Quarantelli, E. L.2005-03-052005-03-051983-11http://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/463The Disaster Research Center (DRC) undertook a nationwide study of private citizens who organize themselves in groups to prepare for or to recover from disasters. Part of that research looked for citizen groups preparing for earthquakes. We found that there are, relatively and absolutely, few earthquake preparedness citizen groups. To explain this finding, we detail and explanatory model which specifies the conditions necessary for the general emergence of citizen groups, and apply it to the likelihood of the appearance, development, and survival of earthquake preparedness groups. Some of the atypical characteristics, careers, and consequences for the few such groups found by our study, are also noted. Given the atypical nature and the scarcity of earthquake oriented citizen groups, we note the implications for earthquake planning in general.179132 bytesapplication/pdfen-USearthquakesdisaster recoverycitizen groupsOther