What are the four phases of community response to a disaster?

• A. Honeymoon phase; Heroic phase; Reconstruction phase; Disillusionment phase.
• B. Preparation; Activation; Stabilization; Termination.
• C. Disillusionment phase; Reconstruction phase; Honeymoon phase; Heroic phase.
• D. Heroic phase; Honeymoon phase; Disillusionment phase; Reconstruction phase.

Answer: (C)

The four phases describe how a community typically moves through emotional and practical responses after a disaster: first comes the heroic effort, as people jump in to help, rescue, and provide immediate aid; then a honeymoon period, when there is a surge of unity, optimism, and cooperative problem-solving as both locals and outsiders rally around recovery efforts; followed by disillusionment, when the gap between needs and resources becomes clear, fatigue sets in, and expectations for a quick fix fade; and finally reconstruction, when rebuilding physical infrastructure, services, and daily life becomes the focus and communities begin to settle into a new normal. This order—heroic, then honeymoon, then disillusionment, then reconstruction—best captures the typical progression of community response. The other sequences mix up the timing or replace these phases with terms that don’t fit the post-disaster social and emotional dynamics.