Day after: a critical analysis of Salt Lake City's plans for reconstruction following a natural disaster

Salt Lake City, Utah sits atop an active geologic fault that produces one major earthquake roughly every 300 years. It has been 350 years since the Wasatch Fault has produced its last major quake. Utah officials have taken steps to ensure Salt Lake City and the surrounding vulnerable communities are prepared to respond when the disaster happens. New Orleans, Louisiana is built on lands largely below sea level. This hazardous geologic reality is exacerbated by the fact that the waters of the Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain, and the Gulf of Mexico surround the city. New Orleans is annually vulnerable to hurricanes generated by the warm gulf waters. Hurricane Katrina made landfall near the city in 2005 causing historic levels of flooding, property damage and loss of life. It is widely agreed that New Orleans was neither prepared for the storm nor able to deliver most services for a long period after the disaster. Why did New Orleans fail in its response to the disaster? Will Salt Lake City have a different result when the earthquake strikes? This paper begins with an examination of existing literature on natural disasters and recovery. It analyzes post-Katrina New Orleans as a negative case study in recovery planning. The paper concludes with a critical analysis of the Salt Lake City disaster recovery plan. Since the plan is currently being revised and updated, ideally the sound planning principles reviewed here can serve to aid the update and other communities developing such plans.