The Trauma after the Storm

The overwhelming fear, confusion, and sense of loss from a natural disaster can feel all-consuming. https://disasterphilanthropy.org/disasters/2025-us-tornadoes-and-severe-storms/ This study was supported by a grant (BCRI20061) Chonnam National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute to J-MK. This review highlights the importance of conducting comprehensive population-based mental health assessments. The prevalence of depression varies widely at 13–76% after a disaster worldwide,64 which is a much higher prevalence of depression among respondents than in the general population. It is important to identify the area where intensive assistance is necessary in cases of large-scale community trauma.

Science Updates About Traumatic Events

No matter where you live, you’re likely to experience a natural disaster. These events serve as a powerful reminder that while roads and buildings can often be restored quickly, emotional recovery is a slower, more complex process. Hurricane Helene in 2024 similarly tested the resilience of rural mental health networks in western North Carolina. After Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans in 2005, nearly a third of survivors continued to experience poor mental health years later. Natural disasters disrupt routines, displace families and challenge people’s sense of control and security.

The purpose of this study is to understand the linkages between disaster and its impact on mental health. Post-traumatic stress disorder is nothing to feel ashamed about and admitting you might need help means you’ll be able to address your health as a priority. Although natural disasters cannot be avoided, there are ways to help heal from the experience of them. It is especially problematic to children and youth, who can be impacted for their entire lifetime after experiencing traumatic events.

How do children and adolescents respond to traumatic events?

Physical symptoms, such as sleep disturbance, indigestion, and fatigue may also emerge. Additionally, ongoing adversities are common in this phase and complicate recovery. During the impact and immediate phases of response, most people’s priority is basic safety and survival. The intermediate phase may last from weeks to months, depending on the size and scope of the event.

Challenges with Post-Disaster Recovery Planning

Prolonged exposure to extreme cold and isolation during blizzards can lead to feelings of loneliness, hopelessness, or even seasonal depression. The prolonged nature of flooding and the frequency with which it may occur seasonally can result in lingering anxiety about structural stability, or mold exposure in homes. The destruction of homes and natural surroundings can cause grief and a sense of disconnection from familiar spaces too. It’s important to note that these responses are natural reactions to extraordinary circumstances. It’s about finding a way to restore inner peace, find a new sense of stability, and learn to cope with the complex emotions that follow such a horrific event. It can help people with PTSD to feel less alone as they hear other people’s stories that may be similar to theirs.

Mental health outcomes at the Jersey Shore after Hurricane Sandy. For children, this may mean reconnecting with friends in school and receiving support from adults and caregivers. Lowe and her colleagues interviewed survivors of Hurricane Katrina a few years after the storm and found that more than 60 percent displayed resilience. Even adults may have nightmares, worry excessively about safety, or have strong physical reactions like trouble breathing when reminded of the disaster they survived. They may suffer from malnutrition due to disruptions in food supply, start wetting the bed, or exhibit physical symptoms like stomachaches.

• The program was designed for health care workers to reduce psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and to prevent its long-term consequences.
• “Natural disasters affect people in different ways,” says Nomi Levy-Carrick, MD, MPhil, a Mass General Brigham psychiatrist.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and trauma-focused therapies are all proven approaches for treating trauma.

The phases of disaster reaction described here highlight the need for a stepped (phased) public health response for disaster psychosocial interventions. Ongoing media coverage of the disaster event may create negative reactions for those who view it, particularly those most close to the event (5-9). However, if the community is unable to pull together and overcome fragmentation, there may be increased risk for ongoing stress reactions across the community. This phase may last several months or years, as communities rebuild and individuals deal with their post-event problems. During this phase, people are beginning to assess the extent of damage to home and community. This is the phase in the days and weeks following disaster event in which there is a reckoning with what has happened.