25 years after 9/11, what disasters reveal about Americans’ ability to reconnect

A social work researcher recaps decades of disaster studies, from 9/11 to Katrina to the Maui wildfires, arguing that catastrophe can fracture communities but also drive people toward connection.

Data cited includes lower-than-expected divorce rates in New York after 9/11, surges in charitable giving, and survivor accounts from the Deepwater Horizon spill and Hurricane Maria emphasizing faith and solidarity.

The piece also warns that resilience is not automatic: without adequate housing aid, mental health services, and sustained investment, communities can instead become what researchers call ‘corrosive,’ citing Exxon Valdez-era Cordova, Alaska as a decades-long cautionary example.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.