Aim <p>This study aims to map the evolution of the concept of disaster management, with a particular focus on disaster management models. Using bibliometric analysis based on quantitative data, it provides a systematic summary of the literature, identifying key research trends and existing gaps. The analysis covers bibliometric data from articles published between 2006 and 2025 in the Web of Science database.</p> Subject and methods <p>A total of 2,179 studies on disaster management models were examined. Fewer than 100 articles were published between 2016 and 2018, and fewer than 300 between 2019 and 2023, while publication numbers peaked in 2024 (316) and 2025 (311). The most prolific authors were Yasumura Seiji (23 documents), Fujino Yoshihisa, Tateishi Seiichiro, and Islam Abu Reza, MD. Towfiqul (20 documents), and Ohira Tetsuya (19 documents). Most publications were journal articles (1,956). Regarding research areas, the leading fields were Public Environmental Occupational Health (915), Multidisciplinary Sciences (741), and Environmental Sciences (314).</p> Results <p>In terms of country distribution, China (664), the USA (407), and England (124) were the most active contributors. English dominated as the primary publication language (1,935 articles), followed by German (9) and Chinese (8). The majority were indexed in SSCI-Expanded (1,437), SSCI (820), and ESCI (311). Frequently used keywords included “COVID-19” (158 occurrences), “disaster” (62), and “disaster management” (59).</p> Conclusion <p>Disaster management and its models have not previously been analyzed through such a comprehensive bibliometric perspective. Increasing global crises underscore the need for periodic bibliometric analyses to offer an integrated framework for academics, policymakers, and practitioners in disaster management.</p>