A Model of Natural Disaster Administration: Naming and Framing Theory and Reality

This article develops a model for natural disaster administration that illustrates the roles of theory and reality. Theoretical ideals are presented and discussed from planning and management perspectives. This administrative model combines mitigation and planning together and it combines disaster management, response, and recovery in an effort to better name and frame the influence and the potential of public administration theory in national disaster administration. This model is framed with three sets of filters that condition a sequence between theory and disaster management/response. The assessment and portability of these theories will provide a tool to learn from past failures/successes and to build for future challenges and opportunities that confront praxis related to disaster administration. It is speculated that theoretical approaches should play a more prominent role in natural disaster administration.