This study explores how natural disasters influence public preferences for power distribution in crisis management, with a focus on the October 29th DANA storm in Spain's Autonomous Community of Valencia. We propose that in low-trust contexts, such as Spain, crises may prompt a shift in preferences for crisis management from political authorities to non-political actors. To test this hypothesis, we conduct a field experiment across municipalities experiencing different levels of disaster impact: high-intensity areas (Treatment 1), medium-intensity areas (Treatment 2), and low-intensity areas (Control). We anticipate that in low-intensity contexts, individuals will favor centralized political management of crises and exhibit broader support for centralization within Spain’s territorial framework. Conversely, high-intensity crises are expected to foster preferences for non-political actors, driven by declining institutional trust and heightened anti-political attitudes. Our study employs a combination of survey instruments and conjoint experiments to measure preferences for crisis management and territorial organization, while also investigating the underlying roles of trust and attitudinal shifts. By examining how crises and institutional trust shape governance preferences, this research provides valuable insights into public responses to governance during periods of crisis.