An Ill Wind Blows No Good

by Dr. Robert Boxley

Hurricane season is upon us.  The annual threat represents major stressors that can affect us in many ways. Stress is generally the human response to a condition over which we have little or no control - including a large, potentially devastating storm headed in our direction. We can’t all just blow hard to make it swerve off course. 

Stress reactions from a threat can include increased blood pressure and heart rate, the release of all sorts of hormones, sleep deprivation, anxiety and fear.  If stress persists for long periods and unabated, it can produce major psychological effects. The Calusa tribes who once lived in our area were probably less stressed about hurricanes because they had very little warning and did not have to stand in line hoping to find batteries.

We are alerted about "tropical disturbances" the moment they float off the African coast.  By the time they are "better formed" and finally begin to pose “a threat to the mainland," we have already been imagining the possible disruption to our community and our new pool cage. 

Newspapers, local television stations and the weather channel begin an early, unrelenting portrayal of the potential harm that these massive storms present. Only the most stoic can ignore this barrage of early warnings, even when present weather conditions are picture-perfect. Of course, when we hear we are “in the cone” of landfall, our collective stress goes through the roof (no pun intended).

How can we maintain sanity—or at least minimize anxiety—in the face of all this pressure?

Here’s a Hurricane Mental Health Preservation Plan:

The first way to deal with hurricanes from a mental health standpoint is to accept the fact that when we choose to live near the Gulf of Mexico, we must recognize hurricanes as the bad that comes with the good. While it is easy to become preoccupied with the course of a storm, this is probably unhealthy. Periodic updates are necessary, but not too frequently.  Since hurricanes are as certain as the ebb and flow of the tide in Manatee County, we should prepare for them by planning.

Make decisions early—before hurricane season if possible. Among the vital questions we should consider are these: Should we leave? What should we take with us? Should we board up our home or have someone else do it? How comprehensive is our insurance coverage? Where can we go, and how? The more decisions we make in advance, the more we will feel in control.