Mental Health and Disaster Relief Resource Hub

Hurricanes & Floods
Taking Care of Your Children and Yourself: AAP Resource
American Academy of Pediatrics Tips on Talking to a Child After a Disaster
YouTube Link
How to Support Your Child’s Resilience in a Time of Crisis
AAP Resource
Helping Your Child Cope After a Disaster
Trauma-Responsive Care for Infants and Toddlers
Caring for Children in Disasters
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

Breastfeeding During a Disaster

Ready.gov
Provides guidelines for preparing an emergency supply kit and evacuation plans.
Ready Kids
Ideas for talking to children and involving them in family disaster preparedness.
Parent Guidelines for Helping Children After a Hurricane
Guidelines to help parents support their children after a hurricane.
After the Hurricane: Helping Young Children Heal
A guide to help young children recover from the trauma of a hurricane.
Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event
Helps parents understand how children of different ages may respond to traumatic events.
College Students Coping After a Hurricane
Offers tips for college students dealing with the aftermath of a hurricane.
Teacher Guidelines for Helping Students After a Hurricane
Guidelines for teachers to support students in the wake of a hurricane.
Talking to Children: When Scary Things Happen
Tips for talking to children about traumatic events and how to comfort them.
After the Injury (website for families)
Provides support for families with injured children recovering from traumatic events.
Health Care Toolbox
Resources for pediatric health providers working with children recovering from injuries.
Pause-Reset-Nourish (PRN) to Promote Wellbeing
Tools for responders to promote their own wellbeing after stressful events.

Ready.gov
Recommendations for an emergency supply kit and evacuation considerations
Ready Kids
Ideas for talking to children and involving them in family disaster preparedness
Help Kids Cope
Mobile app with scripts and ideas to support children before, during, and after natural disasters

Call 211 (1-888-892-1162) to report a missing person or request a welfare check, press 1 once you are connected to reach an operator. Have all information available (name, location, health conditions, etc.) to complete request. Call volumes are high, but operators are processing requests as quickly as possible.
Call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to locate people in their shelters or file a reunification request.

Postpartum Support International
Offers support for families, virtual groups, a provider directory, and state-specific perinatal psychiatry access programs.
SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline
Free, 24/7 crisis counseling and support for people affected by natural or human-caused disasters. Available by phone or text.
Call or text 1-800-985-5990
For Spanish: Llama o envía un mensaje de texto 1-800-985-5990 presiona “2.”
Deaf/ASL Callers: Text/call 1-800-985-5990 using your preferred Relay provider.
Bounce Back Now App
Provides educational content and resources to support individuals affected by disasters, available in English and Spanish.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
Offers a wide range of resources to help children, families, and communities recover from trauma caused by disasters.
Help Kids Cope Mobile App
Provides scripts and ideas to support children before, during, and after natural disasters.
Psychological First Aid (PFA)
Provides training for responders and community members to support mental health following traumatic events.
Trinka and Sam: The Rainy Windy Day (e-book)
An e-book for young children to help them cope with natural disasters.
Once I Was Very Very Scared (e-book)
A resource for helping young children understand and cope with scary events.

Rescue or Life-Threatening Emergencies
Call 911
For Locating Lost Loved Ones
Call 211
United Way Missing Person/Welfare
Check Request: Text ‘PERSON’ to 40403.
Buncombe County Search
Email BuncombeSearch@gmail.com Call 828-820-2761
Shelter and Supplies
Ready NC Open Shelters List Call 2-1-1 or American Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767)
Email BuncombeSearch@gmail.com or call 828-820-2761 (Buncombe County Register of Deeds) to locate loved ones. Access the Buncombe Search Form directly at this link. You can directly enter the information about the person for whom you are looking.

Donate

Donate to NC Disaster Relief Fund
NC Disaster Relief Fund visit nc.gov/donate.
Diaper Bank of NC
NC Diaper Bank Donations Meet critical needs for diapers, period products, adult incontinence supplies, and formula. You can donate here to help The Diaper Bank of NC meet these needs.
Family Childcare & Center Enrichment Foundation
Donate here

State and County Specific Resources

Power Outage

Ready NC Power Outages

For information on Food and Nutrition Service Disaster Assistance (including info on SNAP and WIC)

Food and Nutrition Service disaster assistance for individuals home page
For North Carolina as of now, FNS has approved a waiver that makes it easier for people to report food purchased with SNAP benefits that was lost as a result of the storm. Find the replacement/ supplement request form here.
SNAP benefits can be used outside of the state; unfortunately WIC benefits cannot because the federal government authorizes stores for SNAP, whereas state governments authorize stores for WIC.

For NC Medicaid flexibilities (including CAP/C and CAP/ DA) to ensure patients can receive medications, medically necessary services, etc.

For TRICARE beneficiaries

Last updated: 10/17/2024.