FIU experts say psychological first aid belongs in every hurricane preparedness kit

When a hurricane hits, Floridians know the drill.

They stock up on water, batteries and canned food. They board windows, charge phones and track forecasts.

What many families are less prepared for is what happens emotionally after the storm passes, especially for children.

Fear, disrupted routines, displacement and constant exposure to disaster coverage can leave lasting psychological effects long after the floodwaters recede or the power comes back on.

At FIU, a team of psychologists and disaster mental health experts are working to prepare the professionals who are often first to support children and families in those moments.

The Network for Enhancing Wellness in Disaster-Affected Youth (NEW DAY) at FIU’s Center for Children and Families provides free training to teachers, counselors, first responders, pediatric providers and other youth-serving professionals across the country on how to help children cope after traumatic events like hurricanes, floods, mass violence and public health emergencies.

Since launching, the program has delivered more than 110 trainings to over 7,900 professionals across 41 states, helping communities strengthen their mental health response before and after disasters strike.

“People often focus on the physical destruction after a disaster, but for many children, the emotional impact can last much longer,” said Jami Furr, clinical associate professor at FIU's Center for Children and Families and NEW DAY trainer. “Adults want to help, but they do not always know what to say or how to respond when a child is scared, overwhelmed or showing signs of distress. That is where this training can make a difference.”

The work feels especially urgent this hurricane season. Forecasters are predicting another active Atlantic season while many communities across the country are still recovering from increasingly destructive storms and climate-related disasters.

From 2016 to 2021, weather-related disasters displaced an estimated 43 million children worldwide, according to UNICEF. Mental health experts say the effects often extend far beyond the immediate crisis, increasing the risk for anxiety, depression, sleep problems and post-traumatic stress symptoms in children and adolescents.

Research from FIU has also found that repeated exposure to disaster coverage on television and social media can trigger post-traumatic stress symptoms in children living thousands of miles away from the actual event.

“If simply watching repeated disaster coverage can affect children emotionally, imagine the impact on kids who are actually living through the crisis, displacement and uncertainty,” Furr said.

The trainings focus on practical, evidence-informed strategies professionals can use in real time, recognizing signs of stress in children, helping kids feel safe and supported, strengthening communication under pressure and building coping skills that can carry families through long recoveries.

The program recently partnered with Stronger Than The Storm to lead a full-day Psychological First Aid training at the 40th Annual Governor’s Hurricane Conference, one of the nation’s largest emergency management conferences. The team is also presenting at the upcoming Florida’s Training for Emergency Management Symposium this summer as part of a broader effort to expand disaster mental health preparedness statewide.

The trainings are offered virtually and in person and can be adapted to the needs of individual communities, whether that means supporting a school district preparing for hurricane season or helping professionals respond after a major crisis.

For the NEW DAY team, the goal is simple: make emotional recovery part of disaster preparedness, not an afterthought.

Furr added, "When the next storm hits, we want effective mental health support to be as standard as any first aid kit."

NEW DAY is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and operates in partnership with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.