Disaster recovery

Immediately following a disaster-producing event, attention appropriately is focused on relief efforts to save lives, manage the acute needs of the victims, and prevent further injury and damage. This phase of a disaster may be short-lived, or may be prolonged, depending on the type and severity of the ensuing damage. The recovery phase of a disaster refers to that period of a disaster during which efforts are directed toward returning the affected society to its pre-event (and pre-disaster) state. Ideally, the recovery process begins soon after the event and overlaps with the relief phase. The aim is to return the affected community back to its "normal" state as quickly as possible. This means the restoration of commerce, the reopening of schools, and the reinstitution of usual community patterns. Some may refer to this as rehabilitation, i.e., the process of restoring things to their prior state; more commonly it is referred to as disaster recovery. Birnbaum describes the three response phases of a disaster as: (1) relief; (2) recovery; and (3) development. The relief phase includes the immediate efforts to contain the loss of lives and prevent further deterioration; the recovery phase includes efforts to restore function to the "pre-event" status; and the development phase includes processes that strengthen the community beyond its pre-event state