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Public information and early warning are key components of social disaster prevention because they can complement planning, and multi-disciplinary coordination and minimize losses. Social media has increasingly become an important communication channel for users to disseminate useful public and emergency information in these incidents. Communications, including web-based services, between governments, communities, and people involved in the management of disasters are mandatory for the purposes of early warning, rescue services, and recovery. Purpose of this article is exploring how people may use or had used the social media applications during the disaster and provide the advantages of social media in disaster management all over the world but specifically for citizens of Türkiye and Iraq. To get the response of the users, a Google form based survey questionnaire was distributed to the users through the internet. Two hundred and eleven persons, from both genders responded, ages ranged from 17 years to above 45, from different educational levels, inhabiting Türkiye (n = 105, 49.8%), Iraq (n = 88, 41.7%), and other countries (n = 18, 8.5%). The study shows that depending on the culture, social media usage behaviors change for disaster situations. During the disaster, Iraqi citizens preferred to use the Facebook application, meanwhile Türkish citizens prefer to use WhatsApp application to communicate. Both, governments and private sector, are invited to establish and continuously update the infrastructure and facilities of an effective social media communication system, plans should be made to encourage all sectors of society to learn how to use social media in the event of a disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anger is a well-recognised but little understood emotion in postdisaster contexts. For service providers working in recovery environments, it is critical to understand anger to ensure effective supports and interventions are mobilised. This article describes findings from a study conducted four years after the 2009 Victorian Black Saturday bushfires. Thirty-eight community and service-provider participants were interviewed as individuals, dyads, or within focus groups about their own and others' experiences of anger. Postdisaster anger was described as more immediate, intense, and frequent than predisaster, and seen by participants as destructive, productive, and justified. Experiences and understandings differed by gender, and related to aggression, violence, and family violence. Service provision was a key trigger for anger, with leadership styles, community expectations, and community members' level of control over decision making being factors that shaped experience. Based on these findings, five proposed principles for anger-sensitive practice in disaster contexts, along with wider considerations for understanding anger, are provided. IMPLICATIONS This article provides unique understandings of the experience of anger following disaster, which are useful for social workers, community members and leaders, and other service providers. Research findings about anger experiences and outcomes postdisaster are synthesised into proposed principles for practice with disaster-impacted communities (that can potentially build capability prior to disasters). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a defining catastrophe for many communities across the world. This study focuses on a small, urban community in the United States at the regional epicenter of the pandemic with high rates of illness, death, financial hardships, and a halt to in-person school and services that lasted over a year. Drawing on institutional theory with a focus on environmental jolts and leadership sensemaking, we conducted a thematic analysis of 20 interviews with cross-sector community leaders, including city officials, school district administrators, directors of community-based organizations, and church leaders to evaluate how they made sense of COVID-19 disruptions and framed their responses to the environmental jolt caused by the pandemic in Spring, 2021. Findings illustrate how leaders framed the jolt as highlighting existing issues, maintained a focus on priorities and purpose pre-dating disruptions, and emphasized opportunities emerging from the crisis. We discuss how leaders engaged in sensemaking both as a form of stabilization, providing a rationale for maintaining pre-pandemic priorities, and as a way to motivate and leverage opportunity through an emphasis on the silver lining of the jolt. We close with implications of these findings for ongoing and future responses to environmental jolts and crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community structure analysis compared city characteristics and newspaper coverage of state/local government responses to COVID-19 in 25 major U.S. cities, sampling all 250+ word articles from 4/4/20 to 7/6/20. The resulting 588 articles were coded for "prominence" and "direction" (favorable/unfavorable/balanced-neutral coverage), then combined into each newspaper's composite "Media Vector" (range=0.3552 to −0.5197, or 0.8749). Twenty-one of 25 newspapers (84%) displayed unfavorable coverage of local COVID-19 responses. Pearson correlations and regression analysis confirmed a muscular "violated way of life" pattern, when a community perceives itself as threatened by a "biological threat or a threat to a cherished way of life." Political and belief system polarization (in particular percent Evangelical and percent voting Republican) were strongly associated with unfavorable coverage of local pandemic responses, compared to more favorable responses linked to percent voting Democratic or percent Catholic. Vulnerability (percent uninsured) was also linked to negative coverage. Conversely, two different measures of access to