During and Immediately Following a Disaster

Understand Disaster Events

The emotional toll that disaster brings can sometimes be even more devastating than the financial strains of damage and loss of home, business, or personal property.

• Everyone who sees or experiences a disaster is affected by it in some way.
• It is normal to feel anxious about your own safety and that of your family and close friends.
• Profound sadness, grief, and anger are normal reactions to an abnormal event.
• Acknowledging your feelings helps you recover.
• Focusing on your strengths and abilities helps you heal.
• Accepting help from community programs and resources is healthy.
• Everyone has different needs and different ways of coping.
• It is common to want to strike back at people who have caused great pain.

Children and older adults are of special concern in the aftermath of disasters. Even individuals who experience a disaster “second hand” through exposure to extensive media coverage can be affected.

Recognize Signs of Disaster Related Stress

When adults have the following signs, they might need crisis counseling or stress management assistance:

• Difficulty communicating thoughts.
• Difficulty sleeping.
• Difficulty maintaining balance in their lives.
• Low threshold of frustration.
• Increased use of drugs/alcohol.
• Limited attention span.
• Poor work performance.
• Headaches/stomach problems.
• Tunnel vision/muffled hearing.
• Colds or flu-like symptoms.
• Disorientation or confusion.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Reluctance to leave home.
• Depression, sadness.
• Feelings of hopelessness.
• Mood-swings and easy bouts of crying.
• Overwhelming guilt and self-doubt.
• Fear of crowds, strangers, or being alone.

Easing Disaster-Related Stress

The following are ways to ease disaster-related stress:

• Talk with someone about your feelings—anger, sorrow, and other emotions—even though it may be difficult.
• Seek help from professional counselors who deal with post-disaster stress.
• Do not hold yourself responsible for the disastrous event or be frustrated because you feel you cannot help directly in the rescue work.
• Take steps to promote your own physical and emotional healing by healthy eating, rest, exercise, relaxation, and meditation.
• Maintain a normal family and daily routine, limiting demanding responsibilities on yourself and your family.
• Spend time with family and friends.
• Participate in memorials.
• Use existing support groups of family, friends, and religious institutions.
• Ensure you are ready for future events by restocking your disaster supplies kits and updating your family disaster plan.
• Doing these positive actions can be comforting.

Helping Others

The compassion and generosity of the American people is never more evident than during and following a disaster. Providing a financial contribution to a voluntary organization involved in disaster activities is often the most needed and the most efficient way of helping those impacted by a disaster.  Cash donations allow voluntary organizations to fund response and recovery efforts, obtain goods and services locally and provide direct financial assistance to disaster survivors to meet their own needs.  When the public supports these voluntary organizations with financial contributions, it helps ensure a steady flow of important services to the people in need after a disaster.