Rebuilding After the
Storm
by Catherine
News that a disaster will hit a community is a shock to everyone. Responding to a crisis can really challenge the resources of a community. Two important agencies can provide assistance to survivors after a disaster, the American Red Cross (ARC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The American Red Cross is one of the most helpful organizations during and after a disaster. People grow increasingly desperate to find shelter, medicine, food, and water. They can find that and more at the American Red Cross.
The ARC also has a database to help in locating your family members after disasters. Contact your local ARC chapter for more information.
A calamitous event can cause great emotional distress for those who live through a nightmarish disaster, and then face an anguishing personal loss. That is why the ARC makes it the most important goal to meet the disaster victims’ mental health as well as their physical needs. Groups of disaster-trained mental health workers help victims for weeks and months to come. They provide financial assistance for rent and new furnishings. The ARC also helps you contact financial relief programs.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is another important organization. If your home was destroyed or damaged, FEMA can supply you with a temporary shelter. FEMA’s DHA program provides temporary housing convenient to people whose home is unlivable because of the disaster. DHA also provides money to disasters victims.
After a hurricane, roads and highways continue being blocked by fallen power lines, flood waters, and fallen trees. Local communities also apply to FEMA for financial support to repair the roads. Very frequently FEMA pays to rebuild the roads.