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When disasters isolate communities from external support, their members must turn to each other for mutual assistance. This study explores (1) resource management, (2) information sharing, and (3) community leadership and civic participation as dimensions of peer-to-peer sharing for more efficient distribution of local resources under “islanded” conditions. Interviews with members and leaders of three neighborhood-scale communities in Washington state revealed concerns about household preparedness and stockpiling of resources, but also the potential to lever individuals’ community knowledge, social networks, and willingness to participate. Future interventions might include enhancing place-based social infrastructure for resource and information sharing; online local databases and applications that normally maintain privacy but “unlock” important household information for community use in emergencies; and programs that help individuals access and adopt leadership and participation roles. Satisfying these requirements for successful disaster prepared ness also aligns with the goals of everyday community-building and strengthening of collective capacity
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This content will become publicly available on July 1, 2026
Resource-sharing behavior while sheltering-in-place: A latent class analysis to guide community-based relief distribution
Building community resilience is vital due to climate change and more frequent extreme weather events, which often force people to choose between evacuating or sheltering in place. The prevalence of stay-at-home orders and quarantine practices emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need to understand how households access resources when mobility is restricted. This research investigates peer-to-peer resource-exchanging behavior during a shelterin- place response to a flooding event amid the pandemic through an online stated response survey (n=600). Latent class analysis reveals six distinct segments based on respondents’ resource sharing and accepting behaviors. Several household and social context variables help explain these behavioral clusters. Younger individuals and individuals with lower household income are generally more reluctant to accept resources from neighbors, while larger households are more inclined to share essential items. Additionally, social resources, trust in neighbors, and preparedness level can significantly influence individuals’ resource-exchanging behaviors. The findings highlight gaps for governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations to help address, emphasizing the need to ensure sufficient allocation of resources, especially for private items such as backup power sources, communication devices, and shelter, which respondents are least willing to share. This research offers valuable insights for future disaster preparedness programs and resource allocation strategies, aiming to improve community resilience and minimize negative impacts during shelter-in-place responses.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1847537
- PAR ID:
- 10617106
- Publisher / Repository:
- International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
- Volume:
- 125
- Issue:
- C
- ISSN:
- 2212-4209
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 105532
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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