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Physical Health

Recovering from a disaster can be hard work. Make sure to take precautions such as washing your hands frequently and wearing sturdy boots. Take frequent breaks and stay hydrated.

• Prevent Illness after a Natural Disaster. The CDC has extensive materials discussing how to prevent illness after a natural disaster.
• Hurricanes: Health and Safety Before and After a Storm. From the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, information on severe weather's impact on medical devices, drugs, animal health, food safety and biological products.
• Keeping Workers Safe During Clean Up and Recovery Operations Following Hurricanes. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published information on workers' safety following hurricanes that also applies to citizens.
• Recover From a Hurricane. The EPA has information on debris, hazardous waste, wastewater and drinking water, and food.
• Eye Safety for Emergency Response and Disaster Recovery. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health discusses eye hazards and various forms of eye protection as well as eye first aid.

Mental Health

Some ways to relieve stress following a disaster including eating healthy foods, taking daily exercise, and getting enough sleep. Returning to your daily routine and sharing your thoughts and feelings with others can help reduce stress.

• Survivors of Natural Disasters and Mass Violence. This fact sheet produced by the Department of Veterans Affairs considers three questions often asked by survivors: What psychological problems might I experience as a result of surviving a disaster? What factors increase the risk of readjustment problems? What can I do to reduce the risk of negative psychological consequences and to best recover from disaster stress?
• Self-Care and Self-Help Following Disasters. The Department of Veterans Affairs discusses positive coping actions as well as ways to seek further help.
• Coping with Disaster. Information from FEMA on how to understand disaster events, recognize signs of disaster-related stress, and ease disaster-related stress.
• Bereavement and Loss. FEMA discusses the four stages of grief and suggests ways to come to terms with grief.
• Coping with Traumatic Events. From the National Institute of Mental Health, information on how to cope with a traumatic event and resources on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
• Emergency Mental Health and Traumatic Stress. Most people who are coping with the aftermath of a disaster have normal reactions as they struggle with the disruption and loss caused by the disaster. They do not see themselves as needing mental health services and are unlikely to request them. However, victims of Presidentially declared disasters can receive immediate, short-term crisis counseling, as well as ongoing support for emotional recovery.
• Trauma and Disaster Mental Health Resources. The CDC includes information on general strategies for promoting mental health and resilience that have been developed by various organizations based on experiences in prior disasters.