Recovery Toolkit

ABAG Recovery Toolkit for Local Governments

This toolkit provides sampling of some of the work done by ABAG, other local, state, and federal partners, other local governments, and academics on the topic of long-term disaster recovery, and includes some conceptual and theoretical work as well as practical, usable tools such as model ordinances. Our goal is to introduce the topic of long-term disaster recovery as distinct from disaster mitigation and response and present the materials here as the start of a larger toolkit for local governments to plan for their own long-term recovery process, which will be developed and distributed at a later date. While the toolkit aims to provide tools that are useful to individual jurisdictions, we have also included content that explores the role of jurisdictions within their larger region during the recovery phase.

The content of this toolkit was provided to attendees of the October 18, 2012 General Assembly.

Checklists and Plans

The following resources are the top resources designed to assist local governments in navigating disaster recovery. They provide concise directions for actions to take to expedite and streamline the recovery process.

• Before Disaster Hits: Top Items a Local Government Needs in Place to Launch Effective Community Recovery and Launching Community Recovery When Disaster Strikes
• Excerpts from Earthquake Recovery: A Survival Manual for Local Government
• Oakland Long-Term Disaster Recovery Plan

Recovery Ordinances and Tools

This section provides practical, usable tools for cities to adopt ordinances and pieces of policy that can speed recovery. Pieces in this section include policy guidance, recommended actions with explicit instructions, and model ordinances.

• Building code provisions regarding seismic upgrades triggered by repair projects
• Chapter 5: A Planner’s Tool Kit from Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction
• Issuing Building Permits from Earthquake Recovery: A Survival Manual for Local Government
• Post Disaster Redevelopment Planning: A Guide for Florida Communities

Funding and Economic Issues

One of the largest questions surrounding recovery is how money will flow, both to fund recovery and to maintain a strong economy. These resources provide case studies from other disaster events on how they managed money flows and economic impacts during their own recovery.

• Restoring Regional Economies in the Wake of Disaster
• Disaster Recovery Community Development Block Grant Programs – Hurricane Katrina
• Cedar Rapids, Iowa Recovery and Reinvestment Coordinating Team Progress Report
• The Northridge Earthquake, USA and its Economic and Social Impacts
• Disaster Recovery: Past Experiences Offer Insights for Recovering from Hurricanes Ike and Gustav and Other Recent Natural Disasters
• One Year Later: The Fiscal Impact of 9/11 on New York City

Recovery Concepts and Frameworks

This section provides fundamental theories and concepts of long-term recovery as distinct from disaster response, with unique players, skills, and implications.

• National Disaster Recovery Framework
• Disaster Resilience: A National Imperative (Executive Summary)
• Envirenew Resilience Part 1 Report: Creating Resilient Communities

Case Studies and Additional Thinking

The following pieces provide additional context and case studies that support and expand upon the content above.

• The Resilient City: Defining What San Francisco Needs from its Seismic Mitigation Policies
• The Resilient City: The Dilemma of Existing Buildings
• The Resilient City: Building it Right the First Time
• The Resilient City: Lifelines
• The Resilient City: Safe Enough to Stay
• The Resilient City: The Culture of Preparedness
• The Resilient City: The Hub Concept
• The Resilient City: Rebuilding our Transportation Infrastructure
• Post-Earthquake Housing Recovery: San Antonio/Fruitvale Neighborhoods Design Charrette Recommendations
• Reconstruction of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina: A Research Perspective
• The Unified New Orleans Plan: Citywide Strategic Recovery and Rebuilding Plan
• Lessons in Community Recovery: Seven Years of Emergency Support Function #14 Long-Term Community Recovery from 2004 to 2011