How to Disaster

"Don't expect to go through it yourself. People will want to help, ask for it. And then when you get through your disaster, pay it forward." -Margie Foster   Episode Description:  When catastrophe strikes, it falls to ordinary citizens to come together, support each other, and lead the recovery efforts from the ground up.  And in these moments, they also discover inner strength and res...

"Be prepared so you can help, because everyone needs everybody in this situation." -Joshua Farrell   Preparation isn't just about survival— it's about having the capacity to help others. Our ability to lend a hand can significantly ease the burden and contribute to a faster recovery for the entire community.  In the previous episode, we covered the basics of individual disaster pre...

"If you're prepared, you're not freaking out, you're taken care of, and you can help other people." -Joshua Farrell   Being prepared for disaster is crucial for citizens and communities alike. When emergencies like wildfires or other natural hazards strike, they can overwhelm local response efforts and leave many residents vulnerable in the aftermath. However, with some basic p...

 "Don't isolate first responders by making them into heroes. The greatest thing that anyone can do is just say, 'thank you for your service.'" -Susan Farren   "We owe it to our first responders to do whatever we can to help make their jobs easier." -Bailey Farren Episode Description:  Our first responders and healthcare workers sacrifice so much to care for our communit...

"Being a volunteer is a privilege…  I wasn't documented so I volunteered a lot. And that volunteer work led many doors to be opened up for me." -Jocksana Corona   Episode Description:  When disaster strikes a community, ordinary people frequently discover an inner strength and sense of purpose they never knew they possessed. Driven by a desire to help their neighbors through difficult...

"You're in that place where disaster hasn't hit you, but you know it's coming. Start training now." -Tennis Wick   Episode Description:  In the aftermath of the devastating 2017 wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes in Sonoma County, Tennis Wick found himself at the center of recovery efforts as the director of Permit Sonoma.  This interview explores how to effectively na...

SERIES: Role of the Non-Profit   "You cannot approach a community without respecting in full who they are and their autonomy. If you can't approach it that way, it's going to come off as ingenuine, and they're going to read it right away, and that disengages people right off the bat." -Alma Bowen   Episode Description:  In the event of a disaster, first responders receive calls...

SERIES: Role of the Public Sector Leader    "Sometimes we think physically doing something for someone is what's best for them. But sometimes they just want someone to hear their story… Sit back and listen. People want to be heard." -Christa López Episode Description:    There are so many layers to unpack in a disaster. Everything happens so quickly, people are anxious, supplies are ru...

SERIES: Role of the Mental Health Care Leaders   "We have to go beyond education, we need mental health action!" -Adrienne Heinz, Ph. D.   Episode Description:  What's more terrifying and costly than cancer? Untreated mental health issues. Mental health is a huge part of recovery after a disaster. This week, Jennifer interviews Dr. Adrienne Heinz for an in-depth discussion about mental...

 "Be very careful what you promise unless you know you can deliver something. There is enough heartbreak in a disaster that people don't need to hear that you're going to solve all their problems, and then you don't." -Charles Brooks   The last thing we want to do in a disaster is to create another disaster, that's why having an organization to help build a system is invalu...

"You have to have some structure so that when that event happens, there's a trusted grassroots network in place." —Michael Morter   Episode Description:  It is said that disaster recovery is part problem-solving and part relationship-building. It recognizes that both practical solutions and social connections are vital to restoring what was lost and building resilience for the future....

"If you're a local leader, you're knee-deep in it, moving at the speed that the community wants you to move, in the direction that they're willing to go. That's the basis of a successful recovery." —Alicia Johnson    "We have to learn and be able to educate our communities around … the why behind what rebuild looks like." —Dave Reid   Episode Description:    Disaste...

"One of the beautiful things disasters have to teach us is how to not just offer support, but receive it." —Jolie Wills    Episode Description:  Emergent leaders and frontliners are akin to shock absorbers in a car. They absorb a heavy load of impact, cushioning the rest of the community. These individuals, by virtue of their roles, are at the frontlines of disaster response, spearheading...

"Helping people adjust to that new financial reality is really critical in helping them adjust quickly. Because the longer someone goes where they're spending more than they're making every month, the harder it is for them to recover long-term." —Kate Bulger     Episode Description:  When disaster strikes, loss of income is often an unpleasant reality. Whether it's due to busin...

"It's a matter of keeping the guardrails up and making sure that people continue to be safe." —Reina Pomeroy     Episode Description:  When disaster strikes, there's no time for mixed messages. Misinformation can fuel panic, hamper recovery efforts, and even endanger lives. Effective disaster response isn't just about physical aid— it's also about keeping the facts straight...

"Disaster relief needs a space where we can provide support for kids because it has so many knock-on effects. The only way a community up and running again is if they have reliable childcare." —Mikey Latner Episode Description:  Natural disasters can be very frightening for children. They may see or hear about things that are frightening, such as death, destruction, and violence. They may...

Welcome aboard to Season 5 of the How to Disaster Podcast!   When we launched this podcast a couple of years ago, we could not have foreseen the escalation of global warming in such a short span. Climate change is no longer a distant reality, and its impacts are being felt across the globe. Our health, economy, and social structures are experiencing unprecedented strain due to these cascading cris...

  "It's through those human relationships that make this whole thing tolerable to do because it's about the people involved." -Pamela Van Halsema   E pisode Description:  Wildfires are a natural part of the globe's ecosystem. But in recent years, they've become more common and destructive due to climate change. Wildfires have been occurring with greater frequency and intens...

To just have fire experts talk about resilience is not going to create a resilient project and so it's a good thing to have folks to be part of the conversation. We do not know the full scope of what's needed to get done. And together, we can figure it out." -Molly Curley O'Brien  E pisode Description:  While forest landowners play a critical role in mitigating wildfire, they often...

"We know that we're not powerless against wildfires. It's a question of, 'what are the steps? What are the actions that really make a difference?'" -Alister Watt   "Wildfire doesn't acknowledge boundaries— we need to be thinking about resilience and preparedness with that in mind." -Daniel Gorham E pisode Description:  When it comes to disasters, building materi...

"You need to be prepared for all sorts of scenarios as to what comes into play." -Louie Delaware   E pisode Description:  Homes are meant to be safe havens. They're the places we retreat to in times of need and they help us avoid the brunt of a disaster.   The structure and design of our home says a lot about how resilient it is when a disaster strikes. Of course, our goal should not o...

"[Helping] is a passion that goes deep. If we could steer that passion towards funding for the nonprofits that needed to do what they know they need to do, we can facilitate product donations at a much, much higher level." -Jim Alvey E pisode Description:  One of the biggest problems with donated goods is that a lot of them end up in landfills. This is because people often donate items tha...

 "It's really exciting to think about what could be done when the generator is not the problem." - Will Heegaard E pisode Description:    Rebuilding a community after a disaster is a lot like building a house. You have to make sure that the foundation is strong and secure, and you have to make sure that you're using the right materials for the job. The best way to do this is by reb...

"It's really based on how people maintain their properties. They're all the homes that look identical but they're actually different." -Stuart Mitchell E pisode Description:  Fire is one of the most destructive disasters that can happen to a home. It can take just minutes for a fire to completely destroy everything you have worked so hard for. Therefore, fire mitigation practic...

"We can't meet this challenge as individual organizations. We need to band together and create a voice." -Steve Crout   E pisode Description:  Every community is different, and every community's needs are different. But one thing that all communities have in common is the need to build disaster resilience—and that's where CANVAS for Recovery and Resiliency comes in.    Co-found...