Trial by Fire: Disaster Justice and Lessons Learned

Disaster Justice reflects the intersection of environmental justice and disaster law. The study of disaster justice is becoming increasingly essential as disasters become more frequent and devastating in the face of accelerating climate change. Disaster law is marked by statutes such as the federal Stafford Act and by theory such as the “disaster cycle” of readiness, response, and recovery. Environmental justice recognizes that the distribution of harms such as bad air or water quality may be distributed inequitably among groups such as low-income populations or racial minorities.

In similar fashion, the adverse impacts of disasters may also be distributed inequitably among certain groups. Through a series of case studies, this article explores concerns for disaster justice in contexts including Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico (2017), the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fires in New Mexico (2022), the Maui Wildfires in Hawai’i (2023), Hurricane Helene in North Carolina (2024), and the L.A. Fires in Southern California (2025). Through these case studies, the article attempts to distill lessons learned as the growing threat of disasters requires increasing preparation to keep all people safe from harm.