Hurricane Dorian’s impact on the Bahamas has been a devastating sight to witness, but some of the longest lasting damage will never be visible. The Category 5 Storms- Which hit the Northern part of the Carribean archipelago with winds nearing 200 mph and 25 ft flood waters destroying homes and leaving at least 50 people dead. This will leave a mental health crisis in its awake, affecting the people for years. We have experienced many times where the destruction of the hurricane impacts people’s mental health due to the trauma of the event. Emergency response efforts so far have focused on meeting Bahamian survivors’ most immediate needs for survival, like food, water, and medical care.  Many people on the islands are still living without cell phone service, power, or running water, and the United Nations estimates that approximately 70,000 people in the Bahamas are in need of food and shelter! Imagine not being able to use your phone or have running water, food, shelter, or even a heater. Even if we do supply the physical needs of the people in Bahamas like food and shelter, we need to help fix one thing…! Imagine if you just encountered a storm that made the power and cell service go out. Think … if you were in a small compacted home with four other families, struggling to find a reliable source of food or running water! Obviously we can infer that in these horrible conditions, the mental health of the people that encountered the tragedy would not be ok. Hurricanes and other major disasters commonly leave survivors with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and what’s called “disaster-related distress,” which can manifest in many ways, including overwhelming anxiety, constant worrying, trouble sleeping, yelling or fighting with loved ones, nightmares, unwanted thoughts related to the storm, and depression-like symptoms. After reading this article, you should be more aware on what is happening in the news and lives of people right now and use this as a way to relate to your own emotions! What would you do in this situation? How would this affect your life? 

Sources:

https://www.projecthope.org/hurricane-dorian-what-you-need-to-know/09/2019/?utm_source=googlegrants&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=hurricane%20dorian&utm_campaign=Paid&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyu-psNq15wIVCINaBR0ILgDIEAAYASAAEgIVsvD_BwE