Standard approaches to disaster mitigation and recovery have, until recently, tended to overlook the role of social resources. This chapter investigates the mechanisms through which social capital and networks assist with disaster management, including modifying the responses of exit and voice, overcoming barriers to collective action, and providing informal insurance and mutual aid. Through examples such as the 1923 Tokyo earthquake, the 1995 Kobe earthquake, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and the 2011 compounded disaster in Tohoku, Japan, this piece seeks to underscore a potentially efficient and cost effective response to crises.