Measuring Community Disaster Resilience Over Time

Natural disaster impacts can be mitigated by building community resilience and this recognition has elevated the importance of demonstrating the return on resilience investment. Subsequently, there is a demand for resilience measurement tools. The Baseline Resilience Indicator for Communities (BRIC), is an index based on variables representing resilience attributes identified in the literature. BRIC is representative of indices designed for national assessments, applies to multiple natural disasters at the county level in the US, and its application in national assessments has been demonstrated. This analysis tests the BRIC index in two longitudinal case studies by examining the variables that constitute the index. Specific variables used in the BRIC index are explored through the examination of the suitability of each variable for use in longitudinal studies at the county level and the variable's skill in capturing known events and activities expected to have an impact on resilience. Detailed examination of each variable in the context of the community profile provides insights to improve formulations of variables. New variables are proposed to better capture community characteristics and actions that enhance resilience.