ABSTRACT
A resilient community is one that is able to effectively and quickly prepare for, respond to, and recover from the impacts of a natural or man-made disaster, in three key respects: social infrastructure, physical infrastructure, and economic infrastructure. This means that the community is able to coordinate efforts and leverage sufficient resources at the local level to restore critical lifelines, maintain or restore the basic physical needs of its population, and maintain or regain financial stability within a period of time that is acceptable to the community. A resilient community is one where the social fabric is not irreparably harmed after a disaster, but rather is mended, strengthened, and sufficiently maintained to achieve a state of “normal” for the members of the community during recovery. Community resiliency, in the case of a severe and prolonged disaster, may involve the leveraging or enhancing of resources among federal, tribal, state, local, nonprofit, and private sector partners to achieve a state of “normal” or “new normal.” Community resiliency requires investment and collaboration as well as an agreed-upon community vision and values, acceptable timeframes for recovery, including government and business continuity, a commitment to volunteerism, and a set of community indicators by which progress toward resiliency can be measured.
