Natural disasters, such as floods, earthquakes, fires, storms, and hurricanes, always strike unnoticed. Unfortunately, these disasters cause unplanned relocations, which can stress individuals and the community. Recovering from any disaster is gradual and occurs in stages that can take several days, weeks, months, or years depending on the extent of the damage.

Nonetheless, affected families and businesses should initiate the recovery process immediately after the disaster. Below are some insights to consider when recovering from a disaster.

What to do immediately after a disaster

Most people struggle with emotional and physical stress minutes, hours, or days, after the disaster. In most cases, physical distress results from accidents and injuries resulting from the disaster, specifically after an earthquake or fire and smoke damage. On the other hand, emotional stress stems from a need to suddenly move to another area, a lack of control over their life, and loss of loved ones if the disaster turns fatal.

That said, the following tips can help those experiencing these situations;

•     Ensure that all your family members are accounted for and brought to safety. If some of your family members are missing, work with first responders. Pets should also be accounted for.
•     Attend to those injured and call for medical help for severe injuries
•     Ensure that everyone has their lockbox containing important personal documents.
•     If your property remains standing after the disaster with some damage, find ways of securing it. You might have to make temporary repairs for this.
•     If your property is insured, take clear photos showing the extent of damage
•     If possible, remove valuables that can’t be secured
•     If your property suffered extensive damage, you might have to look for shelter. Keep track of your expenses during this period as they are covered by renter’s and homeowner’s insurance policies.
•     If you can’t afford to pay for the shelter if your house isn’t insured, seek refuge from local community shelters.

Regaining control over life

With the preliminary steps sorted, below are the steps that help affected persons regain control over their lives;

•     Rebuild general and physical strength – if everyone is safe, whether in a shelter, apartment, or with relatives and friends, the next step is attending to all who require medical help. All affected persons should also get enough food and drinks to rebuild their physical strength. Sleep is also important for general wellness.
•     Restoring daily activities – resuming daily routines improves mental and emotional wellbeing. Despite the absence of physical homes, daily routines, such as watching TV and family walks, restores their normalcy.
•     Provide comfort – family members can deal with physical and emotional stress when comfortable.

Rebuild family life

After the immediate shock and confusion experienced after the disaster has subsided, the third step focuses on rebuilding family life and long-term emotional recovery. This occurs in two phases;

•     Assessing the physical and emotional losses experienced by the family – taking this inventory makes it easy to identify specific actions that can rebuild the family life. You may need to work with a junk removal team to remove furniture and items that were destroyed during the event.
•     Developing an emotional understanding of the disaster to rebuild family life – resolving emotions associated with the disaster can take time. This natural healing process involves talking to friends and seeking practical, emotional help from family members, friends, and professionals.

The Bottom Line

Recovering from natural disasters is a phased long-term process. During the recovery period, affected persons should actively monitor local radio, TV, and media reports for updates on where they can get emergency medication, housing, clothing, food, and financial help. They should also ensure that their homes are safe before returning.

After returning, homeowners with insurance policies can start filing their claims. Remember to consult your insurer before beginning any major disaster cleanup and renovation.