Disasters and subjective assessments of recovery in the long run

This study examines how peri- and post-disaster factors influence long-run perceptions of disaster recovery in marginalized populations. We paired survey (N = 533) and in-depth interview (N = 87) data from the Resilience in Survivors of Katrina (RISK) Project—a fifteen-year (2003–2018) panel study of low-income mothers affected by Hurricane Katrina. Twelve years later, we assessed long-run recovery in terms of perceived situational improvement and no longer identifying as a disaster victim. Multinomial logistic regression results showed that among peri-disaster exposures, bereavement was negatively associated with both recovery perceptions. Interview data highlighted that after the disaster, returning to normal (e.g., restoring and maintaining stable housing) and achieving goals (e.g., employment success and neighborhood satisfaction) were key to respondents’ recovery. Building on the findings from qualitative data, path analyses elucidated that trauma and home damage had indirect associations with long-run recovery perceptions by disrupting normalcy and goal achievements post-disaster, while the effect of bereavement operated independent of these post-disaster circumstances. This research clarifies the processes by which peri-disaster and post-disaster circumstances influence recovery and the multiple meanings that constitute recovery perceptions, which together can inform effective policies aimed at promoting post-disaster wellbeing among marginalized groups.