.
Improving Data Sharing Between Federal, State, and Local Ofcials
Recovery activities benet from access to information on pre-disaster conditions, disaster impacts, and other recovery
work. Consider what data will be useful after a disaster, how it will be cataloged, and the process for distributing it.
Issue: Non-prot organizations’ work was hindered by lack of access to government data (such as individual
needs assessments).
Solution: A centralized location should be created to distribute data (with personally identiable information
removed).
Issue: There was a lack of clarity on who has authority to release data.
Solution: “Data Stewards” identied by each organization should serve as points of contact for data requests.
Issue: Personnel did not know what information to ask for and where to nd it.
Solution: A document containing a list of all data sets that are typically requested during a disaster should be
available from the Data Steward.
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XIII. References
References included in this section are for documents and websites cited throughout this guide. Many
additional resources are available to assist planners and stakeholders, which are available through the
Recovery Pre-Disaster Planning Guidance for Locals Resource Library.
Administration for Children and Families. 2013. Children and Youth Task Force in Disasters: Guidelines
for Development. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ohsepr/childrens_task_force_
development_web.pd
f.
APA. 1998. Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction (PAS 483/484). https://www.planning.
org/publications/book/9026831/.
APA. 2010. Integrating Hazard Mitigation into Local Planning. (PAS 560). https://www.planning.org/
publications/book/9026884/.
APA. 2015. Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery: Next Generation (PAS 576). https://www.planning.org/
media/document/9008226/.
Beaufort County, SC. 2012. Beaufort County 2011-2012 Disaster Recovery Plan. http://www.bcgov.net/
Archives/county-government/emergency-management/2011-DisasterRec
overyPlan.pdf.
Chambers County, Texas. 2009. Long-Term Community Recovery Plan. http://www.tbrpc.org/
tampabaycatplan/pdf/resource_docs/case_studies/Chambers_TX_LTRPlan.pdf.
City of New York. 2013. NYC Hurricane Sandy After Action Report. http://www.nyc.gov/html/recovery/
downloads/pdf/sandy_aar_5.2.13.pdf.
City of Pembroke Pines, FL. 2015. Motion to Approve a Mutual Aid Agreement with the Seminole
Tribe of Florida for Law Enforcement Services. https://ppines.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.
aspx?ID=2229607&GUID=4F5DA8FA-B5C5-44F3-87AE-091765AE800C&Options=&Search=.
Community Service Center at the University of Oregon. 2010. Pre-Disaster Planning for Post-Disaster
Recovery: Case Studies. http://redevelopment.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/CRS-Case-
Studies_Final.pdf.
DHS (Department of Homeland Security). 2013. Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
qGuide: Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 201. https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/
8ca0a9e54dc8b037a55b402b2a269e94/CPG201_htirag_2nd_edition.pdf.
DHS, 2015. National Preparedness Goal. https://www.fema.gov/national-preparedness-goal.
DHS. 2016. National Mitigation Framework.
https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/
1466014166147-11a14dee807e1ebc67cd9b74c6c64bb3/National_Mitigation_Framework2nd.pdf.
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Douglas County. 2014. 2 http://www.douglas.co.us/documents/douglas-county-recovery-plan.pdf.
EPA. Local Leaders Guide to Moratorium on Development. Retrieved from landuse.law.pace.edu.
Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management. 2012.
Fairfax County Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan Tabletop Exercise
After Action Report/Improvement Plan. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem/pdrp/ffx-pdrp-ttx-feb10-2012.
pdf.
Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management. 2012. Fairfax County Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan. http://www.
fairfaxcounty.gov/oem/pdrp/pdrp-complete-doc-march2012.pdf.
Hillsborough County, Florida. 2010. Hillsborough County Post-Disaster Redevelopment Plan. http://www.
hillsboroughcounty.org/en/residents/public-safety/emergency-management/post-disaster-
redevelopment-plan
Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Taskforce. 2013. Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy. http://portal.hud.gov/
hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=HSRebuildingStrategy.pdf.
FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). 2005. Long-Term Community Recovery Planning Process: A Self Help
Guide. http://www.fema.gov/pdf/rebuild/ltrc/selfhelp.pdf.
FEMA. 2010. Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans: Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101.
http://www.
fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?=&id=5697.