healthcare (percent municipal spending on health and welfare, and physicians/100,000) were significantly linked to favorable coverage of the same local government efforts. Community structure theory's grass roots "bottom up" expectations linking community demographics to variations in reporting on critical issues were robustly confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walking along side those responding to climate-related threats as co-researchers is surfacing new understanding of the potential for community action in complex and chaotic situations. Action research enables academia, government, non-government organizations and community members to learn collaboratively, building knowledge that is nuanced and contextualized. Whilst this approach aims to disrupt traditional power in relation to knowledge production, it continues to struggle for legitimacy and, hence, policy and practice traction, sitting uncomfortably in a field dominated by positivist empirical strategies a "single truth." This article draws on two action research case studies – the first a multi-partner place-based engagement and the second a learning partnership with a philanthropic organization operating across two Australian States – to illustrate how we might navigate the contours of power that shape our efforts to build knowledge collaboratively. Drawing on these experiences we identify two key challenges to successful industry/academic action research partnerships: shifting power and translating knowledge to broader audiences. We conclude with ideas to improve future action research practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The risk of climate disasters has spurred increased interest in public policies that help expand the number of households with disaster insurance, particularly for financially vulnerable populations. In recent years, local governments, concerned with their community's resilience to climate disasters, have started to consider insurance programs as part of their adaptation strategies. However, we do not yet have a robust body of research that shows if, and how, expanded insurance take-up among households affects community-wide recovery after a climate disaster. Filling this disaster insurance research gap will better equip public sector leaders to assess if investments in insurance programs can further community resilience goals and when disaster insurance is an appropriate climate adaptation tool. In this article, we assess the state of empirical evidence through existing frameworks of community recovery and put forward an agenda for future research that is attuned to local policy needs. Key policy insights: There is increasing interest by policymakers in expanding the number of households with disaster insurance to provide financial protection in the face of increasing climate risks, but little evidence exists on how household-level insurance affects community-level resilience outcomes. Expanded research on this topic could support local decision-makers in designing effective and efficient policies to support community recovery from climate extremes. Future research should focus on testing more holistic disaster recovery measures and downscaling global and national research to the local scale. Emerging pilot insurance programs and experimental policies offer novel opportunities to study impacts at the local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of any government's efforts to sustainably reduce the risk of and/or manage disasters depends to a large extent on the people's knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and perceptions of the risk posed by the disaster. This study assessed the government and communities of Botswana's response to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19). The survey utilised a stratified three-stage probability sampling design to select respondents according to strata constituting primary sampling units (PSUs). Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to evaluate differences between respondents' knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and perceptions of COVID-19 according to their localities (urban, villages and rural areas). Results show that even though Botswana was not prepared for a national public health disaster of the magnitude of COVID-19, its timely adoption of the disease preventive strategy seems to have weathered the storm for some time (66% urban, 64.9% villages, 37.1% remote areas; p < 0.003). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 1st of August 2012, two successive flash floods hit Nasiri hamlet in Maluku archipelago, Indonesia. The floods destroyed 61 houses and swept some of them down into the sea. A monitoring and community-based early warning system (MCBEWS) was developed 2 years later. This paper presents the approach, development, and implementation of the system. There are two components, namely community capacity-building and the establishment of telemetric monitoring. The flood warning system considers two causes: extreme rainfall and landslide dam breaks. Raising awareness, workshops, training, and disaster organisation establishment appeared to effectively increase flood disaster preparedness capacity and community commitment. The adoption of a rainfall depth vs. intensity chart method for issuing flood warnings seems to be promising. The presence of an unusual flow reduction in the record during extreme rainfall indicates damming at the upstream of the record station due to landslides. Possible landslide dams near the downstream to the middle reaches might provide dangerous high peak discharge flash floods with short warning times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The American Public Health Association (APHA) and prominent U.S. health organizations have acknowledged racism as a central cause of health inequality. