On Oct. 13, Gulfport Vice Mayor April Thanos (right) held a Hurricane Healing Town Hall with guest speaker April Lott (left), a mental health clinician and President and CEO of Directions for Living.
Photo by Trei Johnson
The back-to-back hurricanes last year left Floridians emotionally and financially exhausted. Nearly one quarter of Gulfport was affected by the consecutive storms, according to the City. Additionally, many are still working to repair their homes and replace valuables lost when Helene and Milton touched down last September and October.
Vice Mayor April Thanos believes candid conversations about shared traumas can help with the healing process. On Oct. 13, she held a Hurricane Healing Town Hall with guest speaker April Lott. Around 20 residents attended to hear Lott share her insights.
Lott is a mental health clinician and President and CEO of Directions for Living, a healing and prevention trauma facility. She shared her story of trauma and healing, as well as practical solutions to preserving the community’s mental health.
Florida’s Hurricanes
Lott was born and raised in Pinellas County and is no stranger to hurricanes, or preparing for them.
But, last year was different.
She said Hurricane Helene flooded her home, leaving her traumatized and exhausted.
“I had no idea what to do next. I had never been flooded before, I had never really experienced a disaster before,” Lott said.
Lott said the mental anguish for her began before the storms even hit. She said local news repeatedly told viewers to write their names on their forearm so they could be identified. Police rode through the streets warning residents through a bullhorn to leave or ‘You will die.’ She said the scare tactics were terrifying.
“We need to bring it down a couple of notches,” Lott said.
The Aftermath
Like many homeowners, she had to wait more than a week before the insurance adjuster could get to her home. During that week, her insurance company instructed her to take pictures and keep everything. Every soaking wet piece of furniture, paper, and clothing.
That’s when she said her mental health began to decline.
“I can’t do anything. I’m not allowed to touch anything. They told me to take pictures and I can’t touch anything,” Lott said.
“Who do I listen to? Who don’t I listen to? Who’s right, who’s wrong? How much do I have to endure?” she asked herself at the time.
Gulfport’s Hurricane Healing Town Hall Looking for more things to do in St. Petersburg, Gulfport, and the beaches? Check out The Gabber Newspaper’s full calendar of events.
Town Hall participants shared their personal hurricane stories. The experiences were recorded for an archive for the Gulfport History Museum.
Photo by Trei JohnsonDisaster Recovery Roadmap
Many residents affected by the hurricanes did not know where to start their recovery efforts. Lott said this is a huge part of the problem.
“There isn’t a roadmap for some of this,” Lott said. “We didn’t have a cheat sheet. We need to create cheat sheets for people.”
The cheat sheets would contain information like emergency response procedures, resource management, evacuation plans with alternate routes, and include procedures for damage assessment and restoration.
Along with that, she said starting repairs was a nightmare. Lott couldn’t get on anyone’s schedule without a substantial down payment, which was around $9,000 for each service.
“I needed eight different professionals. All of them needed 50% cash deposit down,” she said.
She said she robbed her future to pay for the present damage by withdrawing thousands of dollars from her 401(k).
Lott said lawmakers and organizations need to remove the red tape and rethink their disaster recovery processes and procedures.
“Things like how much money you make shouldn’t be qualifying criteria. Like, the only words that I should have to use in order to qualify for assistance is: ‘I’ve lost everything’,” she said.
Community Suffering and How To Help
Lott recognizes that other people in the community experienced more loss and trauma than she did.
She said the truck drivers who picked up discarded furniture that lined neighborhood streets suffered. The electrical workers who were instructed to shut off the power to the children’s hospital were filled with guilt. And firefighters and law enforcement who recovered the bodies of people and pets. She said people were re-traumatized on the job everyday.
As a mental health expert, she told attendees that compassion and empathy are powerful emotions. Kind comments like “I see you” or “You matter” can provide the hope someone needs to get through a dark time.
Documenting History
At the conclusion of the Town Hall, participants shared their personal hurricane stories with someone who was not affected by the storms. The experiences were recorded for an archive for the Gulfport History Museum.
Thanos said the exchange will allow people who weren’t affected to gain a better understanding of why so many residents are still suffering.
If you were unable to attend and would like to share your story, contact Thanos or Cultural Facilities Events Supervisor Justin Shea to schedule a recording. Or you can self-record your video and send it to athanos@mygulfport.us or jshea@mygulfport.us. You will be required to sign a release.
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