No matter where you live, natural disasters are practically impossible to ignore! With the change in our climate, especially if you live along the coastlines, it pays to get organized before and after a disaster. I’ve written on this subject for several years, given talks, and worked with many clients in preparation. I have not written about what to do after a disaster until now.
I’ve heard from several friends affected by the 2024 hurricane season, and it hasn’t been easy. For some, it’s also been painfully slow.
Recovery is a marathon, not a sprint…sorry for the cliche metaphor. Still, it’s taken me this long to publish this post because as much as I’ve tried to help and witness the recovery process, many people are still in the first and second phases. Many people are just beginning to see recovery efforts, get significant help, and be able to get appointments with contractors for estimates and repairs.
Even those who did not experience personal property damage have been affected by the impact on the whole community, infrastructure, friends, family, and neighbors. For many in Asheville, the struggle isn’t just with property damage, insurance, and FEMA claims. It’s the impact on their livelihoods and mental health. If you still want to offer your support, there are some wonderful local resources in Western North Carolina, including Beloved Asheville, and it will take YEARS for people, businesses, and communities to rebuild. Please remember this as you consider ongoing support for communities impacted by disasters.
I have worked with clients who had to navigate the aftermath of damage to their homes and properties, people who were displaced, and who were hard on themselves for not having prepared better. I’m here to remind you that we are dealing with storms and disasters for which no amount of preparation can steady you. I hope the shame and/or shock lessens over time and that we all realize that we could be in this position. More and more insurance companies and FEMA deny claims due to flooding or other disasters.
So, what should we do now? I hope this post offers some practical advice and resources, and more than anything, I hope it comes across not as an ‘I told you so’ but as a compassionate hand on your shoulder, offering my support. For many people, there was no way to know what was to come, no way to prepare for losing everything so quickly.
Phase One: Safety first & documentation.
Storms and disasters displace many people. Accessing your situation might not be viable initially. You may not have enough information for months to determine what to do next. Exhaustion, decision fatigue, shock, and being overwhelmed are all too common during this phase.
- Take a mental inventory of places, people, and systems in place to support you.
- Find safe short-term housing, clothing, and food. Shelters (Red Cross), local non-profit organizations, churches (even if you are not affiliated), friends, and family are all valuable resources to consider.
- Don’t count on technology or essential resources (safe drinking water, electricity, etc). Be prepared to boil water, go without power, use a generator, etc.
- Talk to your neighbors and know who else is staying or leaving.
- Start a written list of resources and their contact information (get it out of your head!). Can you stay with friends or family, even temporarily, to rest and let your system reset before diving back into the rebuilding process?
- From this list, begin to assess what resources are immediately needed versus mid or long-term. See the FEMA Emergency Preparation list at the bottom of this post to help you determine what you might have or need.
- Evaluate the condition of your documents. Did you lose insurance policy information, personal identification or other important documents? Make a list of what you have and what you might need to move forward.
- Document damage (only when it’s safe to do so!). Think about damage according to structural (the building) and contents (what’s inside/your stuff). If you don’t have good documentation of before the disaster, don’t worry. There are ways to reestablish those. Thankfully, most of us take plenty of photos to recreate our content and structure.
Mental Health & Emotional Support
This is probably the most emotionally and physically vulnerable time to ask for help.
- Working through overwhelming tasks is much easier if you are not alone. Offer your help in return. Community is vital at this time. Coming together will foster a sense of support and closure for your emotionally taxing tasks.
- Reward yourself in some small way. Take a nap, rest, stay hydrated, warm, or cool off.
- Take care and pace yourself. Scream into a pillow, throw something (not at someone), and allow yourself to vent your emotions. Please don’t keep them bottled up.
- If you cannot manage your emotions and need professional support, this FREE hotline is available to natural disaster survivors.
Phase Two: Evaluate & Document
- Contact your insurance company to let them know about the damage and begin the process of filing a damage claim. You might not think you are eligible for anything if your property is flooded and you don’t have flood insurance. Still, it’s crucial to establish grounds for anything denied or any future disputes.
