Once a hurricane, or a slow moving weak tropical storm, moves inland, it can unleash an enormous inland flood by causing many inches of rainfall. Very often, a hurricane has come ashore and done minimal damage. They move inland a few hundred miles and produce epic floods. This was the case for hurricane Agnes in 1972, hurricane Camille in 1969 (although Camille also devastated the Gulf Coast near Biloxi, Mississippi) and hurricane Floyd in 1999. All these storms caused a flood situation that claimed many lives and incurred additional damage in the range of billions of dollars.

The least talked about effect of tropical cyclones is mental health. It is a grueling task to prepare a family of 5 for a major hurricane event with the clock ticking and the countdown being on. The pressure is immense as you are responsible for your family and your work. The storm closes in and maybe it causes extreme damage to your home. The stress can cause families to fall apart. Recovery will take a long time and children will tend to hang on to anxiety more so than adults.

The best way to cope is to talk it out. Tell others your story. Talk to loved ones and get help if you need to. Don't allow a hurricane destroy your family. Just remember that it will take some time for life to get back to where it was before the storm. The important thing is to be patient and things will work out, it just takes time.