Living in a place like St. Augustine, Florida, means we’re no strangers to surviving a hurricane. While we just made it through the second storm of the 2024 season relatively unscathed, there’s no denying the toll these storms take—both physically and mentally. The buildup, the impact, and the aftermath of hurricanes can be incredibly stressful, leaving many of us to grapple with anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health challenges. As we brace ourselves for the remainder of hurricane season, it’s important to acknowledge not only the physical preparations we make but also the emotional resilience required for surviving a hurricane.

The good news in St Augustine Florida is that we just made it through the second hurricane of the season relatively unscathed. The bad news is there is still a month and a half left of hurricane season for 2024. The other bad news is even though we came through the storm physically intact, psychologically the storm took a toll on us.  These hurricanes are extremely stressful if you live in an area where hurricanes may hit.  The stress of the build up, the storm hitting, and the aftermath of the storm can be traumatic, leading to Acute Stress Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety, and Depression.  If you have a mental illness such as Bipolar Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder, Schizophrenia or something else the stress of these storms can cause you to have an episode or lead to a decompensated state.

My Experience with Surviving a Hurricane

I moved to St Augustine, Florida in 2013.  At the time, I was told there hadn’t been a major hurricane here in over 100 years.  That sounded good!  Unfortunately in 2016  hurricane Matthew destroyed the home I was living in, taking with it all of our belongings, except for our clothes.  This included all the photos of my children when they were young (yes, the photos were prior to cell phones and computer storage). 

After Matthew  we had Irma in 2017, Ian in 2022, Nicole in 2022, and this year (so far) Helene and Milton.  Most of the year living in St Augustine is lovely.  During the rest of the year us locals seem to forget about hurricane season and enjoy all the town has to offer.  

I have noticed a pattern of behavior when hurricanes head our way.  Although my sample is small (St Augustine people) and completely non-scientific. I do believe there is some merit to my personal experience and my observations before, during, and following a hurricane. I am non-clinically identifying the stages we go through with these storms. The first stage I am calling the Disbelief or Holy Shoot stage.  Following this comes the Preparation Stage and “should I leave?” Stage.  Next comes the Park yourself on the couch and watch the Weather Channel Stage.  Following this comes The Hitting Us Stage, and finally the Clean up and attempt to return to normal stage.

STAGE 1:  Disbelief or Holy Shoot:

Prior to this stage we are all going about our daily lives.  We are working, tending to family, keeping our homes clean, being social, listening to music, exercising, dancing,  and watching our shows on our Apps.  Then we start hearing whispers of, “there is a storm forming in the gulf or the Atlantic”.  At this point it may or may not hit us”.  Hearing this puts us on guard and we monitor the storm.  “Please don’t hit us” we cry to each other as the storm is forming and taking aim at Florida. The texting and calling to our friends and loved ones begins to be only about the hurricane.

STAGE 2:  Preparation and Should We Leave?

If we get to this stage it means the chance has become greater that the eye of the storm is headed our way!  In this stage our anxiety begins to ratchet up.  We become stressed.  I go to work but then the announcement that schools will be closed for the storm comes three days ahead of the storm.  At this point, we all begin to prepare our homes.  Some get sand bags to place around their homes.   My house has a lot of potted plants because in previous storms I have lost so much landscaping I am leary of planting more.  This means I have to move all of my potted plants out of harm’s way.  We bring in all our outdoor furniture and all of our belongings in the garage find a temporary home in our front hall.  Cars that we don’t want to lose in a flood go to the downtown, city parking garage as it is higher up.  During all this preparation we are talking to neighbors and friends about nothing other than the impending doom of the storm.  

We have received evacuation orders with several of these storms.  I have evacuated for a total of three storms.  When evacuation orders come we usually have 12 hours to figure out what we are going to do. Shall we stay or shall we go? In the past we have gone to Atlanta because by this time hotels along the way are already filled with people from across the state.  We have been in a suite, in an Atlanta hotel, with four dogs, a cat, and five people one of whom with dementia who was thoroughly stressed and confused.  How surreal it was to be in this hotel, watching National news seeing our town in a complete flood!  There have been several storms where we have not left.  We weigh our odds, see where the storm is predicted to hit, and consult with our friends and neighbors.  If we decided to stay we prepare to hunker down.

