{"id":11605,"date":"2026-06-02T16:31:54","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T16:31:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605"},"modified":"2026-06-02T16:31:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T16:31:54","slug":"extreme-weather-can-whip-up-anxiety-a-safety-plan-can-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605","title":{"rendered":"Extreme weather can whip up anxiety. A safety plan can help"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By JEFF MARTIN<\/strong><\/p>\n

ATLANTA (AP) \u2014 Hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other extreme weather can also kick up storms of anxiety.<\/p>\n

Read more The UK government has set a target of an 87% cut in carbon emissions by 2042<\/a><\/p>\n

Thankfully, there are several ways to reduce that stress, according to mental health experts who have helped people who have experienced disasters. One of the most important things to do is have a plan, they say.<\/p>\n

\u201cPreparation is always one of the most powerful tools that I can imagine \u2014 not just for safety, but also for mental health,\u201d said Ruben Juarez, a health economist at University of Hawaii professor who directed the Maui Wildfires Exposure Study, which looked at health and social impacts of the deadly 2023 fires.<\/p>\n

And when the disaster is over, they say, try to restore a sense of normalcy by seeking out support, returning to routines and helping others.<\/p>\n

Kevin Westmoreland, who co-owns The Corner Kitchen in Asheville, North Carolina, learned meditation techniques and breathing exercises to deal with the stresses that the restaurant industry can present. When the remnants of Hurricane Helene unleashed torrents of rain on the state two years ago, water and mud poured into the restaurant and \u201ceverything was tossed around inside the building as if it was in a blender,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll you could do to get through it is try to take a breath and move forward, step by step,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Plan ahead for unpredictable weather<\/h4>\n

One way to ease anxiety is to prepare as best you can ahead of time, including hashing out a plan for what to do during a disaster.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Making an evacuation plan and putting together an emergency kit can provide a sense of control, said Melissa Brymer, a psychologist and director of terrorism and disaster programs at the UCLA-Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress.<\/p>\n

She recommends a step-by-step guide for families at ready.gov\/plan. The American Red Cross also has extensive guides for hurricane preparedness. Make sure to consider special preparations for anyone with disabilities, special needs, new mothers and expectant mothers, Brymer advises. Also make sure that pets are included in disaster plans.<\/p>\n

Weather is unpredictable, so it helps to accept that there are things you won\u2019t be able to control.<\/p>\n

Being informed can also give people a sense of control in extreme weather. Focus on facts by gathering information from trusted sources and stay up-to-date on weather watches and warnings.<\/p>\n

Read more Congress asks NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to testify about league\u2019s embrace of streaming services<\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Share your fears and concerns with friends, relatives, a therapist or others who can give you support, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.<\/p>\n

How to talk to children about storms without alarming them<\/h4>\n

Parents should consider talking to children in a matter-of-fact way, explaining that storms are normal. Children might be afraid of storms, but many are interested in learning more about them.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s OK to acknowledge that it\u2019s a stressful time, Brymer said. But adults should limit some conversations to only other adults to avoid overly worrying children.<\/p>\n

\u201cKids kind of register our panic, and then they\u2019re going to panic if we\u2019re starting to panic,\u201d she said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want them to start worrying for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keep track of your mental health<\/h4>\n

One of the Maui wildfires study\u2019s findings was that mental health affects rippled through the entire community and were found in many people who weren\u2019t in the burned area, Juarez said. It\u2019s a reminder to be aware that your mental health could be affected by disasters that strike your community, even if they don\u2019t directly affect your home or neighborhood.<\/p>\n

Westmoreland said one of things that helped him cope after Helene was to try and put things in perspective.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe try to look at it like it\u2019s just a business and equipment \u2014 as long as our employees are safe, those are the important things,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The restaurant, built around 1895 by American industrialist George Vanderbilt in the Biltmore Village section of Asheville, has since reopened after major renovations and repairs.<\/p>\n

The Anxiety and Depression Association has more tips, including:<\/p>\n

\u2014 Find a positive activity such as donating blood, preparing care packages or volunteering to help others. That can offer a sense of purpose to counteract the feelings of being powerless.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Seek support from others dealing with the same issues.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Be aware that if your symptoms persist for several weeks, it may be a sign of post-traumatic stress disorder and you should seek help.<\/p>\n

Read more AP exclusive: Under Notre Dame cathedral, a \u2018dig of the century\u2019 unearths 1,700 years of history<\/a><\/p>\n

Martin is a former Associated Press reporter.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hurricanes, wildfires and other extreme weather events can cause anxiety that lasts even after they’re over. A safety plan can help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11604,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11605","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nExtreme weather can whip up anxiety. A safety plan can help - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Extreme weather can whip up anxiety. A safety plan can help - Silicon Valley Moving Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Hurricanes, wildfires and other extreme weather events can cause anxiety that lasts even after they're over. A safety plan can help.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Silicon Valley Moving Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-02T16:31:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=11605#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=11605\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7\"},\"headline\":\"Extreme weather can whip up anxiety. A safety plan can help\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-02T16:31:54+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=11605\"},\"wordCount\":796,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=11605#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/f8947b6614754bce916d251f90b5282d.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.\",\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=11605#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=11605\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=11605\",\"name\":\"Extreme weather can whip up anxiety. A safety plan can help - Silicon Valley Moving Post\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=11605#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=11605#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/f8947b6614754bce916d251f90b5282d.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-02T16:31:54+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=11605#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=11605\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=11605#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/f8947b6614754bce916d251f90b5282d.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/f8947b6614754bce916d251f90b5282d.webp\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":682},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?p=11605#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Extreme weather can whip up anxiety. A safety plan can help\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Silicon Valley Moving Post\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Extreme weather can whip up anxiety. A safety plan can help - Silicon Valley Moving Post","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Extreme weather can whip up anxiety. A safety plan can help - Silicon Valley Moving Post","og_description":"Hurricanes, wildfires and other extreme weather events can cause anxiety that lasts even after they're over. A safety plan can help.","og_url":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605","og_site_name":"Silicon Valley Moving Post","article_published_time":"2026-06-02T16:31:54+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/#\/schema\/person\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7"},"headline":"Extreme weather can whip up anxiety. A safety plan can help","datePublished":"2026-06-02T16:31:54+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605"},"wordCount":796,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f8947b6614754bce916d251f90b5282d.webp","articleSection":["Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.","News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605","url":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605","name":"Extreme weather can whip up anxiety. A safety plan can help - Silicon Valley Moving Post","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f8947b6614754bce916d251f90b5282d.webp","datePublished":"2026-06-02T16:31:54+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/#\/schema\/person\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f8947b6614754bce916d251f90b5282d.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f8947b6614754bce916d251f90b5282d.webp","width":1024,"height":682},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=11605#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Extreme weather can whip up anxiety. A safety plan can help"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/","name":"Silicon Valley Moving Post","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/#\/schema\/person\/636e2e5a10a21cf87fe6eb5951e8a6b7","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com"],"url":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11605","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11605"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11605\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11605"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11605"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11605"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}