How to Disaster

"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.

In this episode, Jennifer sits with former Wildfire Recovery Ombudsman for Oregon, Michael Morter. Michael helped communities navigate rebuilding challenges after the devastating 2020 wildfires and worked to address barriers that were impeding recovery efforts. Drawing on his experience in state government and insurance, he now advises communities through his consulting firm on navigating disaster recovery.

 

Listen in as Jennifer and Michael offer a behind-the-scenes look at disaster recovery coordination and insights directly from someone who has navigated these challenges first-hand.

 

They also discuss the importance of engaging local builders and navigating complex debris removal processes, innovative programs that increase access to recovery resources, as well as valuable lessons on community engagement, building social capital before disasters strike, and establishing trusted roles like an Ombudsman to cut through bureaucracy. 

Connect with After the Fire: Recover. Rebuild. Reimagine.

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

03:23 Building Social Capital in Disaster Response

10:03 Identifying Barriers Impeding Recovery Efforts

15:02 The Wildfire Ombudsman Project

19:19 Engaging Local Builders

25:17 Disaster Recovery Resources and Insurance and Settlements

35:12 Gentrification and Infrastructure in Rural Communities

40:03 Affordability Concerns and Alternative Sanitary Methods 

44:02 The Importance of Community Involvement

49:23 The Importance of Trust and Building Relationships  

54:44 The Importance of Having a Dedicated Ombudsman in Recovery Efforts

 

"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: 

 

Disasters can exacerbate pre-existing disparities, disproportionately affecting low-income individuals, people of color, and those with limited access to resources. Therefore, in order to ensure equity, recovery efforts should champion equal access to relief, resources, and support. By doing so, communities can rebuild in a fair and sustainable manner. After all, a society is only as strong as its most vulnerable members.

In this episode, Jennifer interviews Alicia Johnson, the CEO of Two Lynchpin Road, and Dave Reis, the Director of the Office of Recovery and Resiliency for the County of Santa Cruz. Alicia and Dave have worked together on various projects related to emergency planning and community organizations in Santa Cruz County. Their shared experience fired their passion for issues of equity and serving diverse communities in disaster recovery.

 

Listen in as Alicia and Dave talk about the challenges of ensuring an equitable recovery, the difficulties of navigating FEMA assistance and the denial process, the importance of long-term recovery groups and disaster case management, post-disaster housing options, workforce development, as well as lessons that can be applied to the recovery efforts in Maui from recent flooding. 

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

05:49 Disaster Management and Equity

08:29 Wildfire Impacts on Varying Socioeconomic Statuses

17:53 Rebuilding Trust After Disasters 

24:56 Finding Contractors Who Match The Community 

33:09 The Importance of Metabolizing Trauma

44:39 Post-Disaster Housing Solutions

57:36 Disaster Response and Community Involvement 

 

"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 the recovery efforts and acting as the life rope for those affected. But, even the sturdiest of shock absorbers can break under sustained pressure from constant exposure to distress, trauma, and physical and emotional burnout. 

 

In this episode, Jennifer interviews Jolie Wills, the CEO of Hummingly, an organization that provides practical tools and resources, all gathered from real disaster and crisis situations, to help individuals and organizations around the world navigate the toughest of times.

 

Listen in as Jennifer and Jolie explore the gap in providing help to our front liners, what leaders can do to help their team, and how leaders can care for themselves as well. They also share how community members can show respect for each other's decisions, how to overcome the self-imposed guilt of prioritizing self-care, and how to manage secondary stress. 

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

05:19 The Mission of Hummingway 

17:59 The Gap in Helping The Helpers  

25:46 How to Support Leaders 

37:28 How to Self-Care: Recovery Leaders 

45:01 It's Hard Because It's Hard

52:30 The Burden of Guilt

01:01:56 Managing Secondary Stress

 

"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 business shutdowns or property damage in a natural disaster, the reduction in income can cause significant financial strain. Moreover, disasters can lead to unforeseen expenses. Repair costs for properties, medical bills, or short-term accommodation can quickly pile up.

