An Overview Of Our Solution
Each year, 100,000 in the U.S. are affected by an average of 100 disasters. These include draughts, earthquakes, extreme temperatures, floods, hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes, and wildfires. The International Center for Disaster Recovery (ICDR) takes an “all hazards” approach to disaster recovery, in line with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Response Framework.
The challenge:
Before and after disasters, survivors are daunted by a maze of spotty, confusing information. The aid available and how to access it is unclear. Few solutions utilize the strengths and resources that exist in communities (skilled volunteers, faith-based programs, and local donors) to help those in need.
The solution:
Over the past year, ICDR has developed a new web-based platform called RecoveryHub. RecoveryHub is a “one-stop shop” web/mobile platform for all phases of the disaster lifecycle; uniting communities and relief agencies with self-help info and resources. RecoveryHub enables residents and communities to be more prepared in the face of natural hazards by connecting with one another and sharing information and training opportunities before a disaster happens. RecoveryHub is currently being piloted in New York in Hurricane Sandy affected communities.
- Population Impacted: 100,000
- Continent: North America
Address
69 Charlton Street, First Floor
New York, NY 10014
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Hazard
Identify the likelihood and frequency of this hazard
Explain how vulnerable the community is to this hazard
List the potential affects of this hazard
Identify how sensitive the community is to these affects
Preparedness Goal
Implementation Actions
ICDR’s mission is to make resources accessible to vulnerable residents in a more efficient way through web technology. We aim to put residents in the “driver’s seat” of their own preparedness and recovery efforts as opposed to being passive aid recipients. ICDR’s programs build the recovery capacity of communities through training supported by unique online tools. We work with local stakeholders to develop sustainable solutions that are easily replicated in other locations.
Activities: 1) Collaborating with community leaders and relief agencies to develop and deploy the sustainable web tool RecoveryHub in affected communities; 2) Engaging and training community organizations, relief agencies, and donors.
RecoveryHub is a “one-stop shop” web/mobile platform for all phases of the disaster lifecycle; uniting communities and relief agencies with self-help info and resources. RecoveryHub enables residents and communities to be more prepared in the face of natural hazards by connecting with one another and sharing information and training opportunities before a disaster happens. RecoveryHub is currently being piloted in New York in Hurricane Sandy affected communities.
Describe Your Solution
The long-term resiliency of disaster-affected individuals and communities is most sustainable when social connections and infrastructure is improved at the local level. Social connectedness increases individuals’ access to real and perceived social support, and communities with many social connections can more quickly mobilize needed resources to recover from a recent disaster and increase preparedness and resiliency for future disasters. The communities affected by Sandy that have been most successful in recovering have often formed community-level groups and coalitions dedicated to recovery and preparedness. There are currently more than 20 of these LTRGs throughout New York State. However, there is currently no platform for these diverse groups to collaborate and build upon each other’s strengths through shared information on available resources, training, events, and tools for disaster preparedness and recovery. RecoveryHub helps to build social connections and provide an open, transparent, single place for organizations to collaborate and survivors to become more resilient through local support networks that are connected with the city-wide recovery effort.
What it does:
A. For individual disaster survivors and households: Ensure equal access to recovery resource information.
RecoveryHub recognizes the strengths of the 14,000+ survivors of Hurricane Sandy who have dwellings that are still in need of repair and rebuild services and will empower citizens to direct their own recovery efforts. Through its Community Recovery Resource Exchange, RecoveryHub makes recovery resource information available directly to survivors, reducing reliance on state-appointed disaster case managers. This approach not only empowers survivors, but also the community as a whole, by allowing anyone affected to add sources of help, comment on them, rate them, and share them with friends. Increased collaboration and information sharing will help Sandy-impacted communities mobilize needed resources in a more efficient manner.
B. For communities: Build resilience through improved intra- and inter-community collaboration.
RecoveryHub is a one-stop shop for affected residents and their communities to not only find helpful resource providers, but also connect with each other across neighborhoods and share information about the resources and approaches that have worked for them. As part of its tool set, RecoveryHub provides an Events/Training Calendar that lists training and events related to Hurricane Sandy and future disaster preparedness, so that community members will have access to the same pool of training opportunities regardless of where they are located.
C. For those working in disaster recovery roles: Increase cooperation, communication, coordination, and collaboration.
RecoveryHub facilitates increased cooperation, communication, coordination, and collaboration among those working in disaster recovery roles. Through a Reports & Tools Library, RecoveryHub provides for recovery workers a searchable database of tools, tip sheets, best practice documents, lessons learned, reports, white papers, and other resources. Through a community-moderated Groups feature, RecoveryHub facilitates inter-agency dialogue by providing recovery workers from any agency with an online forum to post information, share resources, and discuss all facets of recovery.
Economic?
The RecoveryHub platform is absolutely free to survivors and disaster workers/volunteers. By rolling out the platform in New York, an estimated 270,000 survivors of Hurricane Sandy are being reached in the coming months at very low cost. Hundreds of community resources valued in the millions of dollars are being mapped and identified in order to increase preparedness and resilience for future disasters. As such, RecoveryHub reaches a large audience at a nominal cost of maintaining the platform.
Environmental?
N/A
What were the negative or unintended impacts (if any) associated with implementing this solution?
No negative or unintended impacts were associated with implementing RecoveryHub.
Return on Investment: How much did it cost to implement these activities? How do your results above compare to this investment?
The RecoveryHub project has been supported by charitable donations and partnerships for in-kind services amounting to approximately $25,000. With the capability to reach 270,000 in the Hurricane Sandy community in New York alone, and a further 100,000+ affected residents per year throughout the U.S., RecoveryHub is an extremely low-cost solution (Less than 10 cents per user).
What are the main factors needed to successfully replicate this solution
RecoveryHub can be deployed at zero cost to other communities. Successful replication simply involves a small amount of funding to cover RecoveryHub staff and technology expenses, as well as local community leaders who are willing to invest effort in publicizing the solution. RecoveryHub works best when complemented by local community training and leadership development.