ABSTRACT
Disasters change communities. This chapter explores the complex dynamic between communities and disasters. In some disasters, communities are brought closer together, and in others, they lessen community ties and deepen existing inequalities. Additionally, the narratives that communities tell and that others tell about the disaster influence a community’s ability to understand and recover. In the twenty-first century, how communities develop and how disasters occur has changed. This chapter reviews how a community can plan for a disaster by building on its strengths and strategizing for resiliency. This chapter also suggests that disaster professionals must be involved in the work of community building if they are to be successful at fostering long-term disaster preparedness and resiliency.
