My family has lived in Puerto Rico, a small Caribbean U.S. territory, for generations. So we aren't strangers to hurricanes making landfall every June to November. I grew up spending summers visiting my grandparents in the coastal city of Mayaguez and vividly recall days of us hunkering down, ensuring there was ample food in the house before boarding up windows and prepping flashlights and lanterns for when the electricity inevitably went out, thanks to an ageing, unreliable grid, that's still used to power the Island to this day. While nerves were tense, I remember my family always handling these moments with such ease. It was a typical part of a boricua life.
Recently, I feel that mindset has changed, and there's a reason why climate change is so important to Puerto Ricans. The Atlantic hurricane season has expanded in length, and storms have been infinitely more catastrophic in recent years (in fact, Puerto Rico tops the list of regions most negatively affected by climate change!). Most islanders will be hard pressed to forget life after Hurricane Maria hit in 2017, where people were unable to contact the outside world for almost a month, rationing oil, and living without electricity, or often roofs and homes.
Now imagine the threat of this occurring again haunting your every waking moment once hurricane season arrives. I don't even live on the Island and I get incredible angst come June 1st, wondering whether I'll hear from family and what the conditions will be. Hurricane Anxiety isn't a new concept, but as global warming plays its part, I think we need to address mental health related to increasingly active hurricane and typhoon seasons.
Why all the anxiety?
According to a study done by the University of York and UK's National Centre of Social Research, "people with weather-damaged homes are more likely to experience poor mental health, even when the damage is relatively minor and does not force them to leave their homes." And an issue from last year's 'Psychiatric Services' journal says this will only increase with climate change.
Hurricane anxiety manifests in areas ravaged by hurricane hazards ranging in size, and can appear in people with or without previous mental conditions, according to the Psychiatric Services issue. While it can impact any coastal dweller, it disproportionately affects minority groups from low income backgrounds, and, from what I can gather, islands seem to have a harder time recovering due to their geographical isolation and therefore reduced access to resources.
Efrain Castro, a long-time resident of Yauco, Puerto Rico, explains there are a few things he and other locals are anxious about going into this year's hurricane season: COVID-19 and how it will affect the island during a hurricane of big magnitude, islanders' mental health, the government's response in the event of a strong hurricane, and whether the island's infrastructure will be able to support another hurricane like Maria.
"The recovery [from Hurricane Maria] was hard and took time, and the sad part was that many people took advantage of the situation to gain money at the disadvantage of others," Efrain lamented.
Puerto Rico's government participated in many corrupt schemes when trying to update the island's grid after Hurricane Maria and made headlines for grossly mismanaging disaster relief funds, the aftershock is still affecting Islanders today. In examining the past, it's very easy to see why Puerto Ricans would be stressed moving forward. However, unless you're directly affected by these situations, it can be hard to grasp just how dire the circumstances really are, as Efrain points out. "For other people to understand what it's like going through a hurricane [in Puerto Rico], they have to have lived it."
A universal issue
The Atlantic is not the only place in the world experiencing chaotic storms. The South Pacific Cyclone season churns out impactful typhoons each year, as do other parts of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. "People who live in poorly constructed homes, farmers and fish pond owners, worry the most," claims Tony Reyes, a business owner in Manila. "It's a major blow to their livelihood. People try to salvage what they can before the typhoon arrives. Some people just accept the fact they don't stand a chance. The minds are programmed that after the typhoon, they have to rebuild or restart."
In another part of the Philippines, Josiel Caliniahan, a caretaker from Ozamiz, constantly worries about her aunt and cousins who live in a more rural part of the island. "The increase in typhoons lashing out on our country every year has really affected and impacted the lives of my loved ones, since most of them get their livelihood from farming," she explains. Just four weeks ago, news outlets reported about Typhoon Vongfong ravaging much of the country which was already grappling with the pandemic, challenging social distancing regulations and complicating the typhoon preparation process. Hearing all this, one can see how these factors across the globe could contribute to declining mental health.
So how do we deal?
Josiel stresses the value of practicing self-care, saying "caring for your body, mind, and spirit can increase your ability to cope with trauma." She's also known mindfulness practice to help survivors cope after experiencing trauma due to typhoons. The American Psychological Association breaks down hurricane prep as having basic emergency preparedness, limiting news consumption, sticking to facts, staying connected and communicating with loved ones before, during and after storms (if possible), keeping a healthy diet, and maintaining exercise and rest. Reaching out to a mental health professional is always highly recommended as is increasing funding for mental health programs.
On a personal level, I also wonder if part of the coping process includes amplifying the issue and making sure it's being fully grasped and understood. Because, in a way, this piece has been my own cathartic way of handling anxieties towards my family's well-being, just knowing that, by writing this and reaching out to others who might feel the same way--through connection and self-expression, in whatever form it takes--maybe we can find some comfort, however small.
Some of these concepts may seem obvious and intuitive, but I feel like we nevertheless need reminding. Because the fact of the matter is, this can be a terrifying time, particularly when aid isn't delivered in a timely fashion, and we need all the emotional support and help we can get. Even if it's just by bringing that anxiety and fear to the attention of others who normally aren't as familiar with the issue, or who may not be privy to the relationship between climate change, hurricane season, and mental health. They are congruous, and very real, and we are going to need the unaffected general public to realise the issue exists in the first place if we're to attempt navigating the storms.
If you want to help take action, here are a few things you can do....
- If you live in the United States, writing to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and voicing concerns/requesting more mental health professionals and funding be sent to Puerto Rico can be a great place to start!
- PRO TECHOS empowers Puerto Ricans by training locals construction skills often needed to rebuild roofs if destroyed in a hurricane.
- CrearConSalud's mission is to educate about and provide support for mental health in Puerto Rico.
- Taller Salud focuses on women's health in Puerto Rico.
- CoNCRA focuses on mental health/general health for islanders with AIDS/HIV.
By Danielle Schmidt
Danielle Schmidt is a California-based film producer and freelance writer passionate about increasing climate literacy and its coverage in the media. She is a past recipient of the Center for Asian American Media's Student Film Award, and has worked in the TV/Film industry for over eight years. She is currently developing a documentary following eight different walks of life navigating the climate movement during this heightened era.