FEMA. 2011. FEMA 104-008-1, A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management: Principles, Themes, and Pathways
for Action. https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/20130726-1813-25045-0649/whole_
community_dec2011__2_.pdf.
FEMA. 2013. Local Mitigation Planning Handbook. https://www.fema.gov/media-library-
data/20130726-1910-25045-9160/fema_local_mitigation_handbook.pdf.
FEMA. 2015. Effective Coordination of Recovery Resources for State, Tribal, Territorial and Local Incidents. https://www.fema.
gov/media-library/assets/documents/101940.
FEMA. 2016. National Disaster Recovery Framework. http://www.fema.gov/national-disaster-recovery-
framework-0.
FEMA. 2016. “National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System.” https://www.fema.gov/national-flood-
insurance-program-community-rating-system.
Florida Department of Community Affairs / Florida Division of Emergency Management. 2010. Post-Disaster
Redevelopment Planning: A Guide for Florida Communities. http://www.floridadisaster.org/recovery/
documents/Post%20Disaster%20Redevelopment%20Planning%20Guidebook%20Lo.pdf.
Florida Division of Emergency Management. Panama City PDRP [Post-Disaster Redevelopment Plan] Case Study, 6.
http://www.floridadisaster.org/Recovery/IndividualAssistance/pdredevelopmentplan/documents/
Toolbox/CaseStudyPanamaCity.pdf.
Galveston Community Recovery Committee. 2009. Long-Term Community Recovery Plan, City of Galveston, TX.
http://www.cityofgalveston.org/DocumentCenter/View/192.
NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology). 2016. Community Resilience Planning Guide for Infrastructure
and Buildings, Volume 1. NIST Special Publication 1190. http://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/
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SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.1190v1.pdf.
ONHW (Oregon Natural Hazards Workgroup). 2006. Cannon Beach Post-Disaster Planning Process Report. ht t ps ://
scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/5570/CREW_Report_07.17.06.
pdf?sequence=1.
National VOAD. 2012. Long-Term Recovery Guide, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. http://www.nvoad.
org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/long_term_recovery_guide_-_final_2012.pdf.
NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory). 2009. Rebuilding Greensburg, Kansas, as a Model Green Community.
NREL Technical Report NREL/TP-6A2-45135. http://ww w.nre l.gov/docs/fy10ost i/45135-1.pd f.
U.S. Department of Justice. n.d. An ADA Guide for Local Governments: Making Community Emergency Preparedness and
Response Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities. http://www.ada.gov/emerprepguideprt.pdf.
Weiss, D.J. and J. Weidman. 2013. Disastrous Spending: Federal Disaster-Relief Expenditures Rise amid More Extreme Weather.
Washington: Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/
uploads/2013/04/WeissDisasterSpending-1.pdf.
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Appendix A: Planning Process
Comparison
Figu r e 11 depicts the relationship between two of the planning processes outlined and discussed in this
document. The left side of the graphic shows the Key Activities outlined in this guide, while the right
column displays the corresponding steps in the Local Mitigation Planning Handbook Process (http://www.
fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=7209). There are many similarities between these processes. While
recovery will be the focus of the collaborative planning team, care should be taken to integrate with both
response and mitigation planning efforts, as well to support the building of resilient communities.
Figure 11 The Relationship between this Guidance and the Local Mitigation Planning Handbook
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Appendix B: State, Tribal, and
Federal Support
Local communities must engage a wide range of entities to enable recovery preparedness and post-
disaster recovery planning, including nongovernmental, State, and Federal partners.
38
However, the local
community is ultimately responsible for leading and managing its recovery from disaster.
State Recovery Support
State government plays a critical role in terms of
support to local governments in pre-disaster recovery
planning and post-disaster long-term community
recovery. The State must play a proactive role,
leveraging its position and capabilities through its
statutory powers, its relationships with key Federal
departments and agencies, and its own talent and
resources to help fill local capacity and resource gaps.
