Many Americans will pause on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks to remember the nearly 3,000 people who were killed that day. The attacks became a shared national tragedy, the impact of which reached far beyond those who experienced them firsthand.
The aftermath of such a disaster can place enormous strain on a community. If disruption is prolonged, support is inadequate and the economic and social structures that hold a community together are damaged. Relationships can fracture, trust can erode, and conflict can emerge. Disaster researchers describe this pattern as a “corrosive community.”
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