STAGE 3: Park Yourself on the Couch and Watch the Weather Channel

Now that life as we know it has pretty much come to a halt with no work, no school, everyone prepared, there is not much else to do but sit in front of the television in complete disbelief.  Waiting to see if you, your town, your property, and your loved ones will be OK is surreal. This is very different than an earthquake or other unexpected trauma because we are actually on high alert waiting for the storm. 

We watch, we communicate with our St Augustine and Florida community and we pray or attempt to manifest the storm’s eye away from our town.  The unknowing, the fear, the stress, and the anxiety of waiting for an unpredictable storm is immense.  If you already have a mental health issue it becomes exacerbated.  If you don’t have a mental health diagnosis the stress of this may create one.  

Several of my friends and neighbors have had their homes flooded more than once from these storms.  I believe some of them have developed PTSD from this.  During this time we are all trying to be supportive of each other through texts and phone calls.  I have a group text named “hurricane survivors and support group” which springs into action during this time. Waiting for the storm, during and after the storm we are in constant communication.

All of the stress of waiting and watching to see if the storm moves closer or farther away from us is unimaginable if you aren’t living it.  The other night, while waiting for Milton to arrive, my husband was watching a baseball game.  It felt so odd to watch others acting normally and enjoying life while we are waiting for possible impending doom.

STAGE 4 – Hitting Us and Surviving the Storm

This is the stage we really don’t want to arrive at but it happens.  The storm isn’t discretionary in when it arrives.  It could be any time of day or night.  Being evacuated and watching from afar is stressful and anxiety provoking but being in our home, waiting and having it arrive is a whole other situation.  With this last storm, Milton, we went to bed at 10pm.  At 2am we woke up because the wind was howling so badly I honestly thought our roof was going to blow off.  From then on we were awake in our house.  I looked out the window and the street was flooded.  We live on the Inlet and it floods!  We waited for the electricity to go off (thankfully it never did).  But in past storms we have been without power for extended periods of time.  Following Irma, we had no power, or internet for over two weeks.  

During Milton, this week, the wind continued to howl and howl.  My anxiety peaked and I was scared.  Maybe we should have evacuated?  Too late.  We live on an island and the bridges on or off were closed.  We sat glued to the television, watching all the damage Milton was inflicting in other parts of Florida.  It is devastating knowing others are in harms way and knowing the eye of the storm has avoided us.  

With Milton we were OK.  No major flooding.  Nothing major lost.  However, we then had to wait for high tide to see if the streets would flood. Thankfully, nothing major happened.

STAGE 5 – Clean Up and Return to Normal Life

Following these storms comes the clean up effort.  Depending on how bad the damage was it can be a brief clean up or a long term clean up.  I’ve noticed, in my neighborhood, people don’t dilly-dally, they get right to it.  We clean up all the debris from the storm immediately following the storm taking leave from us..  Neighbors help each other.  We reach out to those who may not have power or a place to stay and warmly invite them into our home.

Following Matthew, we had to wade through our house with boots on.  The water came almost up to my thighs.  All our belongings were floating around us.  This was surreal. It was as if we were walking through in a dream state.  Following this storm the community came together.  To see people we knew, who had escaped damage, arriving to help and to feed us made my heart sing.  We did make it through Matthew and moved to another home.  We were thankful and grateful to be able to move forward.

Life does return to normal.  During these hurricane stages life comes to a quick and unexpected halt.  We don’t dance, we don’t sing, we don’t play, we don’t work or go to school..  We freeze because we can’t fight this monster storm.  If we have evacuated we have fled.  Fight or flight  is a trauma response when confronted with a disaster.  Waiting for and the aftermath of a hurricane puts us into fight or flight mode.

We may be completely exhausted after a storm.  We may be in shock.  However, life does eventually return to normal (the amount of time depending on the amount of damage). We hope there are no more hurricanes this hurricane season.  If you are struggling with your mental health following any of these signs contact me or another mental health professional for help in working through the trauma you have endured.

In Kindness,
MM