ABSTRACT
Disasters impact communities of all sizes by impacting quality of life through damage and infrastructure impacts as well as injuries and loss of life. These disasters can be caused by natural hazards like storms, flooding, and earthquakes or human-caused events such as technological failures and terrorism. Depending on the size and scope of the actual disruptive event, a local community (and the individuals and families that make it up) may be disrupted for a short period of time (e.g., days) or a longer period of time (e.g., months or years) before their lives are restored to predisaster or similar conditions. This period of recovery is a critical period of time and is filled with physical, financial, and psychological hurdles which are often complicated and unpredictable.
