What is a disaster?  I almost always begin my seminars with this question (sometimes a participant will yell out—this program!) and a discussion related to it.    Notwithstanding the possibility that you, the reader, might be having a similar reaction to the one mentioned above, I will once again begin, at what for me at least, is a logical starting place.

What is a disaster…and how can we understand them.  There are several ways to answer that question.  From a scientific point of view one can define disasters in terms of Phases as well as in terms of Types.  Probably, the most recognized disaster phase structure is Farberow’s (1985) four phase paradigm.  These are termed the heroic phase, the honeymoon phase, the disillusionment phase, and the reconstruction phase.  The first phase occurs during, what other authors term, the impact phase.  The disaster strikes and the individual attempts to survive and help others.  The next phase lasts from 3 to 6 months and is characterized by optimism as survivors look forward to reconstructing their lives.  The disillusionment phase, which Farberow states lasts from one month to one to two years, is characterized by anger, cynicism, and frustration as the promises of proffered aid fail to materialize as hoped and expected.  The last phase occurs as the people and community work to rebuild their lives.

Another way to understand disasters is in terms of Types.  Hodgkinson (1989) notes that both natural and man-made disasters are sudden and powerful.  However, to one degree or another, natural disasters, such as floods, tornadoes, or hurricanes, are often predictable.   On the other hand, man-made, or technological, disasters, such as plane crashes, nuclear plant explosions, or terrorist bombings, usually occur without any warning.  Both types of disasters can cause damage to the locale where the survivors live and work.  However, man-made disasters can also occur in locations where the survivors do not live.  Natural disasters are seen as uncontrollable, as “Acts of God’.  However, man-made disasters are often perceived as avoidable; if it were not for the negligence or criminal activity of some person or persons the disaster would not have occurred.  Research suggests that there are higher rates of PTSD and other mental disorders in man made disasters vs. natural disasters.  (Why do you think that is?)

Another way to understand disasters is to categorize them as either immediate or prolonged.  An immediate disaster occurs fairly rapidly and then is over, e.g. a tornado hits a town and is gone in half an hour.  A prolonged disaster lasts and no one is quite sure when the all clear can be sounded, e.g. a pandemic occurs or anthrax is released.  Natural or man-made disasters can be placed in either category.  It is believed that prolonged disasters, because of their very nature i.e. the fact that we don’t know when they are over, have a greater potential for causing mental health problems as opposed to immediate disasters.

Finally a third way to categorize disasters is presented by Lindy et al. (1981).  These researchers compare and contrast centrifugal disasters with centripetal disasters.  Examples of a centrifugal disaster are a plane crash, train wreck, or a deadly restaurant fire.  Prior to the disaster, the victims neither live nor work in the disaster area.  Following disaster impact the survivors scatter centrifugally away from the site of death and destruction.  On the other hand, examples of a centripetal disaster are a tornado, flood, or the bombing of a city’s downtown area.  Prior to the disaster, the victims live or work in the disaster area.  The community itself becomes a victim and a survivor.

In conclusion, an intellectual understanding of just what a disaster is helps, at least for me, to orient oneself to the scope of the problem, what to do to prepare, and what to do subsequently.  Next, resilience and disaster volunteer preparation.