Now the Work Begins: Recovery From Hurricane Milton

How to move forward from a catastrophe and help people heal.

Reviewed by Davia Sills

Key points

• Hurricane Milton had a significant impact on the state of Florida and included a large number of tornadoes.
• The effects are felt throughout the state, leaving many people in need of support services.
• Psychological First Aid (PFA) may be a good framework for helping survivors.
• Survivors can heal and be resilient given the right resources.

Sarasota. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Fort Myers. Naples. These are just a few of the cities impacted by Hurricane Milton. While the forecast was relatively accurate, there came a large surprise in the 126 tornado warnings that appeared suddenly as the hurricane made landfall. Central Florida—including Orlando and Ocala—and the East Coast were unexpectedly hit by very large and fast-moving tornadoes that were caught by observers on social media. This left some homes, vehicles, and trees in Daytona Beach, Palm Beach County, and more ravaged unpredictably.

When I teach crisis therapy techniques, Psychological First Aid (PFA) is the one that resonates most often with students and attendees. PFA typically includes the following steps: contact, safety and comfort, stabilization, information gathering, practical assistance, connecting with supports, psychoeducation on coping, and referrals for further services (Brymer et al., 2006). PFA seems to inherently make sense due to the very human needs of initial connection after a traumatic event and attending to survival concerns, such as knowing one is currently safe and has access to food, water, shelter, and medication.

The knowledge that one is safe at this moment is difficult given that the survivor was factually unsafe days, hours, or even minutes ago. Emotional stabilization becomes critical as the survivor may still be in flight, fight, freeze, or fawn mode following the event. Grounding techniques, especially those that engage the senses, can be pivotal in allowing the person to release tension and become oriented to the current, safer environment.

One such activity is the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 technique, where you ask the participant to notice five things they can see, four things they can feel, three things they can hear, two things they can smell, and one thing they can taste. Another is deep breathing or box breathing in order to help the participant slow down and reconnect with their body in a brief and relaxing way.

Sometimes, participants feel too overwhelmed to engage in these activities. At these times, I use a “color technique” where I pick a color and ask them to notice the things around them that are that particular color. This still engages the eyes and allows the person to focus on what is here in the present time to ground them.

After a significant crisis, individuals may not initially know what to do or where to go next. Information gathering can assist the helper with understanding, more specifically, the nature of the event and how it impacted the client. As the British writer Damian Barr put it, “We are not all in the same boat. We are all in the same storm. Some are on super-yachts. Some have just the one oar.” As such, the aftermath of a natural disaster will be different for survivors based on their circumstances and lived experiences.

Some factors that impact recovery include the resources available to the survivors and the survivors’ own history. Those who have a history of trauma may find their trauma symptoms reignited. Others with a history of depression may find themselves feeling lethargic or having difficulty with sleep and appetite. Still others with a pre-existing history of anxiety may find themselves experiencing racing thoughts. Knowing the survivor’s history becomes important to understanding which supports they need to be connected to moving forward.

In addition, survivors can be very resilient and can tap into their internal resources to help recover. Teaching coping skills, such as the grounding techniques mentioned above, can give survivors brief, actionable steps to help calm the nervous system down after a crisis. Encouragement and referral to resources, including trauma therapy, can help the client see a path to the resolution of the event and allow them to take empowering steps toward their healing.

As we turn on the TV or TikTok and see cleaning crews come in, linemen restore electricity, and food and water being distributed, we also need to be mindful of the psychological healing that needs to take place. Being kind to one another and helping folks connect to mental health resources is an important part of the morning after the storm. Together, we can work toward a peaceful recovery and create communities that can assist in preventing future tragedies.