| Disasters can strike anytime, anywhere. Recovering | | | | individuals. In larger emergencies they may help out by |
| from disasters can be a major task, especially if not | | | | bringing the Small Business Administration's (SBA) loan |
| handled properly. Chaos and confusion generally rule | | | | programs into play. This allows individuals to secure |
| the day. The need for organization is critical and | | | | low or no-interest loans to help with repairs. |
| everyone wants to return to some semblance of | | | | Small businesses are often treated as individuals in |
| "normal" life. It doesn't matter whether it is a small, local | | | | disaster recovery. The SBA offers loans to help |
| disaster or a major, national scale event. The goal is | | | | rebuild the business and get operations moving again. |
| the same; get back to some form of normalcy as | | | | Other loans and grants may be available, depending on |
| quickly as possible. | | | | the scale of the disaster and programs involved. The |
| Disasters do not need to be major in scale to disrupt | | | | individual state may offer low and no interest loans |
| daily life. A fire is a disaster that may affect only one | | | | and grants as well. The goal of these programs is to |
| family. A tornado may impact one town. These are still | | | | get businesses back up and running as quickly as |
| disasters by definition and a period of recovery must | | | | possible to serve the communities and help workers |
| take place. Usually, the recovery effort for small-scale | | | | get back to their wage earning positions. This helps |
| disasters is local in nature. Volunteer organizations such | | | | individuals in their recovery efforts as well. |
| as Red Cross and the Salvation Army will often help | | | | Governmental agencies and services will receive the |
| with local disaster recovery efforts. Religious and other | | | | bulk of federal monies. They are tasked with serving |
| community-based groups will usually step in and also | | | | the community throughout and after the disaster. They |
| help with these efforts. Much of the recovery work | | | | are often without necessary equipment or supplies and |
| falls on the shoulders of the victims and their | | | | this must be taken care of quickly to ensure continued |
| immediate friends and families. The individual | | | | operations. Federal money may also be channeled |
| insurances are often the sole financial help. | | | | through local governments in the form of grants and |
| Larger disasters, on the state and regional levels, | | | | federal assistance programs. This money may directly, |
| usually involve several agencies that assist with the | | | | and indirectly, benefit the individual citizen. |
| recovery efforts. Local, state, and many times, federal, | | | | There are many companies that specialize in disaster |
| agencies all have a hand in the clean up and recovery. | | | | recovery plans for businesses either consulting or the |
| Resources may be made available to assist individuals | | | | actual disaster recovery work. They help companies |
| and businesses with their recovery. Federal money | | | | develop plans for safeguarding important data and |
| can be requested in larger disasters. Shelters and | | | | information during a disaster. They also work with |
| alternative housing are often set up to help those | | | | companies after a disaster to recover and get back |
| displaced from their homes. | | | | on their feet. Any disaster can cause the loss of |
| Local and state agencies have plans in place to | | | | valuable information, hardware and software for a |
| minimize damage and loss of services from a disaster, | | | | business. This must be recovered in order to continue |
| no matter what scale. Part of that plan includes | | | | operations as before. Sometimes it can be saved and |
| beginning disaster recovery efforts as soon as | | | | reused; often it must be repaired or replaced. |
| possible. Delays in recovery work can lead to | | | | The main goal of disaster recovery is to get individuals |
| additional destruction. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita | | | | and businesses back on their feet and back to normal |
| hit the Gulf States, the recovery effort was started as | | | | as quickly as possible. The transition will never be |
| quickly as possible. However, due to the immense | | | | smooth, but it should be well planned and organized. |
| scale of the disaster, many areas could not be | | | | Many outside organizations may be available to help |
| reached immediately and many homes and businesses | | | | out, although it is important for the individual citizen or |
| had to be torn down due to the growth of dangerous | | | | business to have a plan in place for recovering from a |
| molds and bacteria. The sooner recovery work can | | | | disaster. This should include adequate insurance to |
| begin the better chance that homes and businesses | | | | cover losses and a plan for operations during the |
| can be saved. | | | | recovery effort. Recovery of important data for a |
| Individuals involved in a disaster, whether local or | | | | business may require assistance from an outside |
| large-scale, must rely on their insurance to cover the | | | | company that specializes in disaster recovery. The |
| major costs of repair or rebuilding. The Federal | | | | most important aspect of disaster recovery is having |
| Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the | | | | a plan in place before disaster strikes. |
| federal government are not insurance programs for | | | | |