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. confronts an additional public health crisis: mass impairment from Long COVID. Occupational segregation and institutionalized racism have made working-class Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) more likely to experience Long COVID. Medical gatekeepers also prevent equal access to health: BIPOC face more obstacles in their search for disability accommodations and social support. To provide health equity to the Long COVID community, Disability Studies must confront racialized understandings of chronic pain and the consequences of these meanings by centering the lived experiences of BIPOC living with chronic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human–macaque conflict occurs in urban areas that overlap with habitats of monkeys. Improving awareness among residents regarding appropriate control measures is essential for conflict mitigation, but only a few studies have examined the reluctance of residents to engage in preparedness behaviors. We examined the reluctance of residents to apply prevention measures against wildlife damage. We evaluated the structural relationships among three factors related to behaviors of natural disaster preparedness – place attachment, damage risk, and outcome expectations – using covariance-based structural equation modeling. We conducted risk estimation based on radio-tracking data and a questionnaire to examine the effects of these factors on preparedness behaviors. Results showed an increased reluctance among residents with poor place attachment and low expectations toward the efficacy of preventive measures. To further facilitate preparedness behaviors, it is necessary to strengthen the attachment of residents to their communities and continue communicating the appropriate preparedness behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian newspapers mediate the response of the prime minister to communities stricken by disaster. From 1967, newspapers have reported ritualised visits by the prime minister to sites of natural disaster along with associated press conferences. A historical overview of national and metropolitan newspapers reveals that through word and image, dress is presented as a meaningful performative element of these rituals and increasingly acknowledged as such. It also reveals a shift toward an expectation that the prime minister dress in a way that projects empathetic engagement with communities. While confined to only some newspapers and prime ministers, this shift arguably is significant in the evolution of newspaper depictions of disaster and political authenticity. Donyale R. Griffin-Padgett and Donnetrice Allison's concept of restorative rhetoric, Gunn Enli's notion of performed authenticity and Jeffrey C. Alexander's theory of cultural pragmatics inform this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disasters are a primary influence in the global development landscape given their unequal impacts across society and calls for transformative change in their aftermath. Recovering from disasters is one component of development that is coming under scrutiny. This is especially so in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, whose scale, scope, and cascading effects mean that the uncertain prospects for recovery will be complicated and endure long term. COVID-19 has forced a reappraisal of what recovery encompasses, who it is for, and how it can better enable preparedness for future disasters. Drawing upon interviews with a global community of experts specializing in different areas of disaster governance, this paper focuses on the lessons emerging for recovery-related theory and practice deriving from the pandemic. We elaborate a multi-dimensional framework to support those working on local recovery planning within communities and operating across different sectors. The framework captures the interconnected issues across six principal domains—communities, economic, infrastructure, environment, health, and governance—representing key impact areas around which strategies and multifaceted actions can be developed. We suggest a three-step process using a systems approach to develop a recovery strategy that operationalizes the framework and addresses the complexity of long-term recovery for development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an autoethnography (AE) of my experience of improvising disaster communication with community translators in Denmark through the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like the author, who is a novice in Danish, those who are not competent in the dominant language(s) of communication are deemed to be more vulnerable in disaster situations, such as the current pandemic, due to language barriers and disaster linguicism. However, using AE, this research explores the potential, and the evidence, for using community translators to foster inclusive, interactive and spontaneous disaster communication to overcome disaster linguicism, and to protect Indigenous/Tribal, Minority and Minoritized languages and peoples' (ITMs) communication rights. My critical self-reflection and observation from an ITM perspective challenge the traditional unidirectional top-down disaster communication schemes which are still dominant in disaster management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the scope for upscaling and transnational transfer of participatory landslide risk management strategies for informal settlements in Latin America. Drawing on lessons from transdisciplinary action-research in three neighbourhoods in Medellín, Colombia, and one in São Paulo, Brazil, the paper discusses how bottom-up approaches were developed to co-produce landslide risk management in both Global South cities, in a way that optimises the collaboration between communities and relevant governmental bodies. The analysis focuses on mitigation and 'agreement-seeking', from the perspectives