Planning for Post-disaster Debris Clearance and Recovery Operations

One of the primary post-disaster activities is debris removal, which can be broadly classified into emergency relief activities in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, and longer-term debris clearance which is essential for recovery. Despite this activity accounting for up to 27% of post-disaster recovery costs (FEMA 2017), most vulnerable communities are inadequately prepared to handle debris clearance operations in terms of planning for required contractual relationships and relevant logistical details. Furthermore, due to the relatively low frequency of occurrence of disaster and consequent need for debris removal, most communities do not use specialized debris removal equipment, but instead re-purpose heavy construction equipment that is meant for moving more homogenous material like soil and rock. Accordingly, there is a lack of knowledge of the productivity of such equipment for debris removal, which directly affect the post-disaster recovery time estimates and community preparedness. This webinar brings together academic literature along with lessons learned from debris clearance operations in Christchurch, NZ and Napa, California to provide best practice guidelines on identifying logistical challenges including selection of debris management sites, estimating productivity of operations, and creating pre-disaster debris removal plans for minimizing community recovery times. Other considerations including type of contractual relationships and adherence to guidelines to avail of federal recovery grants will also be discussed.