HELLO THERE!
I know you’re overwhelmed, exhausted, afraid, and on the brink of breaking. I know you’re doing everything you can just to keep it all together despite all of this through your disaster recovery. I’ve been there, too, and often find myself still there. Life as a disaster survivor is a full time job! I’m here, though, to show you there is a way forward; a way to Master your Disaster and take control of the chaos.
Disaster Victim to Disaster Survivor
In October 2018, Hurricane Michael roared ashore as a category 5 hurricane and literally decimated my town. The storm rapidly intensified in the last hours before landfall. There was no time to evacuate. With only about 36 hours of notice that we were in its cross-hairs, there was little time to even prepare before the outer bands arrived and made it too dangerous to do so.
I rode out the storm alone in my hallway as glass shattered, giant oaks snapped like twigs, and water began running across the floor soaking the cushion beneath me. I felt the house twist and the floor ripple like a roller coaster as the foundation beams shifted. My home was within the eyewall, the strongest band of a hurricane, the entire time. My family history is stitched into the fabric of this community. To witness its devastation has been heartbreaking.
This certainly wasn’t my first disaster rodeo. I’ve been within 20 feet of at least 3 separate tornadoes, over a dozen other hurricanes and tropical storms. I’ve had a small house fire, navigated flooding, and have experienced a blizzard and small earthquakes. I was also living in New York on 9/11. I was supposed to be at the Towers that day, but had changed my schedule the night before.
There have been plenty of other challenges along the way as well. I have endured the loss of my mother at the age of ten, a life threatening illness, a physically abusive relationship, a marriage that ended in a brutal divorce, and numerous other tragic events. I also now struggle daily with significant anxiety and PTSD from the storm. Still, I find hope in each new day. The accomplishment of which I am most proud is that I am a survivor.
Survivors Keep Going
Each of us has a story filled with the tears of joy and the heartaches of life. However, few of us seem to realize that the greatest accomplishment we make is that we keep going. We put one foot in front of the other every day summoning our courage and faith that each dawn brings new possibilities. We don’t give up. Instead, we recognize that none of the other accomplishments can exist without this act of bravery.
There have certainly been moments that have nearly broken me. Moments that have nearly broken us all. Yet, we make the decision to keep moving forward with every step. We know from the high rate of suicide how hard this decision can be. Therefore, I value that accomplishment above all others both within myself and for each of you. Just keep going.
What’s Applied Disaster Anthropology?
A few months before the storm, I had returned to school after many years away and transitioned my previous medical studies to cultural anthropology. I had worked in the field as a self-taught ethnographic researcher for nearly a decade in New York. There, I developed a tremendous passion for the impact anthropology has in teaching tolerance, understanding, and ways to improve societies. I decided to turn my focus on the field of applied disaster anthropology after Hurricane Michael tore through my town.
As an applied anthropologist working in the disaster field, I advocate for and develop methods to create resilience for individuals and communities throughout the world. Both my personal experience as a disaster survivor and education have given me insight into the complexities involved in disasters. Riding out the storm was a traumatic experience, but it was just an event. Many of the factors that led to the intensity of the disaster happened before and after that event.
Failure to properly recognize vulnerabilities, even following Hurricane Katrina’s impact on New Orleans, the social breakdown, and the behaviors of governments, bureaucracy, and insurance companies have made this an even greater disaster. I now work to shine a light on these issues in order to improve the outcomes of future disaster events. No one should have to suffer as much after a disaster as they do during one.
Solving Problems
My entire life, I have wanted to solve all of the world’s problems. I’ve been frustrated that I am only one person and there are only so many hours in the day. I have also tried to consistently be someone who looks for the lessons and opportunities within a situation. No matter how painful or heart-wrenching it may be, I can always find at least one. Despite the devastating losses, both personal and in the community at large, I realized I could use what I have learned from this experience as a disaster survivor to help others facing disaster recovery.
What This Site is About – Disaster Recovery
Disaster Survivor’s Guide is focused on helping you through your disaster recovery and showing you the path to rebuild your life more quickly and easily. I am here to help you get through some of the worst moments of your life and to transition from victim to disaster survivor more quickly and easily. Let this Guide be a beacon of hope and clarity as you navigate rebuilding your home and your life. As the frequency and intensity of disasters increase, more and more of us are having to face them every day. Know that you are not alone and that you can get through this! YOU can Master Your Disaster!
