During Mental Health Awareness Month, survivors of natural disasters in North Carolina are speaking out about the challenges of rebuilding after catastrophe — including the toll it can take on mental health.

Gina Heath, a Hurricane Helene survivor from Marshall, a trauma specialist and mother of three, said nearly every home in her neighborhood had to be gutted or torn down after floodwaters reached 20 feet high.

The uncertainty over whether her family could recover from the devastation caused extreme stress, Heath recounted. She explained trauma after a natural disaster can show up in many ways. For her 2-year-old, it meant separation anxiety. For some of her neighbors, she added, it meant trips to the emergency room.

“Surgeries, hospitalizations, things that may have seemed unrelated, but that I'm guessing were actually fallout from all of the emotional duress, and complex PTSD, and the stress that put on people's health and wellness,” Heath said.

More than 100 people died during Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Official estimates put the state’s damages and rebuilding needs after severe flooding and landslides at nearly $60 billion.

Heath stressed managing mental health as a parent after a natural disaster is essential. She noted burnout can be especially harsh for parents trying to rebuild while also remaining steady for their children.

For Heath, it took six months after Helene before she was able to cry.

“The regional devastation of everything that you’ve known previously, and you’re anchoring your kids through something like this — it’s very hard to take care of your own mental health and emotional health at the same time,” Heath emphasized. “I found that hard, even though I knew better.”

Nearly 5,000 homeowners in North Carolina are still waiting for government assistance to rebuild their homes.

Source: Public News Service