Small towns don’t make the headlines — until they do. And by then, it’s often too late.
I live in a small town.
West Chester, Pennsylvania may not be the first place that comes to mind when people think about disasters, but we’ve faced our share — and we’ve been fortunate to receive federal support when it counted. But in today’s rapidly changing landscape, that help feels less predictable, and less assured. And I worry: not just for my town, but for the many communities like it across the country.
Disasters are becoming more frequent, more intense, and more complex. But the systems we rely on to prepare and respond haven’t always kept up — especially in under-resourced jurisdictions. Small towns face big risks, often with very little backup.
An Uneven Starting Line
We like to say disasters don’t discriminate, but the truth is, the resources — and the ability to recover — often do. Rural and small-town jurisdictions don’t always have emergency managers on staff, let alone full-time crisis communicators, logistics chiefs, or dedicated grant writers. Some rely on volunteers juggling emergency duties with day jobs. Others are working with aging infrastructure or outdated systems that can’t talk to neighboring agencies — literally or figuratively.
And yet, the expectations placed on these communities are no different than those on large, well-funded cities.
The Most Vulnerable Are Hit the Hardest
When a major storm, fire, or flood hits a small town, the consequences tend to stretch deeper and last longer. Poor families, the elderly, and individuals with access and functional needs are often the first to feel the impact — and the last to fully recover. These residents can’t easily evacuate, can’t afford to rebuild, and can’t navigate a complex web of federal and state forms and recovery programs without help.
And in smaller communities, that help may simply not be there.
Smarter, Not Just Bigger
It’s easy to assume resilience requires deep pockets. But I’ve seen small communities do remarkable things with modest resources — if they have the right tools and support.
- Regional collaboration works. Mutual aid agreements, joint training, and shared emergency management functions can stretch limited budgets and increase effectiveness.
- Low-cost tools like community alert apps, mapping platforms, and volunteer coordination systems can have outsized impact — especially when residents are trained to use them before a disaster strikes.
- Realistic planning matters. Not every town needs a 200-page emergency operations plan. But every town needs a plan that makes sense for its size, capacity, and character.
The System Needs to Meet Us Where We Are
The one-size-fits-all approach to disaster planning and recovery doesn’t work for everyone. It’s time to rethink how we support small jurisdictions before, during, and after disasters.
That means:
- Simplifying grant processes and paperwork;
- Offering scalable planning templates that don’t overwhelm;
- Deploying surge resources to support local leadership when capacity is exceeded;
- And most of all, listening to communities instead of prescribing to them.
Closing Thoughts
Small towns are part of the backbone of this country. They’re home to people who know each other’s names, who look out for their neighbors, and who show up when it matters. But even the strongest communities need support.
As disasters intensify, the question isn’t whether small towns can rise to meet the challenge. It’s whether the system can rise with them.
Dan Stoneking is the Owner and Principal of Stoneking Strategic Communications , the Author of Cultivate Your Garden: Crisis Communications from 30,000 Feet to Three Feet , the Founder and Vice President of the Emergency Management External Affairs Association , and an Adjunct Professor in the Communications Department at West Chester University.