Disaster Resources
We have provided some information you might need when a disaster or emergency happens.
If you seek psychological help please see our "Find a Psychologist" in "Resources/Public" tab or call our Central Office for a referral at (850) 656-2222.
Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event (Spanish Version)
Managing Traumatic Stress: Tips for Recovering from Natural Disasters (English Version)
Mass Shooting Resources
Restoring a Sense of Safety in the Aftermath of a Mass Shooting: Tips for Parents and Professionals
Disaster Distress Helpline Brochure
Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting
Managing Your Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting
Impact of Mass Shootings on Individual Adjustment
Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth after the Recent Shootings
Tips for Parents on Media Coverage
Tip Sheet for Youth on Talking to Journalists about Shootings
Hurricane Resources
Hurricane preparedness actions to take now:
Protecting Your Family
- Talk with your family about what to do if a hurricane strikes. Discussing hurricanes ahead of time helps reduce fear, particularly for younger children.
· If you are going to respond, discuss how you will remain in contact with them and what they can anticipate in terms of you responding.
- Make sure you have access to National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) information
- Website for Hurricane information: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
- NOAA radio broadcasts:
- Find an online NOAA radio station
- Search for a NOAA radio app in the Apple Store >> or Google Play>>
- Purchase a battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA radio
- Keep insurance policies, documents, and other valuables in a safe-deposit box or weather secure box. You may need quick, easy access to these documents. Keep them in a safe place less likely to be damaged if a hurricane causes flooding. Take pictures on a phone and keep copies of important documents and files on a flash drive that you can carry with you on your house or car keys.
Protecting Your Pets & Animals
- Make a disaster plan for your companion animals.
Protecting Your Home
- Protect windows with permanent storm shutters or invest in one-half inch marine plywood that is pre-cut to fit your doors and windows.
- Identify a place to store lawn furniture, toys, gardening tools and trash cans (away from stairs and exits) to prevent them from being moved by high winds and possibly hurting someone.
- Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts to prevent flooding and unnecessary pressure on the awnings.
- Remember that standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding but flood insurance does. Get information at www.FloodSmart.gov.
Flood Survival Guide
https://www.alarms.org/flood-survival-guide/
Tornadoes, Hurricanes and Children
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/tornadoes-kids.aspx
Hurricane Response: A Guide to State, Local, and Federal Safety Net Resources (Florida Policy Institute)
Recovering Emotionally from Disaster
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/recovering-disasters.aspx
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
- After a Crisis: Helping Young Children Heal
- Parents Tips for Helping Preschool-Aged Children after Disasters
- Parents Tips for Helping School-Aged Children after Disasters
- Guiding Adults in Talking to Children about Death and Attending Services
- Restoring a Sense of Safety in the Aftermath of a Shooting: Tips for Parents and Professionals
- Helping Youth after Community Trauma: Tips for Educators
- Helping Teens with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers
- Helping Young Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers
- Helping School-Age Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers
- Sibling Death and Childhood Traumatic Grief: Information for Families
Resilience
Books available for free download:
Healthy, Resilient, and Sustainable Communities After Disasters: Strategies, Opportunities, and Planning for Recovery
In the devastation that follows a major disaster, there is a need for multiple sectors to unite and devote new resources to support the rebuilding of infrastructure, the provision of health and social services, the restoration of care delivery systems, and other critical recovery needs. In some cases, billions of dollars from public, private and charitable sources are invested to help communities recover. National rhetoric often characterizes these efforts as a "return to normal." But for many American communities, pre-disaster conditions are far from optimal. Large segments of the U.S. population suffer from preventable health problems, experience inequitable access to services, and rely on overburdened health systems. A return to pre-event conditions in such cases may be short-sighted given the high costs - both economic and social - of poor health. Instead, it is important to understand that the disaster recovery process offers a series of unique and valuable opportunities to improve on the status quo. Capitalizing on these opportunities can advance the long-term health, resilience, and sustainability of communities - thereby better preparing them for future challenges.
Increasing National Resilience to Hazards and Disasters: The Perspective from the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi: Summary of a Workshop
Natural disasters are having an increasing effect on the lives of people in the United States and throughout the world. Every decade, property damage caused by natural disasters and hazards doubles or triples in the United States. More than half of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of a coast, and all Americans are at risk from such hazards as fires, earthquakes, floods, and wind. The year 2010 saw 950 natural catastrophes around the world--the second highest annual total ever--with overall losses estimated at $130 billion. The increasing impact of natural disasters and hazards points to increasing importance of resilience, the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, or more successfully adapt to actual or potential adverse events, at the individual , local, state, national, and global levels.
Building Community Disaster Resilience Through Private-Public Collaboration
Natural disasters--including hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and floods--caused more than 220,000 deaths worldwide in the first half of 2010 and wreaked havoc on homes, buildings, and the environment. To withstand and recover from natural and human-caused disasters, it is essential that citizens and communities work together to anticipate threats, limit their effects, and rapidly restore functionality after a crisis.