Federal Support
Local leaders, in coordination with State and tribal
officials, should take advantage of every opportunity to build relationships with Federal partners. This
encourages Federal interest and awareness in local initiatives and fosters the sharing of ideas. Many State
governments have established relationships with Federal agencies and utilize these relationships as a
conduit through which Federal resources connect to support local recovery needs. The engagement of
Federal resource providers does not mean that Federal governance will supplant locally driven initiatives
and authorities. Federal resources will, however, support the goals and priorities of local governments
through technical assistance and capacity-building activities.
Setting Expectations
Local stakeholders should understand how State, tribal, and Federal resources can support their plans.
Details of constraints, limitations, and restrictions are determined in a Federal disaster declaration and in
other laws and policies that govern Federal activities. Local governments can connect with Federal program
providers early to share information, learn about potential resources, and understand requirements
associated with Federal assistance. Having a broad base of recovery program knowledge (including an
understanding of eligibility and process) is a key component of local recovery preparedness and allows
local officials to communicate clearly to their constituents. Some examples of this type of knowledge
are funding splits for cost sharing programs, competitive grant guidelines, programmatic time limits,
environmental and historic preservation laws, access and functional needs and civil rights laws, and
documentation and reporting requirements.
State Recovery Coordination
Many States have either designated an established
department as the recovery lead after a disaster
or chosen to create a new State entity dedicated
to coordinating recovery efforts and resources. For
example, Alabama designated its Department of
Economic and Community Affairs to lead recovery in
the wake of the April 2011 tornadoes. Louisiana chose
to create a new State entity, the Louisiana Recovery
Authority, in response to Hurricane Katrina. Whichever
route is taken, it is important to have a lead agency or
department in place to coordinate post-disaster recovery.
38
For additional guidance on the integration of recovery resources and operations across multiple levels of government, see the guidance document Effective
Coordination of Recovery Resources for State, Tribal, Territorial, and Local Incidents (Feb. 2015).
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Appendix C: Factors for a
Successful Recovery
Experience has shown that the presence of certain factors in a community can help ensure a successful
recovery. The National Disaster Recovery Framework identifies seven success factors for successful disaster recovery.
These are:
Effective Decision-Making and Coordination
• Recovery leadership defines roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders and participants.
• Businesses, nonprofits, and local community leadership examine recovery alternatives, address
conflicts, and make informed and timely decisions that best achieve recovery of the impacted
community.
• Organizations providing leadership or assistance for recovery establish realistic metrics for tracking
progress, ensuring accountability, and reinforcing realistic expectations among stakeholders.
• Governments, voluntary, faith-based, and community organizations provide assistance to track
progress, ensure accountability, and make adjustments to ongoing assistance.
Integration of Community Recovery Planning Processes
• Communities engage in pre-disaster recovery planning and other recovery preparedness, mitigation,
and resilience-building work.
• Individual, business, and community preparation and resilience-building provide a foundation for
recovery plans that improve the speed and quality of post-disaster recovery decisions.
• The public-private partnership under the National Infrastructure Protection Plan facilitates broad
coordination and information sharing among all levels of government and private sector owners and
operators of critical infrastructure.
• The community develops processes and criteria for identifying and prioritizing key recovery actions
and projects.
• The community’s recovery leadership creates an organizational framework involving key sectors and
stakeholders to manage and expedite recovery planning and coordination.
• Recovery authorities revise existing local- and State-level emergency response contingencies to include
recovery planning best practices and other preparedness, mitigation, and community resilience-
building work.
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Well-Managed Recovery
• Well-established, pre-disaster partnerships at the local, State, tribal, and Federal levels, including those
with the private sector and NGOs, help to drive a successful recovery.
• Recovery stakeholders leverage and coordinate disaster and traditional public and NGO assistance
programs to accelerate the recovery process and avoid duplication of efforts.
• Communities seek out, interface, and coordinate successfully with outside sources of help, such as
surrounding governments, foundations, universities, nonprofit organizations, and private sector
entities—a key element in rapid recovery.
• Readily available surge staffing and management structures support the increased workload during
recovery, such as code enforcement, planning, communications, grant-writing, and management.
• Recovery leadership establishes guidance for the transition, including the transfer of roles and
responsibilities from response operations, to recovery, and finally to a new normal state of
community functioning.
• Leaders ensure compliance with architectural standards and programmatic accessibility during
recovery.
