Hurricane Milton: Reducing Your Storm Stress

Hurricane Milton

Whether you’re in Florida or have family living in the Sunshine State, anticipating hurricanes like Category 4 Hurricane Milton can cause significant stress and anxiety. And with the news channels shining a constant light on the storm, it’s normal to begin to worry about one’s family, pets, home or community. Below are some simple and effective tips on how to reduce storm related stress:

What you can do

Prepare

One of the number one things you can do to alleviate stress is to be prepared and have a plan of action so that you can remain as safe as possible during the storm. The American Red Cross has specific steps you can take to prepare for all kinds of natural disasters. Click Here for Red Cross Tips.

Stay Informed

Get the facts about the storm and stay up to date on latest information and warnings. Being aware of the current happenings of the storm can help you be more prepared. However, avoid fake news stories or news channels that exaggerate information to create drama.

Connect

Connect with close family members, friends or neighbors. You may find that discussing your fears and stresses can help you gain better understanding and help you to prepare for worst case scenarios. Staying close to people who can provide emotional support is key!

When your kids are anxious about the storm

Remain Calm and Supportive

Often times the news that constantly streams the damages or updates on the storm can cause distress to children who are fearing the worst. Remain calm when discussing the hurricane and acknowledge that you have a safety plan in place.

Involve Your Kids in Preparedness

Discuss your preparedness plans with your kids, allowing them to be involved gives them a sense of understanding and comfort for when disaster strikes.

Educate Them

Curiosity can present itself as fear in children when they want to better understand the world around them, educate your children on storms and weather systems so they can gain a sense of understanding and security about what is to come. Be mindful though, to not over do it on the news watching. Our counselors recommend to watch the storm for 20-30 minutes and then turn it off, checking back every few hours for an update to take a break from the constant stream of information!

After the Storm

Many times, survivors suffer from guilt or trauma related to the storm’s damage. If you find that you’re unable to cope or that your systems last for weeks after the storm has hit, here are some tips to cope

Volunteer

Volunteering in your community, donating blood or clothes, time or food can be very beneficial to the community and ease symptoms of grief or guilt.

Get Back into a Routine

Following the storm, getting back into your daily routine can help to move forward following the hurricane’s hit.

Seek Help

If you find that you are having trouble coping with the hurricane and it’s effects or the symptoms of your anxiety or grief interfere with your daily routine, reach out to a mental health counselor. We have expert counselors who are more than happy to help!