The role of memory in disaster studies: A historic narrative of Valparaiso's experiences through the 1866 bay bombing, the 1906 earthquake and the 2014 mega fire in Chile

The role of memory in disaster-prone places is essential to face disaster events, which, in time, can also shape city-making. Communities that live in disaster-prone places tend to react from instincts passed down through generations, rather than acting per protocols or planning by a centralised administrative organisation. This is evidenced not only in communal behaviours in the wake and aftermath of an event, but is also tangible in urban infrastructure, where its construction responds to a very local sense of belonging and attachment. Thus, I argue that communal knowledge construction in disaster-prone places relies on memory of a trans-generational origin, where memory is re-signified from event to event, empowering present communities to thrive in the face of disaster. Moreover, I propose that memory is a core aspect in city-making for these communities and in the construction of place, in behavioural and urban facets. This paper is a product of subjective analysis applied to Valparaiso, a coastal city of Chile, and its major disaster events of 1866, 1906 and 2014. I designed data collection to gather impressions, reactions and life experiences of affected communities through interviews and archival work related to historic disasters. During fieldwork, my main questions regarded memory and city-making as important aspects to face historic disaster events. Data analysis was organised by emerging issues that participants regarded as most relevant explanations for disaster experiences, applying intersubjective interpretation to their narratives. From this research, I aim to position qualitative methods, as a diverse analytical tool, equal in importance to traditional quantitative frameworks of disaster studies. Although this research is a single case study, the identification of memory as an essential part of disaster understanding can help to improve preparation and readiness protocols in disaster-prone places.