of scale, power and knowledge, which help understand the parallels between co-production of landslide risk management and co-production of urban services. Two key conclusions are that landslide risk management should be built into neighbourhood upgrading and management, and that both community and the state have stronger roles to play in landslide risk management from their respective capacities. The paper also reflects on the role of academia in enabling co-production of landslide risk management through engaging with local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although models of social vulnerability to environmental hazards are commonly developed to support policy interventions in emergencies and disasters, their utility is hindered by a lack of contextual information on individuals exposed to and affected by hazards. We develop a novel approach to model social vulnerability that couples individuals and their varying forms of protective capacity with the social fabric of the communities in which they reside. The backbone of our model is the Public-Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), a product of the U.S. Census Bureau that preserves a representative sample of completed responses to the American Community Survey (ACS). The PUMS enables us to understand the full range of individual protective capacities against a hazard in an exposed area, which we term individual vulnerability profiles (IVPs). In this case, we examine IVPs in the Coney Island-Brighton Beach section of New York City, which suffered severe impacts during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. To manage the large number of unique IVPs in Coney Island-Brighton Beach, we perform a segmentation analysis to generalize them into thematic cohort vulnerability profiles (CVPs) representing a typology of vulnerable people in Coney Island-Brighton Beach during Sandy. From synthetic populations of CVPs, we then estimate how individuals in varying housing types were coexposed to Sandy at the census tract level by classifying these areas into community social vulnerability profiles (SVPs). Our results provide a topology of social vulnerability that simultaneously links individual, community, and population-wide concerns, enabling a more holistic understanding of resources and interventions beneficial to human security during events like Sandy than is attainable with area-level metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical/cognitive limitations associated with the aging process place older adults at disproportionate risk of negative consequences during disasters. Guided by the profession's commitment to supporting vulnerable populations, gerontological social workers have long been on the frontlines supporting older adults during disasters. Yet, disaster social work practice remains an undeveloped and under-researched area. Thus, we asked "what is the current role of gerontological social workers in disaster preparedness with older adults in the United States, and potential areas for improvement?" This paper systematically reviews the literature discussing social work and disaster preparedness/response with older adults in the U.S., to identify needs and inform future directions. PRISMA guidelines were followed to conduct a systematic search across relevant databases for peer-reviewed-publications between January 1, 2009-June 12, 2020. Eleven articles met inclusion criteria. This body of literature is small and covers two broad areas: (1) charging the social work profession to engage in this work, and (2) describing current efforts and unique challenges of older adults during disasters. Only three empirical studies were identified. Future educational efforts should formalize training to prepare social workers for this practice area. Research should detail the roles of social workers in disaster preparedness/response, and factors that predict involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 7 September 2017, Hurricane Irma made landfall on Puerto Rico. Two weeks later, Hurricane Maria devastated the island. Recovery efforts and repairs were still underway by the time the island was rocked by a series of earthquakes in early 2020. By 15 March 2020, a lockdown was instituted due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Mass migration, austerity measures, neoliberal privatization and a perpetual battle against colonialism have exacerbated these traumas. Repeated disaster, both natural and unnatural, leave Puerto Rican communities in a continuous loop of preparing and recovering. In the wake of disaster, the San Juan-based theatre collective Y no había luz (f. 2005), has functioned as both survivor and witness, enduring traumatic events themselves even as they assemble to assist those in need. In this article, I draw upon fieldwork I conducted in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as well as Imani Perry's concept of defiant joy to argue that Y no había luz forms a legacy of solidarity that persists through the mobilization of defiant joy in disaster response. Moreover, in collaborating with each other and with intergenerational communities, Y no había luz creates multidisciplinary performances of care that are characterized by joy, whimsy, and celebration. In multiple iterations of familiar narratives, the collective activates afterlives for stories that extend beyond performance to give community participants access to reenact, reshape, and re-remember events. These collective experiences produce a solidarity model of care and a shared understanding among and between artists and communities. Through acts of defiant joy, Y no había luz produces mutually beneficial and sustainable expressions of care-based solidarity in virtual and in-person spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses the role of human service leaders in disasters and crisis events, including