Coping after a hurricane¶

Living through a hurricane is hard, and the recovery that follows can be harder. This page helps you look after yourself and the people around you during the weeks and months after the storm.

If you only do three things¶

1. Sleep, eat, and drink water. Your body needs it before your mind can settle.
2. Turn off the news and social media for a few hours a day.
3. If you or someone you love is struggling, reach out to a crisis line or counselor. In the United States, the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 is free and open all day, every day.

Normal reactions to an abnormal event¶

Almost everyone who goes through a disaster feels some of these in the following days and weeks:

• Trouble sleeping, or sleeping too much
• Feeling numb, jumpy, sad, or angry, sometimes all in one day
• Trouble concentrating or making simple decisions
• Headaches, stomach problems, and tiredness
• Replaying the storm in your mind
• Guilt about what you did or did not do, or about being luckier than a neighbor
• Snapping at people you love

These are normal reactions to an abnormal event. They are not a sign of weakness, and for most people they ease over a few weeks as life gets more predictable. Being patient with yourself is part of recovery.

Sleep¶

Sleep is the first thing to go and the first thing to fix. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time each day, even if the days in between are chaotic. Keep the bedroom as dark and cool as you can without power. Skip caffeine in the afternoon and limit alcohol, which makes sleep worse even when it feels like it helps.

If you cannot sleep, get up and do something quiet for a while rather than lying there. Rest during the day when you can.

Routines¶

Routines tell your body that things are under control, even when they are not. Eat meals at regular times, wash up, make the bed if you have one, and keep small rituals like morning coffee. If the kids normally have story time, keep story time, even by flashlight.

Put a little structure on each day: one or two cleanup tasks, one phone call to the insurer, and a stopping point. Long to do lists with no end make the stress worse.

Limiting news and social media¶

It is natural to want every update. But hours of storm footage, damage photos, and angry comment threads keep your body in alarm mode. Check the news at set times, twice a day is plenty, and get it from official sources such as your local emergency office and your national weather service.

Mute group chats that spread rumors. Step away from the phone during meals and before bed. What you need to know will still be there in the morning.

Helping children¶

Children take their cues from the adults around them. They may become clingy, go back to younger behavior like bedwetting, have nightmares, or act out. Teenagers may withdraw or seem not to care. All of that is normal.

• Talk. Explain what happened in simple, honest words. Tell them what you are doing to keep them safe.
• Listen. Let them ask the same questions again and again. Answer calmly each time.
• Keep routines. Meals, bedtime, and play at the usual times, as much as you can.
• Limit images of destruction. Turn off the news when children are in the room. Repeated footage feels like the storm is happening again.
• Let them help in small ways. Sorting supplies, feeding the pet, or drawing a card for a neighbor gives them a sense of control.
• Reassure them with touch and time. Extra hugs and extra patience go a long way.
• Get them back to school and friends as soon as it is possible. Normal is medicine.

Be honest if you are upset too, in a way they can handle. "I am sad about the house, and we are going to be okay" is enough. The babies and children page has more on keeping little ones settled.

Looking after older adults and people with disabilities¶

Older relatives and neighbors may hide how much they are struggling, especially if they lost a home they lived in for decades. Visit often, help with calls and paperwork, and watch for confusion, missed medications, or withdrawal. See seniors and disabilities for other ways to help.

Signs that someone needs more help¶

Grief and stress are expected. Get help when reactions do not ease or get worse over several weeks, or when you see any of these:

• Unable to sleep, eat, or function for days at a time
• Drinking or using drugs to cope
• Talking about hopelessness, being a burden, or not wanting to be here
• Severe anxiety, panic attacks, or flashbacks that do not fade
• Withdrawing from everyone
• Hurting themselves or others, or threatening to

Where to get help¶

• Your doctor. They can refer you to counseling and help with sleep or anxiety.
• Your faith community or a trusted friend. Talking helps, even when there is no solution.
• Crisis lines and counseling services. Ask your doctor or your local emergency office, and check your local page for help where you live.

In the United States¶

• Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990. Call or text, free, confidential, all day every day, with counselors trained for disasters.
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 for anyone in emotional crisis.
• 211. Dial 211 for local counseling, food, and housing resources.
• Disaster recovery centers often have crisis counselors on site along with FEMA staff.

Free crisis counseling programs usually start in affected counties after a federal disaster declaration. Ask at a recovery center or check with your county.

Being patient over the long recovery¶

Recovery from a hurricane is measured in months and years, not weeks. Insurance drags on, contractors are booked, and the neighborhood looks wrong for a long time. Anniversaries of the storm, the next hurricane season, and even a heavy rainstorm can bring the feelings back.

Give yourself and the people around you room to have bad days. Celebrate small wins, like power coming back or the first meal at the kitchen table. Accept help when it is offered, and offer it when you can, because helping others is one of the most reliable ways to feel better yourself. Read how to help for ideas.

Related guides¶

• How to help after a hurricane
• After a hurricane: the first 24 hours
• Babies and children
• Seniors and people with disabilities
• Official links