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Assess Needs, Develop a Plan and Make Decisions

Local leaders have a tremendous opportunity to bridge the gap between their community and non-governmental, state and federal officials. This collaborative approach will help convey the whole community’s needs and determine the most appropriate way to deploy resources post-disaster.

Strategic, inclusive public engagement after a disaster builds hope, trust, and confidence in government, and creates community-driven opportunities to improve long-standing challenges.

Key Resources - Access, Plan & Decide

Define Needs and Analyze Data to Inform Recovery Plans and Projects

Disaster Impact and Unmet Needs Assessment Kit and Tools
Resources for identifying and prioritizing critical unmet needs (Department of Housing and Urban Development).

Integrating Disaster Data into Hazard Mitigation Planning
Guide to using post event data to develop hazard mitigation actions and improve local hazard mitigation plans (FEMA).

Develop and Implement a Strategic Post-Disaster Recovery Plan

Long-Term Community Recovery Planning Process
Guide providing a simple, expedited post disaster planning process to establish goals, long-term recovery initiatives and projects, and secure support of stakeholders and funders (FEMA).

Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery: Next Generation
Comprehensive guidance for post-event plan development, codes, ordinances, land-use, community engagement, and risk mitigation (American Planning Association).

Integrate Equity into Recovery

In the Eye of the Storm: A People’s Guide to Transforming Crisis & Advancing Equity in the Disaster Continuum
Comprehensive guide for addressing equity issues (National Association for Advancement of Colored People).

Post-Disaster Recovery Briefing Papers: Public Engagement in Recovery Planning
Guide outlining importance and strategies for deliberate public engagement and examples of effective engagement for recovery outcomes (American Planning Association).

Building Alliances for Equitable Resilience
Guide providing examples and concepts for application of equity principles to add elements of emergency management and disaster recovery (FEMA and Resilient National Partners).

Incorporate Mitigation and Resilience into Recovery Projects

Mitigate Disaster Damage with FEMA Public Assistance
Basic steps and examples for using funding available under FEMA’s Public Assistance Program to support mitigation actions when repairing and rebuilding (FEMA).

Integrating Hazard Mitigation into Local Planning - Case Studies and Tools for Community Officials
Guide on how to incorporate risk reduction strategies into existing local plans, policies, codes, and programs that guide community development or redevelopment patterns (FEMA).

U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit
Toolkit with a series of steps, tools, and data to plan for or build resilience for climate change (U.S. Global Change Research Program).