Proactive Community Engagement, Public Participation, and Public Awareness
• Stakeholders collaborate to maximize the use of available resources to rebuild housing, infrastructure,
schools, businesses, and the social-historical-cultural fabric of the impacted community in a resilient
manner; and to provide health care, access, and functional support services.
• All community perspectives are represented in all phases of disaster and recovery planning;
transparency and accountability in the process are clearly evident.
• Communities create post-disaster recovery plans that can be implemented quickly and recovery
resources are maximized. Local opinions are incorporated so that community needs are met in a
more holistic manner.
• Public information is accessible to everyone throughout the recovery process. Messaging includes
captioning, large print, Braille, interpretation, and translated materials, to ensure effective
communication with individuals with disabilities and to facilitate access to information for
individuals with limited English proficiency.
• Continuous and accessible public information campaigns targeted toward community members on
various recovery programs, and knowing leadership’s commitment to short-term, intermediate, and
long-term recovery, as well as the overall recovery progress, increase public confidence.
Well-Administered Financial Acquisition
• Community stakeholders need to understand and have access to broad and diverse funding sources in
order to finance recovery efforts.
• The community’s knowledge and professional administration of external programs greatly aid the
recovery progress.
• Resource providers collaborate to provide program flexibility and financial planning, recovery
management, and program administration support in a post-disaster environment.
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• Recovery management programs support the development and maintenance of adequate financial
monitoring and accounting systems for new and large levels of investment. Management programs
include systems that detect and deter fraud, waste, and abuse.
• Federal recovery expenditures maximize the use of local businesses to promote local economic
development.
Organizational Flexibility
• Organizational structures for coordinating recovery assistance are scalable and flexible.
• Recovery structures at all government levels evolve, adapt, and develop new skills and capacities to
address the changing landscape of post-disaster environments.
• Functional and effective intergovernmental relations influence the efficiency of the recovery process.
• Organizational flexibility facilitates the application of laws, regulations, and policies in the context of
disaster and enhances the government’s adaptability to govern in unforeseen disasters.
• Flexible staffing and management structures enhance the adaptability of the governmental structure.
• Engaging in more partnerships before a disaster helps reduce or avoid the challenges of establishing
new partnerships in a post-disaster environment.
• Organizational flexibility is compatible with the integrity and accountability of taxpayer-funded
programs.
Resilient Rebuilding
• The community rebuilds a sustainable future, factoring in the ecological, economic, and local capacity
considerations.
• The recovery is an opportunity for communities to rebuild in a manner that reduces or eliminates risk
from future disasters.
• Communities can incorporate stronger building codes and land use ordinances. Vulnerable structures
can be retrofitted, elevated, or removed from harm.
• Community members, businesses, and local governments can incorporate risk reduction strategies
into governance and local decision-making.
Critical factors for recovery have also been identified at the local and the regional levels. These factors have
been further defined in concrete operational terms that explain which activities and objectives must take
place first for other actions and resulting conditions to occur. The Association of Bay Area Governments,
which represents more than 100 California cities and counties, reported in an International City/County
Management Association publication that among the members it surveyed, the following factors are the
most critical to successful recovery:
• Financing
• Expediting long-term housing recovery
• Supporting recovery of downtown businesses and the local economy
• Ensuring local government facilities and services recover smoothly
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Case Example: Community-Based Planning - Broadmoor, New Orleans, LA
The Broadmoor neighborhood in New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Broadmoor recognized
the value of collaborating with the community and partnered with non-prots and the private sector in a collaborative
planning process facilitated by the Harvard University Belfer Center. The result of this collaborative process was a
community that was able to pull together, leverage resources, and achieve recovery goals faster than they might have
otherwise.
While there is guidance on defining success factors broadly, each community must define success on its
own terms because the examples above may not be applicable to every community or every disaster. As a
result, a component of disaster recovery preparedness and planning is to determine success factors that are
deemed most appropriate by local stakeholders.
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Appendix D: A Recovery-Enabling
Tool: The Recovery Ordinance
A local recovery ordinance can help ensure that the authorities and processes needed to achieve recovery
goals are in place before a disaster strikes. It is important to consider State statutory laws or authorities,
and potential tribal authorities, relating to planning, land use, or other elements covered by a recovery
ordinance. A county or city attorney can help navigate these statutes (if applicable) and ensure that a local
recovery ordinance is in compliance with State laws.
