ABSTRACT
Disasters have been deœned as events in which a society “undergoes severe danger and incurs such losses to its members and physical appurtenances that the social structure is disrupted and the ful-œllment of all or some of the essential functions of the society is prevented” (Fritz 1961, 655). In this context, it is clearly evident that disasters represent much more than a quantiœable compromise to the economic value of the natural and built environment. The postdisaster fragmentation of a community’s social structure is represented by the loss of places of work and worship; by the places of safety, sanctuary, and solace; and ultimately by the places of contentment and emotional well-being that are the markers of a healthy society.
