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Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management Crisis and Emergency Management Newsletter Website |
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December
2005
Volume 9 - Number
3 |
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Hurricane Katrina Perspective
By Kerry Crawford Along with most Americans, and people around the world,
I was glued to the television before, during, and immediately following the
Hurricane Katrina disaster in Mississippi and Louisiana. Images of desperate
people, standing on their roof and reaching for help from rescue helicopters
and wading through chest deep water trying to reach shelter with food, should
never be forgotten.
Even the evacuees who were willing and able to leave lost their homes, belongings, neighborhoods, communities, and local towns. I have frequently visited Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and now I saw satellite images of a new shore line extending deep into the town where local shops and homes once stood. Piles of debris were overwhelming to see and revealed smashed frames and photographs, children’s toys and stuffed animals. Rescuers combed rural and urban areas searching for those who were not willing or did not have the means to evacuate, and the media brought the world images of elderly being assisted out of their homes or carried out of nursing homes. The total long-term psychological impact of a disaster of this magnitude will not be revealed for years to come. There are three distinct groups will have different behavioral health needs. The most obvious group is the victims, the residents of southwestern Alabama, southern Mississippi and Louisiana. The public safety workers are another group—the police officers, fire and rescue personnel, and emergency service workers—who will have significant behavioral health needs for years to come. Public safety workers also include additional populations, such as those who must clean up the debris, hospital surge staff, and infrastructure personnel and government personnel who work continuously to restore basic services to the devastated areas. The last group impacted by the disaster are those who experienced the disaster vicariously through the media and through family members and friends in lived in the area, the responders who helped evacuees acclimate and find a life in cities across the U.S., and those who have experienced past traumatic experiences that have been re-traumatized by Hurricane Katrina’s devastation. There are obviously many factors that will stress these populations in the months and years following the disaster. Losing a home is a terrible experience, and losing the possessions, memories, photographs, and personal items in the home is even more significant. Many people have lost their jobs, and temporarily lost the ability to support their families. This loss of independence is a tremendous blow to pride and self-identity. These stresses can cause people to turn to substance abuse to dull the pain, and alcoholism and medications misuse and substance abuse increases after a disaster. This can compound the already difficult implications of the disaster. The evacuees who cannot return to their homes have lost their sense of community. Children have changed schools, often changing grades to acclimate to new school districts. Some initial studies indicate that up to 44 percent of evacuees will never return to the impacted areas, instead putting down roots in the refuge cities across the U.S. It is important to remember the psychological and substance abuse needs of the affected, which can often be lost in the confusion of overall hurricane recovery. |