More information about the creation of an ordinance, as well as a model recovery ordinance, is available in
the APA’s Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery: Next Generation (https://www.planning.org/research/postdisaster/).
Model recovery ordinance information is available at https://www.planning.org/research/postdisaster/
briefingpapers/recoveryordinance.htm.
A recovery ordinance accomplishes the following:
1. Creates legal authority for post-disaster interventions to modify future development
2. Authorizes recovery management organization
• This creates and authorizes the recovery organization and names the primary players involved. The
ordinance can allow the recovery management organization to remain in place to address long-term
recovery needs (long after the emergency management period ends). It emphasizes the importance
of communication and partnerships with emergency operations center staff to ensure everyone
associated with the recovery management organization learns about disaster impacts immediately.
3. Directs preparation of recovery plans or strategies
• The ordinance allows the recovery management organization to develop policies, actions, and
strategies after disaster strikes, and describes the public input process needed for plan adoption. It also
describes the need to coordinate recovery planning with other planning processes already in place.
• It identifies the partnerships with other levels of government and other organizations.
4. Establishes temporary regulations covering extraordinary actions regarding private property
• For example, the ordinance can allow expedited demolition or building permits, fee waivers, and
other approaches to accelerate recovery.
• Alternatively, the ordinance could allow the creation of a moratorium on development, defined by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as “a local law or ordinance that suspends the right of
property owners to obtain development approvals while the community takes time to consider, draft
and adopt land use plans or rules to respond to new or changing circumstances not adequately dealt
with by its current laws.” In this case, the new circumstance would be the disaster impacts that may
need to be considered in future land use policies.
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5. Identifies processes for communities to take cooperative action with State, tribal, and Federal entities, as
well as involve citizens, businesses, and stakeholder groups in recovery planning
• Essentially, outlines the protocols and lines of communication among all stakeholders who might be
involved with recovery planning and/or implementation.
However, the same results may be achieved through a resolution stating the same or an administrative
memorandum for those communities with strong managerial governance. In most localities, ordinances
must go through at least two readings at different sessions, and more often than not, a public hearing is
required, with the prerequisite notifications in a newspaper of general circulation and postings.
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Appendix E: Pre-Disaster
Recovery Plan Components
The outline below provides additional information on the Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan Components discussed in Key Activity Seven. These
components, their descriptions, and prompts are provided as example guidance only. As local communities develop pre-disaster recovery
plans, they may choose components that are more suitable for their needs.
SECTION 1: PRE-DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN INTRODUCTION
Plan Purpose (narrative): Why is the community preparing for recovery? Why is it important?
Community Capacity Assessment (narrative): What recovery capabilities does the community currently
have, and how might they be compromised after a disaster?
Risks, Hazards, Exposures, and Vulnerabilities (narrative and table or bullet points): List the community
assets that would be at risk if a disaster struck. This section may also include different types of disasters
likely to occur in the community, and how the impact on community assets may vary, depending on the
disaster. If a local, State, or tribal mitigation plan currently exists, it should be referenced for risks and
vulnerabilities already identified. If not, identifying risks and vulnerabilities as part of the pre-disaster
recovery planning effort could feed into future mitigation plans.
Table 4 provides a template for listing
risks and mitigation measures.
Asset Disaster Type A Disaster Type B
Mitigation
Measures?
Description
A
Severe Impact Moderate Impact No
B Severe Impact Moderate Impact No
C Moderate Impact Moderate Impact No
D Moderate Impact Severe Impact In Progress Briey describe mitigation measure.
E Severe Impact Severe Impact Planned Briey describe mitigation measure.
riey describe mitigation measure.
Table 4 Sample Table of Risks and Mitigation Measures
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Strategies (narrative): Based on the community capacity assessment and the determination of risks,
hazards, exposures, and vulnerabilities, what strategies could the community discuss and evaluate?
Recovery Goals and Policies (narrative and table or bullet points): If a disaster strikes, which community
assets will be a priority for recovery?
Implementation Process: How will the recovery strategies, goals, and policies be carried out? Develop
action statements and timelines to assess progress.
