This study investigates the impact of disasters on sustainability, resilience, and poverty, using data from the “Sustainable Development Report” and the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) from 2000 to 2023. Regression models assessed the effects of disasters, deaths, injuries, affected individuals, and economic damage on normalized values of the dependent variables with lag periods of one, two, and three years of independent variables. The results reveal that disasters consistently negatively impact sustainability and resilience, highlighting the need for robust disaster risk reduction strategies and resilient infrastructure. Higher mortality rates significantly hindered development, emphasizing the importance of improving early warning systems, emergency preparedness, and healthcare infrastructure. While injuries and the number of affected individuals did not show significant associations, economic damage was positively associated with resilience, suggesting that financial losses might drive recovery investments. Additionally, disasters were found to exacerbate poverty levels over time with significant associations in the two and three-year lag models. This study also uncovered significant regional disparities with lower resilience, sustainability, and higher poverty levels in certain regions compared to others. Higher-income groups demonstrated better resilience and lower poverty levels. These findings underscore the necessity for targeted, region-specific strategies to enhance resilience, reduce poverty, and support sustainable development, leveraging post-disaster recovery phases for long-term improvement.

Background: Wildfires in the USA are becoming more frequent and severe as climate change and population growth expand exposure in fire-prone regions. Understanding the human dimensions of wildfire preparedness—particularly how individuals perceive risk, build awareness, and develop evacuation readiness—is critical for effective fire management. Methods: This study examines cognitive, experiential, behavioral, and sociodemographic predictors of wildfire preparedness using the wildfire-specific subsample ( n = 509) from the 2023 FEMA National Household Survey. Generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM) was used to analyze three key outcomes: readiness awareness, evacuation readiness, and perceived wildfire risk. Results: Results show that readiness awareness and preparedness self-efficacy were the strongest predictors of evacuation readiness, indicating that actionable knowledge and preparedness self-efficacy play a more decisive role in preparedness than perceived risk alone. Direct wildfire experience meaningfully increased both awareness and perceived risk, underscoring the influence of prior exposure on preparedness orientations. Sociodemographic disparities were also evident, with lower-income households reporting reduced evacuation readiness and older adults demonstrating lower awareness. Geographic differences in perceived risk followed known gradients of wildfire exposure, with residents outside California reporting substantially lower perceived vulnerability. Conclusions: Overall, the findings demonstrate that strengthening awareness and self-efficacy—rather than increasing risk perception alone—is central to improving wildfire evacuation readiness. These results highlight the need for preparedness strategies that prioritize clear information, preparedness self-efficacy-building interventions, and equitable support for socially vulnerable populations. By integrating behavioral, cognitive, and sociodemographic predictors, this study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of community wildfire resilience in an era of escalating fire hazards.