Local Organizations

Disaster Preparation and Response for Local Organizations and Main Streets

Because of the unique and flexible role that local nonprofit organizations and Main Streets play in their communities, they are poised to provide valuable help to businesses, homeowners, building owners, and other impacted groups.  Over the years, the National Trust’s Main Street Center has published a variety of articles that can help these organizations as they prepare for and respond to natural disasters. This document is designed to help local nonprofits and Main Street organizations prepare for disasters.

Natural and climate-based disasters take many forms, ranging from earthquakes, to floods, to hurricanes. Therefore, depending on which region of the country you live, your disaster mitigation and adaptation considerations will be reflective of your context.

Disaster-specific resources:

All-Hazards

Flooding

Earthquakes

Response for Nonprofits and Main Streets:

In the event of a disaster, local nonprofit organizations have the opportunity to provide immense support to both the homeowners and agencies with whom they already interact.  While the roles of state and local government agencies are sometimes prescribed in times of disaster, these local organizations have the ability to identify and fill those needs that are highly important but not being met by another actor due to limitations of capacity, mandate, or something as simple as distance.  While the greatest response tool local organizations and Main Streets can have is a disaster plan, they may also be able to provide considerable support by improvising solutions that vary by disaster.  This section is designed to help Main Streets and local nonprofit organizations understand how they can contribute to disaster response.

Disaster-specific resources:

Flooding

Hurricanes/Storms/Tornados

Earthquakes