One year after Hurricane Harvey hit, many Port Aransans remain emotional about the experience. Staff illustration by Elizabeth Weaver
Hurricane Harvey’s wrath on Port Aransas not only caused damage to homes and businesses, but it impacted the mental health of many residents as well.
Now that the one-year anniversary of Harvey is approaching, post-hurricane trauma is increasing, according to Eric Hardison, a Port Aransas licensed professional counselor.
Extreme winds and storm surge devastated our town when the Category 4 hurricane made landfall on the evening of Aug. 25, 2017.
“The one-year anniversary is the last big spike in the chronic trauma timeline,” Hardison said.
Chronic trauma typically results from an incident in a person’s life. One example of chronic trauma stems from being in a war or combat situation. Other examples include living in a violent environment, or being abused as a child.
Chronic trauma can be caused by natural disasters also, Hardison said.
Pastor Steve Shullanberger of Community Presbyterian Church said he saw a lot of heartache after Harvey.
Piles of debris that remain in Port Aransas one year after Hurricane Harvey hit are reminders of the storm’s terrible impact on our town. With the one-year anniversary of Harvey’s landfall in Port Aransas on Aug. 25 and wreckage still visible on certain streets, some residents might be feeling pain from the re-opened emotional wounds that first were created when the hurricane struck. Staff photo by Dan Parker
“ After Harvey, I picked up on a lot of people who were in shock,” he said. “Now people are vocalizing their feelings regarding those losses, so there is more mourning going on.”
Trauma survivors typically require treatment, but many people in Port Aransas possibly did not get the help they needed immediately following the storm, Hardison said.
“I do believe right now that there’s a spike in mental health suffering,” he said. “As a town, we have a tendency to drink away our feelings, or self-medicate, rather than get the help we need.”
Despite a number of opportunities that were available for free treatment in the months following the storm, Hardison, Dr. Andrew Reichert and Rev Wheels, a group of counselors from Georgetown, struggled to get patients into their offices.
Hardison had donations to see Port Aransas ISD employees and community members for free. He said school district employees came to him more willingly because he offices on the campus, and he holds sessions with children who attend the district during the school year.
Steve Shullanberger
“But, I had a tough time filling all of my free sessions after the hurricane. I was amazed at how long it took,” Hardison said. “It also really surprised me because when Rev Wheels came down four or five times and offered free counseling, less than five people showed up for those services.”
Hardison said very few people took the time to s it down and talk to professionals because many folks affected by the storm we re too busy in the weeks, and even months following the disaster.
“People had too much to do. There was some sort of shock, and that shock persisted for six or seven months because people had to get their lives straight,” he said.
“People were staying above their feelings because they were too busy dealing with contractors and insurance,” Hardison said.
Shullanberger said many of his parishioners are calling him more now, one year after Harvey.
Eric Hardison
“I receive a lot of calls,” he said. “People who just want to talk. They just want someone to tell them that they are going to be OK.”
Hardison said now that many residents are moving back into their homes, and have more time, bad memories and trauma are starting to return with the anniversary looming.
He said bad memories can be triggered when people see something that reminds them of the damage caused by a hurricane. Even the rebuilding that still is going on, or lots that once had a home or restaurant can trigger someone’s emotions, he said.
“That’s going to happen to a lot of people around here,” Hardison said. “People who haven’t got the attention that they need, it’s hitting them now.”
Hardison said he has seen an increase in suicides here recently.
“We are also seeing a rise in crime right now, and that’s what happens when you have people who are struggling with mental health issues, who aren’t getting help,” he said. They’re lashing out. They are getting drunk and doing stupid things.”
How long trauma lasts will vary from individual to individual.
“It depends on the person, and their pre-existing mental health issues,” he said.
Children also can suffer from a traumatic event like Harvey, according to The National
Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN).
Children, like adults, all react differently on how they overcome a disaster. How a child acts depends on their age, development and prior experiences, according to nctsn.org.
Some children may have anxiety from any normal storm. Others can have changes in their behavior and can become clingy to their parents, the website noted.
Children may express physical ailment, while others may show changes in school performance, sleep patterns, exercise and diet, according to NCTSN.
Efforts that can help children include:
• Providing accurate information to children about the events that happened, along with the challenges ahead;
• Giving them their own time to process what has happened;
• Keeping family routines as regular as possible;
• Monitoring media and social media information a child is viewing.
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