Understanding Collective Trauma: Responding to the Catastrophic Result of Hurricane Helene in WNC
As many of you know, Western North Carolina has experienced an enormous, monumental tragedy. Hurricane Helene is considered the worst natural disaster to ever hit this area. It was larger and stronger than Hurricane Katrina. It is considered the second most deadly hurricane, after Katrina, and they aren’t even done with the search and rescues at the time of writing this post.
It is painful to see our friends, loved ones, and mountains suffering such despair. This came with little warning for most people, which adds another layer of shock to what this whole community is experiencing.
In light of these recent events, I’ll be doing some trauma education to help my clients and others understand the weight of what has occurred and how to support themselves and the community from a mental health perspective. Many people are in survival mode right now, and even after we are safe, it can be difficult to return to “normal” after a disaster such as this.
We have experienced trauma: What is trauma?
Trauma refers to an emotional, psychological, or physical response to a distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope. It can result from a single event, such as an accident or natural disaster, or from prolonged exposure to harmful situations, like abuse or neglect.
There are different types of trauma, including:
• Acute trauma: Resulting from a single incident (e.g., an accident, a violent attack).
• Chronic trauma: Stemming from repeated or prolonged exposure to stressful events (e.g., domestic abuse, bullying).
• Complex trauma: Involves exposure to multiple, varied traumatic events, often within interpersonal relationships (e.g., childhood abuse).
I would argue that EVERYONE has experienced trauma to some extent in their lives. For the case of this post, we will be talking about the Acute trauma (natural disaster) that has impacted the communities in WNC.
Collective Trauma
Collective trauma refers to the psychological and emotional impact of a traumatic event that affects a large group of people, community, or society. It occurs when an event, such as a natural disaster, creates widespread suffering and disruption, altering the fabric of a community’s identity and collective memory. The trauma is shared, not only by those directly affected but also by those witnessing or living through the aftermath.
We have experienced a collective, acute trauma. Every single person in WNC is impacted by Hurricane Helene in some way. But the community as a whole, is severely impacted.
This event is going to create lasting, changes in the culture and society of our area. There is widespread grief of what is lost, first responders will see things they can’t unsee, businesses and the tourist industry will suffer, and much more.
These long term effects will challenge our community’s mental health in both positive and negative ways. The identity of WNC will be changed. This can bond our community in solidarity- as we are seeing in an overwhelming capacity right now. But it doesn’t come without struggles, grief, overwhelm, fear and prolonged suffering.
Immediate Needs after Collective Trauma
In the wake of trauma, whether personal or collective, the immediate emotional and psychological response can be overwhelming. People affected by trauma may feel fear, confusion, grief, or a sense of helplessness. In these moments, Psychological First Aid (PFA) can serve as an essential tool for offering immediate support, promoting resilience, and preventing long-term emotional distress. The key points of Psychological First Aid, outlined below, can be helpful to review.
1. Safety: The first priority in the aftermath of a collective trauma is to ensure that individuals feel safe physically and emotionally. Trauma can shatter a person’s sense of security, so creating a calm, non-threatening environment is critical. This can be very difficult as we watch our home shatter. There is no escaping the truth of this tragedy. However, the first goal is remove yourself or others from danger, reassuring physical safety. While it is impossible for everyone to leave the state of NC, we are thankful and grateful for all of the shelters and first responders risking their lives to bring safety to others.
2. Calming: Traumatic experiences heighten emotional arousal and put us in a state of fight or flight. We will often feel anxiety, panic, frozen, helpless, or in overdrive-help mode. In the beginning, this is absolutely helpful and normal. However, we know our bodies are not made to experience prolonged fight or flight. First responders may need this, but for others, it’s important to try to regulate your emotions and come back to a sense of calm. This will help you conserve energy for when it is needed, to be there for others/children, and to make wise decisions about what to do. Grounding exercises, breathing, walking, and talking to others are helpful tools to create calm and grounding. Stay tuned for the next blog post on further tools on an integrated approach to collective trauma recovery.