Recovery Administrative Structure: What department head, if any, should direct the local recovery
process? Or should a long-term disaster recovery manager be hired? How should the chain of command
flow, and which departments are responsible for what activities? Should the local organization parallel State,
tribal, and Federal disaster recovery frameworks?
Community Engagement Strategy: What local volunteer agencies are active in disasters? Are NGOs and
educational organizations available? How should these organizations line up with the recovery team?
Mitigation Measures (narrative and table or bullet points, building on the previous section): What, if
any, mitigation measures have been implemented, are in progress, or are planned?
SECTION 2: RECOVERY LEADERSHIP
• Recovery Leadership (narrative and list): Who are the recovery leaders in the community?
• Authorities (narrative): What legislation or policy enables these leaders to manage post-disaster
recovery?
SECTION 3: RECOVERY OPERATIONS
• Partners (narrative and table or bullet points): Which local agencies and organizations, regional/State
agencies and organizations, tribal organizations, Federal agencies, and NGOs are recovery partners,
and what are their recovery roles and responsibilities after a disaster?
Table 5 is a template for listing
partners and their recovery responsibilities.
Organization Local, Regional, State Recovery Responsibilities
Table 5 Sample Table of Partners and Their Responsibilities
Local Agency
Local Description of Responsibilities
Local Organization Local Description of Responsibilities
Regional Agency Regional Description of Responsibilities
Regional Organization Regional Description of Responsibilities
State Agency State Description of Responsibilities
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• Activation of Personnel (narrative): How and when are personnel assigned to fill recovery roles
activated?
• Assessment and Data Gathering (narrative): What types of assessment and data gathering will
be conducted after a disaster strikes? Before? Who is responsible for data collection? Are there
predetermined guidelines and forms to be used for data collection?
• Communication Guidelines (narrative and reference to organizational chart): How will recovery
leaders and stakeholders communicate with one another? How often should they be communicating?
• Notification and Engagement of Recovery Partners (narrative and reference to organizational
chart): How and when will recovery partners be notified and engaged post-disaster?
• State, Tribal, and Federal Engagement (narrative and reference to organizational chart): How will
local recovery leaders communicate with the State and tribes? Are there partnerships with State, tribal,
or Federal agencies that should be referenced?
39
• Organizational Chart (diagram): How are recovery leadership and partners organized?
• Timelines (narrative and timeline): Show the projected timelines for beginning the recovery
process, starting at the time of the disaster. The planning timeline from the beginning of this guide
is shown below. A similar format may be used to show post-disaster activities such as activation
of personnel, data gathering, and engagement of partners. The timeline below shows time ranges
spanning months. In post-disaster recovery, time ranges for initial recovery activities will likely span
only days or weeks. The timeline shown in
Figu re 12 is a general illustration of what a timeline
might resemble.
Figure 12 Example Planning Timeline
39
Further information and guidance for the development of this section of the pre-disaster recovery plan can be found in the guidance document Effective
Coordination of Recovery Resources for State, Tribal, Territorial, and Local Incidents.
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SECTION 4: RECOVERY IMPLEMENTATION
• Execution Strategy (narrative): Articulate how the community will execute its strategy for pre-
disaster recovery planning, taking into account operational items listed in Section 3. Emphasize
reliance on existing plans as guides to direct recovery and the process of being fully inclusive in pre-
disaster recovery plan development.
• Priorities and Policy Alternatives (narrative): List priorities for recovery implementation, as well as
policy alternatives that may be either in place through existing partnerships or legally authorized in
emergency situations. Policy alternatives (such as expedited permit requests, for example), if allowed,
should be mentioned in this section.
• Funding Strategies (narrative): List funding strategies that may be either in place through existing
partnerships or legally authorized in emergency situations. These may include keeping known
resource providers up to date with assessments of disaster impacts so that initial funding requirements
can be determined.
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Appendix F: Recovery Capability
Documentation Template
Capability Land Use
Phase
Pre-Disaster
Target/Need (Goal)
Polk County will facilitate the expeditions redevelopment to the extent possible while exercising
due diligence in decisions affecting long-term land use policies.
