Press Democrat: Close to Home: To survive a crisis, build community ties

It’s not just about roads, radios and rescue trucks — it’s about relationships.

JOHN CROWLEY
JOHN CROWLEY IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AQUS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND CO-FOUNDER OF COOL PETALUMA.
June 18, 2025

There’s a consistent and well-documented finding in disaster research: the better you know your neighbors, the better your chances of surviving and recovering from a crisis. Whether it’s a fire, flood, heat wave or earthquake, strong local relationships save lives.

This isn’t just anecdotal. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s own 2021 report, “Insights and Reflections: Social Resilience,” makes it clear that social connection is one of the strongest indicators of resilience in the face of disaster. Similarly, Daniel Aldrich, in his FEMA-sponsored PrepTalk, presents compelling evidence that social capital — particularly the relationships between neighbors — is more predictive of survival than wealth, education or even physical infrastructure.

In other words, it’s not just about roads, radios and rescue trucks — it’s about relationships.

Despite this, the vast majority of disaster preparedness funding still goes toward physical infrastructure, emergency gear and professional training. These are all critical. But where is the funding for efforts that help people meet their neighbors before the sirens go off?

The truth is, we often overlook the simplest and most cost-effective form of disaster resilience: knowing the people who live around you.

Some forward-thinking cities and municipalities are beginning to recognize this and are investing in programs that build neighbor-to-neighbor connections. These efforts might look like neighborhood potlucks, local block leader networks or community resilience hubs that bring people together around both social and practical preparedness goals. They aren’t flashy, and they don’t always get the attention that a new fire engine does — but they work.

And yet, in most places, programs like these are underfunded — if they exist at all.

This is a missed opportunity. In a time when disasters are becoming more frequent and more severe, we need every tool at our disposal. And one of the most powerful tools is already in our communities: the people who live there.

But this isn’t solely the responsibility of our government. It’s also up to us — the residents, neighbors and community members — to take initiative. That might mean organizing a potluck, knocking on a few doors or showing up to a local gathering. Every connection made before a disaster becomes a lifeline when it hits.

Building social capital is slow work. It doesn’t come from a top-down mandate or a one-time mailer. It comes from repeated opportunities to gather, share, listen and collaborate. And that requires intention, support and, yes, funding.

It’s time for cities, counties, states and federal agencies to align their budgets with what the research already confirms. Community connection is not a luxury — it’s a core component of preparedness. It deserves the same attention and investment as any other part of emergency planning.

We fund infrastructure. We fund equipment. But do we fund the human infrastructure?

We know what works. Now we need to fund it.

John Crowley is executive director of Aqus Community Foundation and co-founder of Cool Petaluma, an organization dedicated to weaving stronger social connections and fostering community engagement.