3. Connectedness: Isolation can deepen the impact of trauma. Trauma often creates fear and mistrust so it can be difficult to lean in to other relationships. But as we are seeing in WNC, the collective community (and surrounding communities) is what is pulling us through. Supporting, encouraging and helping our friends, family, and neighbors gives up a sense of connectedness and purpose. Providing resources, safety, and warm meals helps others know they are thought of. Simply knowing that others care can significantly reduce feelings of isolation and helplessness. Social support is one of the most critical pieces of post traumatic growth.
4. Empowerment: Trauma can leave people feeling powerless. We have no control over natural disasters. Identifying small steps you can take can move you from powerlessness to empowerment in recovery from collective trauma. This might look like intentionally taking time for your nervous system to recover, taking a hot meal to a friend, finding resources to help you and your neighbors, or just reaching out to your loved ones who were impacted.
5. Hope: While trauma can feel overwhelming, finding hope to hold onto is crucial. Reaching out to people who have been through natural disasters can be extremely reassuring for hope for the future. For example, someone who lived through hurricane Katrina wrote a note of reassurance to our community reminding us that we will come out of this stronger. Our buildings will be stronger, our roads with be able to withstand more, and our collective community will continue to come together and support each other more than before. While we know things will never be the same, we can hold onto hope that we WILL be stronger.
Key Action Takeaways: What to Focus on
1. Safety: As with any collective trauma, safety is the most important. By now, I assume everyone is physically safe, but there are things to still consider. For example:
be aware of any boil water notices
be aware of air quality in your area
be cautious where you drive, hike, or explore
2. Limit your time on social media: I know it’s hard to stay away. Especially after a week with no phone service. We all want to see what is happening to the beloved mountains, people, and buildings that are affected from the storm. It’s important to keep up with this, but it is also important to take it in doses. We need time away to bring rest, calm, and healing.
3. Know that not everyone is a quick responder, and thats okay: Please, please, please know that it is okay to take time for yourself to recover before you put efforts into others. Yes, we all need to do our part to help our community, but some people are immediate responders (they jump into the action and help immediately) and thats amazing! Other people may be late responders (take time to process, get to a good place, and then find ways they can contribute) and that’s amazing too! I often find that clients with autoimmune disease, small kids, or past trauma need to FIRST tend to themselves. These people have a nervous system that is not fully functional and can cause themselves harm if it goes too deeply into overdrive. Know that if everyone jumped to the needs of the town at the same time, everyone would burn out and there would be no one to help later on. It is looking like there is a long road to recovery after Hurricane Helene. Some will be immediate helpers, some will be later helpers.. and that is okay. I want to encourage you to tune into your own needs, tend to that, and when you are ready, explore places to help, donate, or support the community.
4. Lean on your social supports: One of the major factors of Post Traumatic GROWTH is social support. Trauma can affect our ability to trust and connect with others. Trauma can often lead people to pull away or isolate. This is not healthy for us. We were made to be in community. Community heals. Now is the time to plug into your friends, social supports, work community, and local small businesses to process the hurricane together.
5. Get back into some type of routine/normalcy: You might need to find a new normal for some time. Many kids are out of school, and your work may be affected. Trauma disrupts the daily rhythms of our life: specifically our circadian rhythm, and daily routines. We need these rhythms and routines because they signal safety to our nervous system. They get us out of fight or flight, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system for healing from the stressor. I want to encourage you to try to find ways of getting back in your daily rhythm. Some examples:
Daily routine for those out of work or school: Is there a time to work on reading/writing, a time to play, or to exercise?
Morning routine: Waking up at the same time, cooking breakfast to start the day.
Cleaning routine: Many people are behind on laundry and dishes due to going without water.
Evening routine: Limit screen time, read more books, connect with your family/friends.
Remember your Non Negotiables and keep doing them!
Local Resources & Ways to Help
Local Transylvania County
@cityofbrevard
Faith-Based Communities Organizing Supplies, Donations, or Volunteer Opportunities
Other Community Supplies, Donations, or Volunteer Opportunities
Resources for Kids
Jeter Mountain Farm- Supporting small business and they have a large play area for kids!
TC Strong Day Camp - need volunteers too
Resources for Businesses, Wifi, Workspaces
Benefits/Fundraisers
185 King Street- see events
Please feel free to send me any further resources you know of! This is just a small local list, as there are so many community wide efforts happening. Remember to check on your friends, local animal shelters, small businesses, and YOURSELF. I am here for you. As always, please reach out if you need anything!