Recovery is the fourth and final phase of the emergency management cycle.  It continues until all systems return to normal or near-normal operation.  Long-term recovery may go on for months--even years-- until the entire disaster area returns to its previous condition or undergoes improvement with new features that are less disaster-prone.  For example, a town can relocate portions of its flood-prone community and turn the area into open space or parkland.  This illustrates how recovery can provide opportunities to mitigate future disasters.