In this episode, Jennifer sits with the Vice President of Business Development at MMI, Kate Bulger. Kate began her personal involvement in disaster recovery in 2011 when she visited Joplin, a city left in ruins by an EF5-rated tornado. Her first-hand experience illuminated the enduring and challenging journey to complete recovery.

In 2012, Kate started contributing to partner programs that concentrate on mitigating housing-related issues, enhancing financial health, and assisting victims of natural disasters in their recovery from financial setbacks. Her commitment to these initiatives has been unyielding.

 

Listen in as Jennifer and Kate explore the importance of trauma-informed recovery, how survivors can protect themselves from fraud and scams, the benefits of applying for SBA, supportive techniques for survivors during initial recovery years, and what helpers can learn about self-care. 

 

 

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

02:15 A Journey Into The Disaster Recovery World

10:34 Trauma-Informed Recovery

15:03 The Danger of Fraud and Scams

19:10 Overcoming the First Impulse

24:36 The Impact of Disaster on Renters

32:48 Applying for SBA

38:18 Long-Term Outcomes

41:53 Helping the Helpers

 

"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 and delivering them to the right community. 

 

The essence of addressing misinformation and communication in a disaster lies in building trust. Only when people trust the source of information will they accept and act accordingly. By combining technology with a strong emphasis on trust and authority, it's possible to stem the tide of misinformation and ensure accurate, life-saving information is circulated swiftly and efficiently. 

 

Join Jennifer and Reina Pomeroy of Marshall Together as they share how messaging apps like Slack can help maintain the balance between openness and data privacy, truth and misinformation, and organization and fluidity. They also discuss the importance of limiting members, keeping the communication channels organized, some challenges that may occur in moderating the communication, and how to solve them.

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

03:52 Misinformation in a Disaster

08:10 What is Slack?

12:01 Addressing Misinformation

15:34 Pass Along the Info

 

"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 also be separated from their parents or other loved ones. 

But unfortunately, disasters can strike at any time, without warning. That's why it's so important to make sure that our children are safe and have their needs met during and after a disaster. 

Project Camp, founded by Mikey Latner is an organization that made this need its very mission. Along with their partners, Project Camp has become a sanctuary for young ones, providing safety in a fun and creative way. 

 

Learn more about Project Camp's mission as Jennifer and Mikey revisit the organization's origin and the process of creating a space of safety and normalcy for kids— from the organization and preparation to the actual building of camps. They also discuss the role of professionals in supporting children in the face of disaster, bridging the gap in the relief space, the importance of "writing your plans in pencil", implementing strategic collaboration among partners, and how to help the helpers  practice self-care as individuals and as an organization.

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

02:06 The Project Camp Mission

07:46 Your Skill Matters

11:59 Creating a Safe and Creative Space for Kids

15:53 Meeting Kids Where They're At 

25:31 Growing the Camp

31:57 Leveraging People to Do the Work 

33:41 Self-Care in the Organization 

38:47 Defining Service Delivery

 

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 crises. 

This global challenge layered over our existing health crisis has made it apparent that we must act fast. And we believe that the key to surviving and thriving in this new environment lies in our ability to be resilient and adaptable.

Recognizing the interconnected nature of these issues has prompted us to shift our focus this season on exploring approaches to increase resilience whilst confronting both challenges.

For the past four seasons, we've brought extraordinary minds who are truly making strides in battling climate-based disasters. This season, we aim to unleash an exciting lineup of enthusiasts who have rolled up their sleeves and faced these challenges head-on to make a lasting impact. 

We are grateful for the unwavering support you have shown us throughout the past seasons. Your encouragement and engagement have fueled our passion to provide you with the best resources for navigating through challenging times. Our commitment remains steadfast in delivering valuable content that equips you with the knowledge and skills to handle disasters effectively.

We encourage you to tune in to our upcoming episodes, like, and share them with others. We value your feedback and take it seriously as we continuously work towards refining our content and delivering a tailored experience that meets your expectations.

Thank you once again for being an integral part of our journey. We look forward to embarking on this new season alongside you, as we strive to bring you the best resources on HOW TO DISASTER. 

