How we really react
In The Unthinkable, journalist Amanda Ripley brings together survivor interviews and disaster research. Her conclusions match those of many experts:
- First we deny. The brain looks for a normal explanation: "it's probably a drill", "it'll pass". It's called normalcy bias, and it wastes precious minutes.
- Then we deliberate. We look for information, ask others and wait to see what they do. In groups, everyone waits for everyone.
- Sometimes we freeze. Faced with sudden danger, some people become paralyzed.
- Panic is rare. Contrary to the movies, most people stay calm and even help others. Panic mainly appears when someone feels trapped with no way out.
Decide before, not during
The most effective way to beat denial and freezing is to make decisions in advance:
- Set your triggers. "If the fire alarm goes off, we leave without checking anything." "If water reaches the curb, we go upstairs." "If we're told to evacuate, we're out in five minutes."
- Practice. A home drill turns a hard decision into an automatic action. That's why school and workplace drills work.
- Leave your stuff. In evacuations, many people lose time gathering belongings. If your go-bag is packed, grab it and go; the rest stays.
- Act on the first warning. If you're wrong and nothing happens, you've lost an afternoon. If you wait and it does happen, you can lose much more.
During the crisis
- Breathe. A few slow breaths, in through the nose and slowly out, lower the tension enough to think clearly.
- One reliable source of information, like the radio or official channels. Rumors and viral videos raise anxiety and are often wrong.
- Concrete tasks. Having something to do reduces helplessness. Assign roles: who handles water, who the radio, who the kids.
- Sleep and eat. Exhaustion makes every decision worse.
Children
- Explain what's happening in simple, truthful words suited to their age. Uncertainty scares them more than a clear explanation.
- Keep routines as much as possible: meal and sleep times, a story, a game.
- Give them a job: carrying their own small bag, being in charge of the flashlight or the pet.
- Limit news and disaster images on screens.
- Their favorite toy or stuffed animal in the bag is worth more than any gadget.
Older and vulnerable people
Older people who live alone are the hardest hit in heat waves, outages and evacuations. Make a list of neighbors who may need help and agree with someone you trust on who checks on them.
Afterwards
It's normal to feel anxiety, insomnia or irritability for weeks after an emergency. Talk about what happened, get back to routines and seek professional help if symptoms don't improve. Many emergency services offer free psychological support after a disaster.