Do you find yourself feeling helpless as you watch natural disasters play out on TV? You can help, whether you’re close by or far away. Keep reading for impactful ways you can help after a natural disaster.
Natural disasters are always happening. And with the changing climate, they’re happening even more frequently. Just over the last month, two major hurricanes, Helene and Milton, have made landfall in my home state of Florida and brought with them death and destruction. It’s not just hurricanes that bring this sort of devastation. Fires rage on and engulf family homes, floods wash away every belonging that isn’t nailed down, tornadoes rip off roofs, the list goes on. When natural disasters strike, it’s easy to be overwhelmed and feel helpless in the face of this amount of turmoil.
It’s important to remember that you’re not helpless. You can help after a natural disaster strikes, and it’s so important that you do so! But how? Read on for things you can do to help after a natural disaster, whether from afar or close by.
How to Help After a Natural Disaster
From Afar
Most of the time, we are (thankfully!) far away from the impacts of natural disasters. Even if you’re far away, you can still help after a natural disaster!
Donate money
This is probably the most obvious way people think they can help after a natural disaster, and the most impactful. Even though it’s obvious, it’s still worth including on this list, especially because when people are overwhelmed by devastation, it’s easy to forget even the most obvious ways to help.
If you have money to spare in the face of a natural disaster, it’s great if you can share that with people who have been severely affected by the natural disaster. Of course you can donate money to the major charitable organizations that we all know, like the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, or World Central Kitchen, and you can feel comfortable that your monetary donation will go to help someone, somewhere, with something that they need. But my preference is to find a local organization that is super attuned to the needs of the affected people.
Luckily, in the digital age it’s pretty easy to find organizations doing great work on the ground in areas affected by natural disasters. Just search for local charities offering assistance after the natural disaster and you’ll get tons of good leads. I also find that local news stations are great at connecting local organizations with people who have money to donate, so check the local news stations of the affected area.
Donate items
It’s usually best to donate money in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster so that the organizations doing great work can get the affected people exactly what they need rather than pass out 8 million AAA batteries to people who might not need them. As the time passes and the needs are more concretely known, it’s a great idea to donate items that organizations have identified as big needs.
It’s super important to make sure that you are donating items that people need. Buy the items that organizations have requested rather than what you think they need most or what you have lying around. It’s often things like building supplies like tarps and tacks that are most needed, and these are not sexy items that most people think about when they want to help after a natural disaster.
Offer to talk
If you don’t have available funds to share with those who have been impacted by a natural disaster and you don’t live close by, you can still help by offering to talk. This works best if you personally know someone who has been impacted by the natural disaster.
If you’re hoping to help people who know who have been affected by a natural disaster, it’s important to know that different people have different needs after they have experienced a trauma. Some may want to talk about their experience, some may ask for advice, and others may just want to talk about the latest episode of the Real Housewives to get their mind off of their reality. Whatever they need, be open to it. Offer your support, get them in touch with professional help if they need it, or give them the scores of Sunday’s football games. Just your presence, even if it’s over the phone, is helpful.
Close By
If you live close to the site of a natural disaster, but you have not been severely affected by it, there are additional things you can do to help after a natural disaster simply because of your proximity to the devastation.
Volunteer your time
When people are impacted by a natural disaster, they usually need help. Sure, this can be accomplished through monetary donations, but they also need manpower. When I was a Senior in high school, my small town was hit by two hurricanes in one month. When I tell you that there is work to do after a natural disaster strikes, I’m speaking from experience. So, if you can roll up your sleeves and help, please do it!
Although strong people who are handy and good with their hands and power tools are certainly needed after a natural disaster, you can find volunteer opportunities that don’t require such brute strength. You can find an opportunity that helps just as much that fits your specific skill set. You can help cook at a shelter or soup kitchen to ensure that people are getting the food they need. Or you can offer to babysit small children so their parents can tack tarps onto the sides of their house. I’m positive that if you have time to donate, you can find something impactful to do with it.
Donate blood
Blood donations are always needed, but it becomes even more important to donate blood after a natural disaster. Natural disasters tend to cancel things like scheduled blood drives or donation appointments, which leads to a decrease in the supply of blood for things like surgeries and procedures. Even if these surgeries don’t see an up-tick after a natural disaster strikes, it is critical that hospitals have enough blood on hand to conduct all of the lifesaving transfusions they need to do.
Your one donation can be used to help save multiple lives, so please don’t underestimate your ability to help by giving blood. Reach out to the Red Cross or your local health department for details on how you can donate.
Support first responders
Natural disasters take a lot out of first responders, so it’s so important to help them. When I say first responders, I’m of course talking about firefighters and policemen and doctors, but I’m also talking about linemen and public works employees who are so needed to get life back to as close to normal as possible after the natural disaster happens. So when you are thinking of how to help first responders, keep all of these folks in mind.
It’s easy to support the first responders, because they will be grateful for any support you can give them. Have some extra water or Gatorade hanging around? Take it over to the linemen you see stringing up new electrical wires down the road. Did you make too much food in preparation of a storm that you can’t possibly eat before it goes bad? Share a casserole with the firemen at your nearest fire station. Do you have power when many of your surrounding area doesn’t? Offer to do laundry for your public works employees. Seriously any support you can offer these brave and strong men and women will be help after a natural disaster, so get creative!
Other posts
If you’re looking for other ways to be helpful to others, check out these posts:
I hope you’ve found this post to be helpful in a time when you’re overwhelmed and wishing you could help. Pick one of these ways to help after a natural disaster and spread the love to your fellow man. How are you planning to help?