7 Ways to Help Someone Hit by a Hurricane
The best things you can do in the wake of devastation are sometimes the most surprising
Houzz Contributor. http://alisonhodgson.net/ Expert on the etiquette of perilous times. I love helping people figure out practical ways to support friends and family in crisis. I discovered Houzz after an arsonist randomly burned down our house and we lost everything. A home transcends four walls, and yet creating havens for ourselves and our loved ones, within these walls, is important work.
Houzz Contributor. http://alisonhodgson.net/ Expert on the etiquette of... More »
| Share: |
|
My aunt Marilyn knows she’s one of the lucky ones. You may question this. She fell and broke her leg a month ago and has been in a wheelchair ever since. She had already been staying with her daughter and son-in-law for a couple of weeks when Hurricane Sandy ripped through Tom's River, New Jersey and flooded her house. She lost her car and everything in her garage and one of the bedrooms. Only the structure was insured for flooding, so in addition to having a huge mess to clean up, she is thousands of dollars out of pocket. And she still considers herself fortunate.
She has neighbors who lost everything and, without flood insurance of any kind, are starting over. They too are grateful to be alive.
This was how I felt two years ago when an arsonist randomly set our house on fire and my family escaped with the clothes on our backs. We lost everything but were thankful to be alive and were amazed by the generosity and care of our community. It is so hard to lose everything and start over even when you have an intact and thriving support system. I can only imagine the challenge when everyone around you is equally devastated, like after Hurricane Sandy.
She has neighbors who lost everything and, without flood insurance of any kind, are starting over. They too are grateful to be alive.
This was how I felt two years ago when an arsonist randomly set our house on fire and my family escaped with the clothes on our backs. We lost everything but were thankful to be alive and were amazed by the generosity and care of our community. It is so hard to lose everything and start over even when you have an intact and thriving support system. I can only imagine the challenge when everyone around you is equally devastated, like after Hurricane Sandy.
| What You Can Do to Help Almost all of us have seen the desolation caused by Sandy. In the U.S. alone: more than 110 dead, millions without power, thousands homeless, neighborhoods wiped out and entire towns ravaged. This is when those of us from a distance can step up, reach out and be extended community, but it can be daunting to know what to do or where to start. Perhaps you have friends who lost their home or belongings in Hurricane Sandy and you want to help. I have a few recommendations. |
| Think before you speak. Less is truly more when it comes to words. Beyond “I’m so sorry” there isn’t a lot to say. It feels inadequate, and that’s OK. Odds are, your friends aren’t philosophizing, but if they are trying to put their loss in perspective, simply listen. It’s one thing for the people who have lost all their worldly goods to say, “It’s just stuff,” and another thing altogether for you to say it, from your warm and intact home surrounded by all your stuff. Listen. Whatever your friends have been through or lost, they have a story to tell. My friend Sue went down to serve in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Her group distributed food, clothes and other basics. She asked everyone who came through the line, “What’s your story?” Every single person stopped to tell her and seemed more eager to talk than to eat. Look for a practical need and fulfill it. Don’t say, "Let me know if there is any way I can help." People in crisis often don’t know what they need, and if they do, may still be reluctant to ask for help. This is often said to end a conversation, but resist the urge. If you truly want to be helpful, figure out what needs to be done and do it. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Send money. Writing a check to friends and family may seem impersonal, but it's one of the most helpful things you can do. Disasters are expensive. Something most of us don’t consider is the prohibitive expense of flood insurance. Many people who lost their homes and businesses were not fully insured. Even in the best cases, there are seemingly endless out-of-pocket expenses. Help with the logistics. Some of us curl up in the fetal position at the thought of insurance forms. If you are an “i” dotter and a “t” crosser, consider giving your time to help a friend fill out and file paperwork. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Organize a picture drive. When our house burned down, what I mourned most deeply was the loss of all of our pictures and videos. Friends and family sorted through their pictures and began to send them. It was great to have so many replaced and to look through them together. Open your home. This is one of the most profoundly helpful and compassionate things you can do. Losing your home and all your possessions is a surreal experience, and rebuilding is a long and arduous process. When an entire area is devastated, the rebuilding process is even slower. Even if it’s only for the short term, sharing your home is an extraordinary way to help a friend get back on his or her feet. Resource Guide: Recovering from Sandy |
Ideabook published on Nov. 7, 2012.
Latest Ideabooks
People found the photos in this ideabook after searching for:
View over a million photos:
basements · bedrooms · dining rooms · entries · family rooms · garage and sheds · halls · home offices · landscapes · laundry rooms · powder rooms · wine cellars and more.
Find Local Pros by Category:
Architects & Designers · Interior Designers & Decorators · General Contractors · Home Media Design & Installation · Landscape Architects & Designers · Kitchen & Bath Designers · Design-build Firms · Closet & Home Storage Designers · Carpet and Flooring · Fireplaces · Tile, Stone & Countertops · Specialty Contractors · Landscape Contractors
Find Local Pros by Metro Area:
Atlanta · Austin · Baltimore · Boston · Chicago · Dallas · Dc Metro · Denver · Detroit · Hawaii · Houston · Las Vegas · Los Angeles · Miami · Minneapolis · Nashville · New Orleans · New York · Philadelphia · Phoenix · Portland · Salt Lake City · San Diego · San Francisco · Seattle · St Louis
On day I was in my front yard trying to cut a pine into pieces. A man from Ohio pulled up whipped his chainsaw out and it was done in 10 minutes.
He gladly took the glass of tea refused any money, so as we talked a few more minutes I had my son slide $40.00 in his console with a thank you where he wouldn't miss it. He had gone above and beyond and I cried because he had cut them into perfect pieces that could be rolled to the curb easily....a 35 ft pine.
He deserved more for being a wonderful Christian (which he was) and I will never forget him.
From myself and all my colleagues and contributors at Hometipster.com our hearts and thoughts are with everyone in this most difficult time. Lives are the most important thing, other things can always be rebuilt and what is nice to see is the people coming together to help one another in a real time of need.
It's too early yet but if anyone knows of a family that my husband and I could mentor please let us know. We come with much experience but not a lot of money. For years to come there will be many decisions to be made , paper work to do and much hard work.
Susan. Sdual911@yahoo.com
Your article is not only beautifully written, but right on in every single account! Thank you for taking the time to share it with readers who want to know where to start and what to do. Great advice!
May God bless all those who are in this bad situation.
If anyone has any information about Port Reading, Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County that they'd be willing to share with me, I would so greatly appreciate it.
On a design note, I'm really impressed by whoever built that gazebo! It looks like you could probably just stand it right back up!
The picture drive is a fabulous idea--the hardest thing to do is to rebuild the artifacts of your personal or family history. If you are family member outside of the affected area, start going through your negatives/digital files, and make reprints of wedding, baptisms, childhood photos, etc.
If you have an evac order--it's the four P's: People, pets, pills, & pictures. The rest can, eventually, be replaced.
Also with flooding, if you have to evacuate--if you have the 10 minutes--tie up all of your draperies, curtains, swags, etc. to the top of the rod, if you can. Then, even if you have water, you may have to replace floor coverings, but not all the window treatments. Sometimes it's just the small things--that there is something that you can save/restore from before the flood/storm that can make a huge difference.
Oddball fact--disposable diapers left in a cabinet during a flood will absorb so much water that the force of the expansion will break cabinet framing.