Tasks/Actions
Evaluate the need to revise ordinances and other regulatory processes to accommodate post-
disaster conditions.
Description
May include ordinances regarding fee assessment, inspection fees, and others, or development
of an overarching post-disaster redevelopment ordinance that would temporarily supersede
regular ordinances. Develop thresholds for activation. Coordinate with municipal jurisdictions to
ensure consistency throughout the county. Note: suggest to State that plan adoption can be done
off cycles to expedite implementation.
Priority High
Implementation
Time Frame
• Public outreach to cities: December 2010
• Revise comp plan: June 2010
Responsible Agency Growth Management Dept.
Partners Partnership Exists? Point of Contact
Building Housing and Historic Preservation
Central Florida Regional Planning Council
League of Cities
Resources Resource Available? Details
In-house staff and time
Inter-jurisdictional land planning group
Assistance from county communications channels
Data from utility and tax bills for outreach efforts
Other jurisdictions’ policies
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Appendix G: Local Pre-Disaster
Recovery Planning Key Activities
Checklist
KEY ACTIVITY ONE: DEFINE THE COLLABORATIVE RECOVERY PLANNING TEAM,
SCOPE OF PLANNING ACTIVITIES, AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY
(BEGINNING OF PLANNING EFFORT THROUGH MONTH 3)
F Include stakeholders with community ties who can help with outreach, as well as those with technical
knowledge associated with Core Capabilities.
F Identify key organizations and community leaders who should serve as planning partners.
F Make sure the identification of team members is an inclusive process.
F Define the area to be covered by recovery planning activities and how the planning process will relate
to adjoining areas.
F Determine if existing planning documents can be used to record pre-disaster recovery planning
information.
KEY ACTIVITY TWO: DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A STAKEHOLDER AND PARTNER
ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY (ONGOING)
F Define the scope of stakeholder engagement.
F Establish partnerships with NGOs and define capabilities and roles in support of disaster recovery
(ongoing).
F Establish partnerships.
F Confirm which agencies will partner with the local government on post-disaster recovery activities.
F Establish agreements with these partners to ensure that their roles are understood; use Memoranda of
Agreement/Mutual Aid Agreements as appropriate.
F Establish which governmental agencies have a role in supporting recovery activities (ongoing).
F Identify how external agencies will align with the recovery organizational structure and process.
F Establish agreements with agencies to fulfill the roles outlined in the pre-disaster recovery plan.
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KEY ACTIVITY THREE: DETERMINE RISKS, AND THEIR IMPACTS AND
CONSEQUENCES (MONTHS 1 TO 6)
F Assemble and use existing mitigation planning data, if available.
F Obtain existing disaster information and community planning products.
F Identify hazards, and assess risks and vulnerabilities.
F Engage community members, leaders, and businesses in understanding risk and identifying direct and
indirect community consequences.
KEY ACTIVITY FOUR: ASSESS THE COMMUNITY’S CAPACITY AND IDENTIFY
CAPABILITY TARGETS (MONTHS 1 TO 6)
F Evaluate planning and regulatory strengths and weaknesses.
F Evaluate local organizational, administrative, and technical strengths and weaknesses.
F Evaluate financial strengths and weaknesses.
F Evaluate effective communication access and outreach strengths and weaknesses.
KEY ACTIVITY FIVE: DETERMINE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AND DEFINE OPERATIONS
NECESSARY FOR POST-DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
EFFORTS (MONTHS 3 TO 9)
F Establish a post-disaster recovery organizational structure with clear lines of communication.
F Decide which agencies will lead and which will provide support during the post-disaster recovery
process.
F Determine desired skill sets and credentials for local recovery leaders.
F Create position descriptions for recovery positions.
F Identify who will serve as the Recovery Coordinator and manage the recovery effort.
F Follow local protocols/procedures to assign personnel to recovery positions.
F Establish recovery committee(s) or stakeholder group(s).
F Determine potential costs and operational resource needs, and sources of technical and administrative
support.
F Define recovery operations and strategies.
F Identify communication requirements, and permitting and inspection processes.
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KEY ACTIVITY SIX: ESTABLISH PROCESSES FOR POST-DISASTER DECISION-MAKING
AND POLICY SETTING (MONTHS 3 TO 9)
F Determine a process for making decisions post-disaster.
