National Child Traumatic Stress Network - Recovery: After a Hurricane

Hurricanes

Recovery: After a Hurricane

After a hurricane most families can be expected to recover over time, particularly with the support of family, friends, and organizations. The length of recovery will depend upon how frightening the hurricane was, if evacuation from home was necessary, and the extent of the damage and loss. Some families will return to their normal routine fairly quickly, while others will have to contend with destruction to their home and possessions, obtaining medical care, and overcoming financial hardship. Some families will have lost a loved one or a pet. Others will need to adjust to school closings or changes in school schedule.

Children's functioning will be influenced by how their parents and other caregivers cope during and after the hurricane. Children often turn to adults for information, comfort, and help. Parents and teachers should try to remain calm, answer children's questions honestly, and respond as best they can to requests.

Children's Reactions

Children react differently to a hurricane and its aftermath depending on their age, developmental level, and prior experiences. Some will respond by withdrawing, while others will have angry outbursts. Still others will become agitated or irritable. Parents should attempt to remain sensitive to each child's reactions. The following are typical reactions children might exhibit during any natural disaster:

Fear and worry about their safety or the safety of others, including pets
Fear of separation from family members
Clinging to parents, siblings, or teachers
Worry that another hurricane will come
Increase in activity level
Decrease in concentration and attention
Withdrawal from others
Angry outbursts or tantrums
Aggression to parents, siblings, or friends
Increase in physical complaints, such as headaches and stomachaches
Change in school performance
Long-lasting focus on the hurricane, such as talking repeatedly about it or acting out the event in play
Increased sensitivity to sounds of thunder, wind, or things crashing
Changes in sleep patterns
Changes in appetite
Lack of interest in usual activities, even playing with friends
Regressive behaviors, such as baby-talk, bedwetting, or tantrums
Increase in risky behaviors for teens, such as drinking alcohol, using substances, harming themselves, or engaging in dangerous activities

What You Can Do to Help Your Child

Parents should spend time talking to their children, letting them know that it is okay to ask questions and to share their worries. Issues may come up more than once and parents should remain patient and open to answering questions again and needing to clarify things. Although it will be hard finding time to have these conversations, parents can use regular family mealtimes or bedtimes to talk. They can let children know what is happening in the family, with their school, and in the community. They should answer questions briefly and honestly and be sure to ask their children for their opinions and ideas. For younger children, after talking about the hurricane, parents might read a favorite story or have a relaxing family activity to help them feel more safe and calm.

To help children's recovery, parents should:

Be a role model. Try to remain calm, so your child can learn from you how to handle stressful situations.
Monitor adult conversations. Be aware of what adults are saying about the hurricane or the damage. Children may misinterpret what they hear and be unnecessarily frightened.
Limit media exposure. Protect your child from too many images of the hurricane, including those on television, on the internet, on radio, and in the newspaper.
Reassure children they are safe. You may need to repeat this frequently even after the hurricane passes. Spend extra time with them, playing games outside, reading together indoors, or just cuddling. Be sure to tell them you love them.
Replace lost or damaged toys as soon as you are able.
Calm worries about their friends' safety. Even though phones may not be working, reassure your children that their friends' parents are taking care of them, just the way they are being taken care of by you.
Tell children about community recovery. Reassure children that things are being done to restore electricity, phones, water, and gas. Tell them that the town or city will be removing debris and helping families find housing.
Take care of your children's health. Help them get enough rest, exercise, and healthy food. Be sure they have a balance of quiet and physical activities.
Maintain regular daily life. Even in the midst of disruption and change, children feel more secure with structure and routine. As much as possible, keep to regular mealtimes and bedtimes.
Maintain expectations. Stick to your family rules about good behavior and respect for others. Continue family chores, but keep in mind that children may need more reminding than usual.
Encourage children to help. Children cope better and recover sooner if they feel they are helping out. Give them small clean-up tasks or other ways to contribute. Afterward, provide activities that are not related to the hurricane, such as playing cards or reading.
Be extra patient once children have returned to school. They may be more distracted and need extra help with homework for a while.
Give support at bedtime. Children may be more anxious at times of separation from parents. Spend a little more time talking, cuddling, or reading than usual. (You'll want to start the bedtime routine earlier so children get the sleep they need). If younger children need to sleep with you, let them know it is a temporary plan, and that soon they will go back to sleeping in their own beds.
Help with boredom. Daily activities, such as watching television, playing on the computer, and having friends over, may have been disrupted. Extracurricular activities, like sports and or dance classes, may have been suspended. Help children think of alternative activities to do, such as board games, card games, and arts and crafts. Try to find community programs (at the library, a park program, or a local YMCA) with child-friendly activities your child can attend.
Keep things hopeful. Even in the most difficult situation, it is important to remain optimistic about the future. Your positive outlook will help your children be able to see good things in the world around them. This will help get them through even the most challenging times.
Seek professional help if your child still has difficulties more than six weeks after the hurricane.

What Parents Can Do to Help Themselves

Parents may have a tendency to neglect their own needs during a crisis. In order to be able to take care of their children, parents must take care of themselves. Here are some things parents should keep in mind:

Take care of yourself physically. Eat healthily, get enough sleep, and get proper medical care.
Support each other. Parents and other caregivers should take time to talk together and provide support as needed.
Put off major decisions. Avoid making any unnecessary life-altering decision during this stressful post-hurricane period.
Give yourself a break. Try not to overdo clean-up activities. Avoid lifting heavy items or working for extended periods of time to reduce injury.

What Teachers Can Do to Help Their Students

Teachers can play an important role in helping their students recover. Returning to school is important, in and of itself, in promoting the welfare of children and families. Try the following suggestions to assist you in your work with children, adolescents, and families:

Take care of yourself emotionally. You and your family may have had a stressful experience and may have suffered losses and stresses like those of your students. To be able to support them, you must have support yourself.
Take care of yourself physically. Eat healthily, get enough sleep, and get proper medical care.
Communicate with others. Make sure that you and your fellow teachers, schedule ongoing times to talk together and give each other support. Teachers might consider covering for each other, if something comes up that must be taken care of.
Give yourself a break. Try not to overdo clean-up activities. Avoid lifting heavy items or working for extended periods of time to reduce injury.
Put off major decisions. Avoid making any unnecessary life-altering decisions during this stressful, post-hurricane period.
Put aside the time to take care of the personal needs of your own family. Even though you may be very committed to your students, take special time with your own family members or friends.
If you have a lot of hurricane-related responsibilities, talk with your school administrators about temporarily altering your work schedule.