- Document don’t destroy! Anything damaged should be photographed and listed. If battery use is limited, write lists on paper and take photos of specific items as you can. Things like make/model/serial numbers may be necessary. Be careful when walking around when doing this work. If the area has not had utilities turned off or the structural damage is unsafe, it’s best to do what you can from a distance.
- Contact utility companies to let them know damage needs to be accessed. Once you know that breakers are turned off and utility access is safe to work around, proceed with documenting damages.
- Begin the process of filing for FEMA claims not covered by insurance. There may be general loss and structural issues, and you can file claims for other categories (short-term housing, food/clothing, etc.).
Phase Three: Clean-Up & Mitigation
- Once it’s safe to proceed with clean-up, determine the large and small tasks and who can do them.
- Hire reputable professionals or enlist the help of mutual aid and community volunteers to tackle things as a team. Categories of professionals might include mold remediation specialists, electricians, plumbers, tree removal services, structural engineers, architects, public adjusters (to help with claims disputes), and other contractors.
- Call on friends and family to help you. Seriously, do you know someone great with administrative details or a carpenter who knows what things should cost (without being gouged!)? Now is the time to reach out and call on people, especially those outside your geographic region. They can and do want to help. Maybe you can let them take some burden from you. I’ve done this for friends and small non-profit organizations. I knew I had skills that could be useful, so think about who wants to help you and how they can do so.
- Board or tarp up damaged areas to prevent further damage in the days/weeks to come.
- Work with volunteers and professional local, state, and federal agencies to begin filing repair claims.
- Contact professionals to begin to get repair estimates. You may or may not need detailed estimates to get relief funding, but if your damages are extreme, you will need to hire professionals, so it’s best to get estimates as soon as it’s safe.
Phase Four: Rebuilding or Relocating
- You may have initially decided whether to stay or go. What you’ve learned may impact that choice, and it’s important to understand that changing your mind or reevaluating your circumstances is a huge part of moving forward.
- If you can stay and rebuild, start with structural and mechanical repairs (engineers/architects, plumbers/electricians, roofing/carpentry, etc.)
- Establish a realistic timeline for your living circumstances. If you are in temporary housing, is it available and affordable for the duration? Is it feasible for you to stay until you relocate or rebuild? Is there somewhere you can go if you can’t return to your home? Do you have a budget? Can you find someplace local, or do you need to go further? Is your job remote or flexible during this phase to support you?
- Managing your claims (FEMA, Loans, Insurance) can be a nuisance and downright overwhelming for some people. Enlist help for tasks that can be done (partially) remotely.
- Pace yourself. Balance work, family, and reconstruction with breaks and rewards however possible.
- Break the process into chunks/phases and establish a timeline to help you set goals or see what’s coming. This will make the process more manageable and less overwhelming.
FEMA Recommended Emergency supply kit includes:
- 3-day Supply of Food and Water (1 Gal/person/day, nonperishable food, can opener, utensils, cooler with Ice & make a game of eating all the food in the fridge-then freezer)-rotate out perishables seasonally
- Pet Care (food, medications, bowls, water, leash etc)
- Health Supplies (medications, hearing aids, etc.)
- Personal Care Items (soap, wipes, toothbrush, TP, etc)
- Safety Supplies (first aid, flashlights, lanterns/candles, whistle, multi-tool like a Swiss army knife)
- Electronics (cell phone, charger, extra batteries)
- Essential documents are ready to go in a water-safe/transportable container (e.g., a Ziploc bag or a small file box); for more information on what to bring, see this post.
- Books/music and games are ready to entertain you and your family in case of power outages.”
I am not an expert in this. As you, your loved ones, and your community navigate this process, I’m sure you will find other helpful resources and support. From everything I have heard, mutual aid, community, and loved ones have been the biggest help. If you are frustrated with institutions that seem like they are not helpful, I urge you not to give up. From my understanding, there may be considerable hurdles and loopholes to navigate, but ultimately, there is some reward at the end of the process. For many folks, this is the only financial support available, and it’s not easy, so please reach out if you need help!