the COVID-19 public health emergency. Some key areas of focus include: - recognizing, planning for, and responding to social and economic disparities in disasters; - planning for the long haul, especially for low-income and vulnerable communities; - exploring rapid-cycle learning approaches to test innovations; - data analytics in program design to support "real-time" service improvements; and - developing a long-term theory of change to address systemic challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Philippines suffers frequent typhoons every year hence the country is susceptible to experience disastrous flooding. This extreme event causes various effects in the community specifically infrastructural and social system damages. Flooding also causes numerous health effects that deteriorate the wellbeing of the affected population. Iligan City is known to be an area prone to flooding in the Philippines. This paper examines the state of health of communities affected by flooding occurrences through knowledge and preparedness, health impacts, and emergency response of various state actors during and after flooding incidents. Data were collected through an analysis of different documents, key informant interviews, and focus groups in the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro. Results show data from various sources and narratives regarding the degree of preparedness before the flood among community members. During the flooding occurrence, different community damages were mentioned. Due to the destructive nature of floods, community members also stated different health impacts whether immediate, short term, or long term. After the flood, different emergency response and relief were provided. However, citizens and community also cited difficulties about the provision of relief and health care. This study can be used for initiatives in reducing risks and vulnerability in floods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 a new infections agent took the world by surprise. Governments, medical systems, communities, and individuals soon would become familiar with many new terms and many new prevention measurements to avoid infection. To this day, it is unknown what would be the final consequences and impact in populations in the world, how those came to be a "new normal" in our daily lives. Also, it is unknown the number of victims, and economical after-effects result from the new pandemic. This article aims to establish a para parallel in relation to the early days of HIV/AIDS in the world. Keeping in mind the slow governmental, and even irresponsible response in different countries, both cases (HIV/AIDS-COVID-19), present a dimension that shows intermediately from HIV/AIDS organizations response to help communities. The article argues that is precise because we have learned as marginalized communities that reacted at the beginning of the AIDS early days, that HIV/AIDS educators adapted very fast interventions, programs, and counseling to alleviate societal effect pandemic against COVID-19 new infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social capital is a common feature among disaster-resilient communities. This research aims to define how social capital shapes the post-disaster conditions in the 2011 Typhoon Washi-affected communities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City in Region 10 Philippines. Qualitative analysis was used in analyzing the data gathered through purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews. Thirty typhoon survivors and 14 focal persons of the government and non-government agencies were chosen based on their active involvement in the community. The findings revealed that the solidarity among typhoon-affected communities contributed to the recovery of the survivors. The findings also highlighted that the solidarity in the typhoon-affected communities is part of the normative structure of the society where bonding and linking social capital are nurtured. Further, the community remains to believe that their respective local officials can be trusted and are capable of helping them in times of need despite the shortcomings during the 2011 Typhoon Washi. We argue that social capital in the community is not easily diminished over a crisis and therefore must be nurtured towards effective community-based disaster resilience mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural disaster impacts on populations already experiencing significant health, income, and social disadvantage, are both more intense and longer lasting than for the general population. The intersection of social isolation and poverty for some groups often results in significant risks during the immediate crisis of a disaster and ongoing challenges for recovery. This article reports on qualitative research examining natural disaster preparedness with five “at-risk” populations in regional Australia. The research was undertaken as part of a project sponsored by a regional organisation of local councils in New South Wales to map and understand spatial and social factors shaping natural disaster risks and responses. Seventeen focus groups were held with 111 participants; older people, people with disabilities, families with children under five, low-income households, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. Findings illuminated participant experiences of the intersection between sociogeographic disadvantage with social isolation in the context of natural disaster preparation and response. IMPLICATIONS Social isolation—or the intersection of social and geographic disadvantage—appears to be a complex contributor to vulnerability in disaster preparation and response. Disaster risk needs to be assessed as part of social work support for vulnerable people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need to better understand long-term disaster recovery and