F Determine processes for enacting post-disaster recovery policies.
F Determine policies to be set before a disaster.
KEY ACTIVITY SEVEN: WRITE THE LOCAL PRE-DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN
(MONTHS 6 TO 10)
F See the Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan Components diagram in Figure 10.
KEY ACTIVITY EIGHT: APPROVE THE PRE-DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN AND
ASSOCIATED REGULATIONS (MONTHS 8 TO 12)
F Present the plan to the community.
F Hold hearings for and adopt any ordinances, resolutions, or other authorities needed to support
implementation of the plan and other recovery activities.
KEY ACTIVITY NINE: IDENTIFY AND UNDERTAKE RECOVERY READINESS
ACTIVITIES (ONGOING)
F Establish which agency or committee will be responsible for overseeing ongoing preparedness
activities.
F Undertake regular activities to increase preparedness.
F Conduct regular reviews of recovery policy documents and ordinances.
F Test pre-disaster planning, preparation, and staff capabilities through recovery exercises.
F Conduct regular reviews of pre-disaster recovery plans, policy documents, and ordinances.
F Evaluate new vulnerabilities.
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Appendix H: Key Terms and
Definitions
Accessibility: The suitability or adaptability of programs, services, activities, goods, facilities, privileges,
advantages, or accommodations for all members of the population, including individuals with disabilities
and others with access and functional needs.
Capability: The sum of capacity, ability, and knowledge that provides the means to accomplish a mission,
function, objective, or end state.
Capacity: A combination of all the strengths and resources available within a community, society, or
organization that can reduce the level of risk or the effects of a disaster (from the U.N. International
Strategy for Disaster Reduction).
Community: A network of individuals and families, businesses, governmental and nongovernmental
organizations, and other civic organizations that reside or operate within a shared geographical
boundary and may be represented by a common political leadership at a regional, county, municipal, or
neighborhood level.
Collaborative Planning Team: A group of individuals representing organizations responsible for plan
execution that develops and writes the actual plan, contributes to planning efforts, and helps to facilitate,
organize, and carry out planning disasters.
Core Capabilities: Distinct critical elements necessary to achieve the National Preparedness Goal.
Inclusive: Including partners from various government, nongovernment, private-sector groups, and
community leaders. Includes people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs, Limited
English Proficiency, cultural groups, faith-based groups, and other citizens. See Whole Community.
Limited English Proficiency: Persons who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a
limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English.
Mission Areas: Groups of Core Capabilities, including Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and
Recovery.
Mitigation: The actions necessary to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters.
Mitigation can include, for example, community-wide risk reduction projects, improving the resilience of
critical infrastructure and key resource lifelines, projects that reduce risks from specific vulnerabilities from
natural hazards or acts of terrorism, and initiatives to reduce future risks after a disaster has occurred.
Nongovernmental Organization (NGO): A nongovernmental entity that serves the interests of its
members, individuals, or institutions and is not for private benefit.
Planning: The process of developing, maintaining, exercising, executing, and updating a plan.
Recovery: The state of normalcy achieved after a disaster by planning ahead of time and making the best
use of community resources.
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Resilience: The ability of a community to anticipate, resist, absorb, respond to, adapt to, and recover from a
disturbance.
Response: The actions taken to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human
needs after a disaster has occurred.
Risk: The potential for an unwanted outcome as determined by its likelihood and the consequences.
Risk Assessment: A product and process evaluating information based on a set of criteria specifying risks
for the purpose of informing priorities, developing or comparing courses of action, and informing decision
making.
Stakeholders: People or organizations who may be affected by a policy or action.
Strategic Planning: A planning process establishing organizational goals and identifying, scoping, and
establishing requirements for the provision of capabilities and resources to achieve them.
Sustainability: Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs.
Universal Design: The design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest
extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.
Vulnerability: A physical feature or operational attribute that renders an entity open to exploitation or
susceptible to a given hazard.
Whole Community: A process that engages all members of a society (without discrimination) to achieve a
shared understanding of community risks, needs, and capabilities and develops strategies that organize and
strengthen communities’ assets, capacities, and interests; also optimizes resources.
