From record-breaking hurricanes to quick-spreading fires, disasters are all too common occurrences in Main Street communities across the country. Despite their frequency, there are very few disaster preparedness and resilience-related resources available to commercial district revitalization organizations. Without a comprehensive preparedness plan in place and tools to support both short- and long-term recovery efforts, the physical and economic aftereffects of disasters can be devastating, especially to the residents, local businesses in Main Street communities, historic structures, and public spaces.

To address the need for more resources, Main Street America (MSA) has launched the National Park Service Main Street Community Disaster Preparedness and Resilience Program, funded through generous support from the Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (ESHPF) administered through the National Park Service. Over the next three years, MSA will create a suite of resources that provide immediately useful information for Main Street revitalization organizations to use in preparing for and responding to catastrophic events.

Specifically, through this program, MSA will convene experts and stakeholders, create a clearinghouse of curated resources, create a toolkit with strategies and worksheets for the most frequent disasters, and hold workshops and trainings related to disaster preparedness and resilience.

Advisory Committee

Katherine Beck, Florida Main Street Program, Bureau of Historic Preservation, Tallahassee, Florida

Katharine Burgess, Smart Growth America, Washington D.C.

Mileyka Burgos-Flores, Allapattah Collaborative, Miami, Florida

Shonterria Charleston, Housing Assistance Council, Atlanta, Georgia

Jamie Crawley, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, Texas Main Street/​THC, Austin, Texas

Amanda Elliott, California Main Street Alliance/​MSA, Richmond, California

Madeline Fraser-Cook, LISC, Government Investments and Technical Assistance, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Diana Luna, Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Jan Opper, Opper Strategies and Solutions, Alexandria, Virginia

Joseph Quinata, Guam Preservation Trust, Hagatna, Guam

Ivonne Sanabria, Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Laurie Schoeman, Enterprise Community Partners, New York, New York

Ray Scriber, Louisiana Main Street/​LA DHP, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Rhonda Sincavage, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Washington D.C.

Jake White, National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders, San Antonio, Texas