Kontakt X:X | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2026.040

When natural disasters occur in unexpected placesSocial Sciences in Health - Short communication

Pamela Murray-Tuite ORCID...¹, Mark Small^{2, *}, Natallia Sianko ORCID...³, Venera Balidemaj ORCID...², Jenneil Charles², MD Bayezid Islam ORCID...¹, Jiayun Shen ORCID...¹

¹ Clemson University, Glenn Department of Civil Engineering, Clemson, South Carolina, USA

² Clemson University, Prychology Department, Clemson, South Carolina, USA

³ Clemson University, Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice Department, Clemson, South Carolina, USA

Climate change is contributing to an increase in the frequency, intensity, and geographic reach of natural disasters, exposing communities historically considered low risk to potential harm. This editorial examines how disasters occurring in unexpected locations challenge conventional preparedness assumptions and offers preliminary lessons derived from work in South Carolina after Hurricane Helene. First, effective preparedness requires stronger pre-disaster relationships between government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and vulnerable communities to facilitate rapid and trusted mobilization of resources. Second, strong place attachment influences residents' preferences for rebuilding rather than relocating, suggesting that resilience strategies should prioritize in-place adaptation and community participation in recovery planning. Third, disaster recovery unfolds over extended, multi-stage processes that require coordinated cross-sector collaboration addressing housing, health, employment, infrastructure, and social support systems. As climate-driven disasters increasingly affect previously unexposed regions, proactive planning, community engagement, and integrated institutional networks will be essential for health and social workers.

Conflicts of interest:

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Received: March 25, 2026; Accepted: May 29, 2026; Prepublished online: June 23, 2026