Envisioning “Complete Recovery” as an Alternative to “Unmitigated Disaster”

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused massive destruction throughout the Gulf Coast of the United States. While the disaster itself caused many deaths and billions of dollars of destruction, the grave failures of disaster relief and post-disaster rebuilding have eclipsed the storm in the damage they have done. By contrast, after a massive explosion destroyed the Roombeek neighborhood in the town of Enschede, The Netherlands responded with a broad national consensus on the need to rebuild and the right of all residents to return to the devastated area. Deep community engagement provided the basis for planning. An awareness of social process helped keep cooperation and teamwork going well, even after the post-disaster “honeymoon” phase was over. These and other strategies ensured the town's successful recovery. By 2007, seven years after the original disaster, the devastated area had been rebuilt in a manner that respected both the great tragedy that and the people's vision for its future.