reconstruction challenges in diverse communities. This case study was part of a larger study undertaken by the Rebuilding Lives Post-Disaster research partnership, where field research was conducted in disaster-affected communities in Canada, the USA, Australia, India, Pakistan, and Taiwan. The objective of this exploratory case study was to focus on experiences of affected migrant workers from diverse communities in Florida, USA, in relation to long-term disaster recovery and reconstruction work following hurricanes, to ensure that lessons learned from these experiences could inform best practices and policy. The study focused particularly on the role of community processes and dynamics in shaping postdisaster recovery. Qualitative research explored diverse experiences of participants through interviews with government officials, community leaders, and disaster responders. The study found that migrant workers faced challenges due to the lack of consideration with regard to immigration status, linguistic, and cultural needs in disaster recovery. IMPLICATIONS Disaster recovery processes need to consider the diversity of affected populations to ensure assistance and responses meet the differing needs of all community members in postdisaster recovery. All members of diverse communities should be included in disaster response and longer-term recovery efforts. Social workers can assist in ensuring that diversity is a consideration in disaster and emergency management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors comment on the article "Ethical Challenges Arising in the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Overview from the Association of Bioethics Program Directors (ABPD) Task Force." Topics discussed include structural bias and racism in health care and its relationship to health disparities, the ordering of engaging communities first and mitigating disparities second itself, and effect of local community engagement on the writing of multiple triage protocols.

The governance of floods in urbanizing regions of Thailand is significantly constrained by institutional traps. Comparisons of the impacts and governance responses to major flood events in Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya and Bangkok in 2005-06 and 2011 suggests that there has been very little policy learning. Institutional traps remain as important now as they were more than a decade ago. Dominant policy narratives help maintain institutional traps by promoting solutions that reduce organizational risks, like the transfer of responsibilities to local communities, or reflect organizational interests and professional norms. Policy narratives will need to be challenged or transformed if progress in building urban resilience to floods is to be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article indicates that capability building in the local community and accumulation of collaborative practice experiences gained at the local community level prove effective in actual disaster response and recovery. A case study of the Japanese community is introduced to illustrate this point. The article concludes with a discussion of the role and function of social workers in the context of such a community. In terms of disaster response and recovery, one of the essential roles of social workers is to encourage local people to empower other local people, organizations, and community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This project explores disaster management in Thailand with a focus on the vulnerability and resilience of women, children, the elderly, and the disabled population and on the impact of disaster on these subpopulations. The 2 main findings deal with the major models of disaster management in Thailand and building resilience for social recovery. The selected 5 major models currently employed in disaster management in Thailand are the (a) model of royal project and international cooperation on disaster preparedness and response, (b) ASEAN Socio-Cultural Blueprint, (c) rights-based approach, (d) welfare mix model, and (e) knowledge management model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 1900 to 2008, bushfires in Australia claimed 552 lives. Partly in response to disastrous fires in 1967 and 1983, a national community bushfire safety policy emerged, summarised as 'prepare, stay and defend, or leave early.' On 7 February 2009, 'Black Saturday,' Victoria experienced Australia's worst-ever day of bushfires: 173 people died as a result and more than 2,000 homes were destroyed. Three investigations in the aftermath of the fires indicated significant shortcomings in the effectiveness of current approaches to community bushfire safety generally. We examine whether application of social psychological theories from the fields of health promotion and injury prevention might play a role in improving community bushfire safety. We review four theoretical approaches: the theory of planned behaviour, the extended protection motivation theory, the extended parallel process model, and the terror management health model. We conclude that there is good evidence supporting the general utility of each of these theories as predictive of health-promoting behaviour. Furthermore, there are sound reasons to conclude that they hold promise for addressing important problematic issues in community bushfire safety practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reflects on the efforts to rebuild New Orleans, Louisiana after the devastation of hurricane Katrina in 2005. The absence of comprehensive regional management takes a toll on flood control systems. Residents who lived out of state a few months after the disaster were constantly updated on the requirements needed by the city, the permits necessary, the grant possibilities and the trailer process. Families intend to come back and try to rebuild their community networks.