Disaster recovery does not end when the cameras leave or rebuilding begins. Jennifer Gray Thompson looks at the role disaster case managers play in helping survivors navigate FEMA, insurance, housing, loans, benefits, and the many systems that can quickly turn recovery into a full-time job.

She also discusses the recent uncertainty around disaster case management funding in Los Angeles, and why disruptions in that support can add unnecessary stress for people already carrying so much. The episode explores the idea of “soft infrastructure,” the relationships, services, and human support that help communities recover alongside roads, homes, and utilities.

It is a reminder that recovery is not only about rebuilding what was lost, but making sure people have help finding their way through what comes next.

Resources:

• How to Disaster
• Learn more about After the Fire USA
• After the Fire USA Resource Library
• Connect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn

Produced by NOVA

Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella joins Jennifer Gray Thompson to talk about what disaster recovery looks like from inside one of the country’s largest and most complex public systems.

Drawing from both his professional role and his own experience of being displaced by fire, Mark explains why rebuilding depends on far more than permits and infrastructure. They discuss trust, coordination, community voice, mental health, and the small signs of normalcy that can matter deeply after disaster.

The conversation offers a closer look at how public servants can help create more certainty while still giving communities agency over what comes next.

Resources:

• How to Disaster
• Learn more about After the Fire USA
• After the Fire USA Resource Library
• Connect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn

Produced by NOVA

Paul Lowenthal has spent years responding to wildfire from both sides: as a fire service professional and as someone who lost his own home in the 2017 Tubbs Fire.

In this conversation, he and Jennifer Gray Thompson look at what Santa Rosa learned while rebuilding, why experienced recovery leaders matter, and how those lessons have been carried into communities from Maui to Los Angeles.

They also talk about the relationships behind effective mutual aid, the importance of preparing new leaders, and what it means to show up for another community with both technical knowledge and lived experience.

Resources:

• How to Disaster
• Learn more about After the Fire USA
• After the Fire USA Resource Library
• The City of Santa Rosa
• Connect with Jennifer Gray Thompson on LinkedIn

Produced by NOVA