Five things to do after surviving a hurricane like Helene

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, individuals and businesses face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives. Hurricane recovery isn’t just about repairing physical damage; it’s about finding stability in the chaos that remains. Drawing from my own experience and previous writings on disaster resilience, here are five key strategies to help you recover from a disaster.

1. Review your insurance coverage

The first step after ensuring everyone’s safety is to take stock of what your insurance policy covers. Homeowners, renters and business insurance will each play a crucial role in how you begin to rebuild. Unfortunately, many people find after a disaster that their coverage is not enough. It is essential to carefully document the damage through photos and videos, making claims as detailed as possible. Many survivors, including those affected by Hurricane Helene, may face obstacles due to outdated risk assessments and systemic issues that lead to uninsured communities. Consulting a professional to help with claims can simplify the process. Fortunately, there are many pro bono resources to help.

2. Navigate living and working away from home

Disasters often force people to leave their homes, sometimes permanently, and finding a way to live and work during this temporary period can be one of the most difficult challenges. Depending on the level of damage, the recovery phase can last from several months to many years. During this time, the need for temporary housing, remote work arrangements, or even maintaining dual housing may become a necessity. Flexibility in living arrangements and working methods is key to managing this extended period. It’s important to accept the volatility as you find whatever stable routine you can.

3. Restoring business and social ties

The importance of rebuilding business and social networks cannot be overstated. Business connections are critical to financial recovery, but social relationships are essential to emotional and mental well-being. After Hurricane Katrina, it became clear how interconnected business sustainability and personal relationships are—communities that worked together collectively fared better. This included everything from community meals and cookouts during the rebuild to creating social media groups to stay updated on each other’s lives. This was an important step in maintaining a sense of community when physical space was not available.

Bringing back businesses, especially small businesses, is important to community recovery. To get back in business after a disaster, start by reaching out to clients, colleagues and friends, letting them know your situation and exploring mutual support options. Business owners should be proactive in reaching out to suppliers, customers and even competitors—cooperation can speed recovery. Relocating operations is often a necessity after a disaster. Also consider telecommuting and e-commerce as an option to reduce costs and provide flexibility for employees and customers who may relocate.

4. Create a recovery plan

Creating a clear rebuilding plan for your home and business is vital. For businesses, this means assessing the damage, securing financial assistance if needed and setting realistic timelines for recovery. For homeowners, it includes dealing with contractors, understanding building codes and prioritizing needed repairs. It’s not just about returning things to the way they were, but considering improvements to reduce future risk – whether that’s reinforcing structures or adopting new technologies that can better withstand future storms. “When creating a rebuilding plan, both homeowners and business owners need to focus on improving resilience and reducing future risks. It’s not just about restoring what’s been lost, but also considering that how to better withstand future disasters,” according to sources at the American Planning Association. for disaster recovery.

5. Strategize for your new reality

Disaster recovery involves more than just rebuilding structures; it requires an emotional and strategic shift in understanding what “normal” will look like moving forward. Start by assessing what your immediate and long-term needs are, and consider how your priorities may have changed. For example, changes in your personal or professional environment may affect decisions about where and how you live or run your business. Recovery is also an opportunity to adopt new resilient practices that can help minimize future risks, whether through updated construction techniques, new insurance policies or innovative business models.

Furthermore, understand that resilience is an ongoing process. It is vital to remain flexible and prepare for changes in local regulations, economic conditions or climate risks. Consider involving your community in joint initiatives such as neighborhood rebuilding plans or mutual aid networks, which can promote resilience on a larger scale. Collaboration not only helps spread the burden, but also strengthens the support system needed to make adaptation to a transformed reality sustainable.

Bonus tip: Don’t forget your humanity

Finally, it is important to maintain your humanity and remember that this is a difficult experience. Emotions can run high and the people around you will also be dealing with their own traumas and challenges. Keeping support systems strong and being kind to yourself and others during this time will help with personal and community recovery. Recovering from a disaster is as much about mental resilience as it is about physical rebuilding.

The road to recovery after a major storm is complex and multifaceted. It requires careful financial planning, flexibility in living arrangements, strong social support and strategic thinking about the future. These are just a few ways for the growing number of us who will need to regroup as climate catastrophes move forward.