ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we present several case studies that illustrate the often complex relationship between public and private organizations during and after disasters.
In the first case, Kimberly VanWagner looks at the important role played by private contractors in debris removal after Hurricane Sandy
devastated the East Coast. This case clearly shows the benefits of a rapid response to debris removal resident in the private sector, aided by federal public assistance grants. Yet the case also suggests that the cost (to the federal government) is often significantly higher, and fraud may be more common, than if debris removal was undertaken by the municipality alone.