 

Resources:

Find us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qf4grpRpMbegzl56vM4fM?si=CeHOPe8nSumMahhIexJKkA&dl_branch=1

 

Find us on Our Libsyn Distribution Portal:

https://howtodisaster.libsyn.com

Highlights:

00:24 The Past Seasons

00:39 Season 5

00:57 What to Expect

01:09 Thank You

 

 "It's through those human relationships that make this whole thing tolerable to do because it's about the people involved." -Pamela Van Halsema

 

Episode 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 intensity.

When preparing for a wildfire, it's important to think about the community as a whole. This kind of planning is important because it ensures that everyone in the community has access to the resources they need when disaster strikes and after.

In this episode, Pamela Van Halsema returns as an official part of the After the Fire family. She serves as the Director of Community and Digital Programs and oversees the organization's Community to Community Series. 

 

Listen in as Jennifer and Pamela discuss how we can rebuild with climate resiliency in mind, how to help survivors emotionally and prepare them for the next steps, what adaptable systems can we use, and why getting to know our neighbors is a big factor in resilience. 

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

04:56 Pam About Helping One Another

09:09 Helping People Build Back 

13:49 The Scope of Work to be Done 

19:16 Different Responses to Disasters

29:38 Know the People You Are Trying to Help

36:41 Helpful Resources for Rebuilding

43:47 2022 Wildfire Leadership Summit

49:15 It's About the People Involved

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 

Episode Description: 

While forest landowners play a critical role in mitigating wildfire, they often face challenges that make this difficult. 

 

For instance, many are not sure how to get started even if they want to start managing their lands for wildfire protection. They may feel overwhelmed by the task of preparing their land for wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts. They may lack knowledge on how to mitigate wildfires safely and effectively or the access to funding mitigation efforts. 

 

That's why, in an effort to provide a solution to these problems, After the Fire has launched its North Bay Forest Improvement Program/NBFI with the leadership of the Director of Grants and Government Programs for ATF, Molly Curley O'Brien. NBFIP is an initiative to help landowners get compensated for work they perform on their forested lands. 

 

This week, Jennifer and Molly discuss more about NBFIP, how it came to be, and why this initiative is crucial in fire mitigation efforts. They also talk about the importance of building collective resilience, how to help our technical experts, how innovation is tied to resilience, and why funding should be a priority in sustaining these mitigation efforts.

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

05:20 What is the North Bay Forest Improvement Program

09:32 Why Compensation is Needed

17:15 The Secret Sauce

21:49 Technical Experts Need Help

26:06 Inside the Processes 

30:28 Collective Resilience

37:20 A Dire Need in the Resilience Space

42:44 A Regional Effort

 

"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

Episode Description: 

When it comes to disasters, building materials are not just useful—they're essential. Every time we build something that can help prevent fires from happening or spreading, we're influencing how wildfire impacts our properties and the community we live in. 

 

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), an independent, 501 (C) nonprofit scientific research and communications organization, works to provide practical solutions to build more resilient communities. 

 

This week, we are joined by the organization's Chief Product Officer Alister Watt and Research Engineer, Daniel Gorham to talk about how our choice of building materials can make a difference during a disaster. They also help us understand the trend of fires in the wildlands vs urban communities, how the layout of an environment influences the extent and gravity of a disaster's impact, why we need to change our view of aesthetics, what ember casts are and how to prevent them from entering our homes, and how Wildfire Prepared, a project of IBHS, can help us get better insured.

Connect with After The Fire USA: 

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

02:13 Meet Alister and Daniel and Their Work with IBHS

06:29 Understanding the Trend: Wildland vs Urban Fires

12:09 Rural Community Fire vs Condensed Fire

17:42 The Role of Insurance in Disaster Preparedness

21:04 A Change Needed in Our View of Aesthetics

24:50 It's All About Ember

30:24 How to Prevent Embers From Entering Our Homes

39:37 We Are Not Powerless Against Wildfires

45:13 Recreating Hazards: What Happens "During" 

49:53 Spend More to Build It Right

52:58 The Benefits of Being Prepared