Disaster Recovery Operations

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Recovery in the aftermath of natural or man-made disasters is directly related to the availability of local resources and the infrastructure and operational ability to deliver assistance from outside the affected region. RAND researchers have helped governments, militaries, and private organizations organize recovery operations during disasters, learn from past experience, and prepare for future disasters.

  • People work at the site of a collapsed building, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, February 14, 2023, photo by Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

    Q&A

    Earthquake in Turkey, Syria: Insights from RAND Researchers

    Thousands of people have been confirmed dead in one the strongest earthquakes to hit Turkey and Syria in the past century. As search-and-rescue missions ended and recovery began, a handful of RAND researchers shared some of their initial thoughts.

    Feb 14, 2023

  • Drone footage of the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, February 6, 2023, photo by NTSBGov via Reuters

    Commentary

    Ohio's Train Derailment—Not Spy Balloons—Is the Real National Security Threat

    The slow degradation of infrastructure and disaster response is less a spectacle than an overflying balloon, but the train derailment and chemical spill in Ohio highlights just how bizarre such a focus on perceived external national security threats has become. The far greater threat may be from within.

    Feb 20, 2023

Explore Disaster Recovery Operations

  • Nepalese military personnel and international rescue crews check on a collapsed building after the earthquake in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 12, 2015

    Commentary

    Another Nepal Earthquake Makes Disaster Relief Planning Even More Important

    Leadership, coordination, communication, and involvement of local stakeholders are critical to an informed response to natural disasters. Improved disaster management in Nepal could help limit the suffering of impacted communities and help secure a more successful recovery in the long run.

    May 13, 2015

  • Nepal military personnel sits next to relief supplies at Gorkha district office following Saturday's earthquake in Gorkha, Nepal April 30, 2015

    Commentary

    Nepal Earthquake Response Shows Need for Better International Planning

    The U.S. provided supplies after the earthquake in Nepal, but they piled up at points of delivery because Nepalese customs authorities insisted that standard inspections be followed, even in an emergency situation. These kinds of bureaucratic challenges can be more easily overcome if they are identified and addressed before crises arise.

    May 7, 2015

  • News Release

    News Release

    New Tool Can Help Identify Nations That May Be Vulnerable to Ebola or Other Public Health Emergencies

    Public health experts can identify nations that are vulnerable to the occurrence and impact of future outbreaks of Ebola or other emergencies by using a screening tool that evaluates a nation's strengths across a wide range of measures such as political strength and health care capabilities.

    Mar 3, 2015

  • Government health workers administering blood tests for the Ebola virus in Kenema, Sierra Leone, June 2014

    Report

    Mitigating the Impact of Ebola in Potential Hot Zones

    The experiences of African countries that successfully contained Ebola early can be informative for government officials, international organizations, and aid agencies seeking to capture the underlying factors that affect countries' resilience to such outbreaks and can help them prepare for high-risk scenarios.

    Feb 23, 2015

  • Workers remove oil-soaked grass from a marshland in Bay Jimmy, Louisiana, one year after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, April 2011

    Announcement

    New Research Consortium to Tackle Community Resilience in the Gulf Region

    A new research group, the Consortium for Resilient Gulf Communities, will assess and address the public health, social, and economic impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico region. It will focus on determining how communities can build resilience to future disasters.

    Feb 17, 2015

  • A health worker demonstrates putting on protective gear in a Red Cross facility in Koidu, Sierra Leone, December 18, 2014

    Report

    Learning While Doing: Applying Lessons Learned During Public Health Emergencies

    Response efforts to the 2014 Ebola outbreak highlighted both strengths and weaknesses. Researchers have created a tool that may help inform and guide ongoing efforts in the midst of similar public health emergencies, rather than after the fact.

    Feb 12, 2015

  • Microscopic view of the Ebola virus

    Report

    Assessing Options for Public Health Emergency Planning and Response

    When public health emergencies arise, policymakers must assess and compare interventions to determine the best way forward. Using Ebola as an example, RAND developed a simple, practical, proof-of-concept tool that may fill gaps in a decisionmaker's ability to systematically assess options in a public health emergency.

    Feb 9, 2015

  • A bulldozer is parked in the Queens borough of New York where a concrete foundation is all that remains of a house that burned to the ground during Superstorm Sandy in October 2012

    Report

    Lessons Learned from Implementing Infrastructure Resilience Guidelines

    The Presidential Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force developed guidelines to ensure that federal agencies incorporate key principles of resilience into their formulation, evaluation, and prioritization of infrastructure investments related to Sandy rebuilding. An initial assessment of the implementation of the guidelines identifies opportunities and challenges.

