Theme Overview: Disaster Relief & Recovery

“What comes the day after a disaster?” That’s the question one of the authors for this theme begins by wondering. For those of us not directly in the wake of natural disasters and not actively involved in relief work, the drama of a recent hurricane or landslide might seem artificially short-lived. We see the news-stories for a few days, perhaps pray for the people involved or send a donation, and then gradually forget about the incident as time passes. For those affected, of course, life has to go on — and, with life, recovery. The authors in this section provide a glimpse of what that healing can look like:

 Camille Frey describes the complex resilience she has seen in her Houston neighborhood in the months following Hurricane Harvey.

 Charlie Labarda reflects on how the social, psychological, and practical facets of recovery have intersected in the Philippines since Super Typhoon Haiyan.