<p>This paper aims to integrate research on mitigation/preparedness and recovery/reconstruction from a narrative perspective more organically than has previously been done. In particular, it argues in theoretical and practical terms that numerous initiatives not previously associated do, in fact, share distinctive narrative forms that skillfully balance mitigation/preparedness research and recovery/reconstruction research. This paper describes and assesses the outcomes of three specific narrative styles: the “already as not yet” style, which discusses fixed past events as if they are not yet settled; the “days before” style, which discusses the period before a catastrophic disaster; and the contrasting “days after” style, which anticipates the period after a disaster that has not yet occurred. It concludes by considering the disaster education exercise “crossroad,” which was developed as a tool for bridging the narratives of survivors about past disasters (narratives that contribute to sense-making) and narratives about future disasters by those who have not yet experienced them (narratives that contribute to decision-making).</p>