    Dec 9, 2014

  • Rob Cox and Kenneth Feinberg at RAND's Politics Aside 2014

    Blog

    In the Wake of Disaster: Practical and Philosophical Challenges of Victim Compensation

    When tragedy strikes, Kenneth Feinberg is often the person companies and governments turn to for help to determine appropriate monetary compensation. At RAND's Politics Aside event last week, he shared some of his thoughts on what goes into making those decisions, and why it's so important to meet with victims.

    Nov 20, 2014

  • Judith Rodin at RAND's Politics Aside 2014

    Blog

    Investing in Resilient Cities

    It's time to change the paradigm from disaster response and recovery to building resilient communities, said Judith Rodin, president of The Rockefeller Foundation, at RAND's Politics Aside event. To build resiliency, officials need to take an integrated approach to planning.

    Nov 15, 2014

  • Infographic

    Infographic

    Building Blocks for a Resilient City

    This infographic illustrates how communities can withstand and recover from disasters by building resiliency.

    Aug 18, 2014

  • Testimony

    Testimony

    Applying Lessons Learned from Past Response Operations to Strengthening National Preparedness: Addendum

    Document submitted on July 11, 2014 as an addendum to testimony presented before the House Homeland Security Committee on June 18, 2014.

    Jul 11, 2014

  • two firemen responding to an emergency

    Commentary

    An Enduring Need for Better Measures of Emergency Preparedness

    In an era of fiscal austerity, the need for measurement and assessment becomes manifold. Tied to good government goals and responsible stewardship of public funds, measurements are also necessary to educate the public about what it should—and should not—reasonably expect when disaster strikes.

    Jun 25, 2014

  • A man passes by the skyline of New York's Lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center as he walks through Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ

    Blog

    RAND Research Influences Debate on Terrorism Insurance

    To inform the debate on whether the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) should be continued or allowed to expire, RAND prepared policy briefs on three topics of central concern to policymakers: national security perspectives, the impact on federal spending, and the impact on workers' compensation markets.

    Jun 19, 2014

  • Emergency services personnel inspect the site where part of a five-story building collapsed after a reported explosion in New York

    Testimony

    Lessons from Past Response Operations Can Help Strengthen National Preparedness

    For the nation to be prepared for large-scale events, the national preparedness system needs to effectively support the initially local responders who will always be the first on the scene.

    Jun 18, 2014

  • The Tribute in Light is illuminated on the skyline of New York's Lower Manhattan as people look across the Hudson River in Jersey City, September 11, 2013

    Commentary

    3 Terrorism Risk Insurance Act Facts for Congress to Consider

    With the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act set to expire this year, Congress is currently revisiting a crucial question: What is the appropriate government role in terrorism insurance markets? As the debate unfolds on Capitol Hill, policymakers should consider three key research findings.

    Jun 12, 2014

  • road and horizon

    Infographic

    Road to Resilience: Building Stronger, More Sustainable Communities

    This infographic illustrates how communities can become more resilient as they plan ahead for potential disasters.

    May 23, 2014

  • young people holding hands in a circle with the sun setting

    Multimedia

    Building Resilient Communities: Spanish Translation

    Emergency preparedness can get you through the first few days following a disaster. But how can your community bounce back over the long term? With disasters becoming more common and costly, and with some areas enduring multiple disasters, the importance of building community resilience has never been greater.

    May 20, 2014

  • News Release

    News Release

    Extending Terrorism Insurance Program Could Save Federal Government Money After Future Attacks

    The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act will expire soon and Congress is considering the appropriate government role in terrorism insurance markets. In a terrorist attack with losses up to $50 billion, the federal government would spend more helping to cover losses than if it had continued to support a national terrorism risk insurance program.

    Apr 10, 2014

  • New York City firefighters pour water on the wreckage of 7 World Trade Center in Sept. 2001

    Report

    Extending Terrorism Insurance Program Could Save Federal Government Money After Future Attacks

    The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act will expire at the end of this year and Congress is considering the appropriate government role in terrorism insurance markets. In a terrorist attack with losses up to $50 billion, the federal government would spend more helping to cover losses than if it had continued to support a national terrorism risk insurance program.

    Apr 9, 2014

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