 When there is a natural disaster all aspects of peoples’ lives will be affected. Physical needs take priority in the period immediately after the disaster but it is also important to pay attention to emotional needs. How we feel will help to determine how well we are able to cope with the stresses.
 After a natural disaster you may have nightmares about the event at first or find yourself going over and over what happened in your mind. Many people have this type of experience immediately after a disaster and then the dreams and repetitive memories gradually stop. However if nightmares, difficulty sleeping or repetitive memories persist without lessening for more than two weeks, then you should seek help from a trained counsellor or a doctor.
 Indicators that you need help to cope with your emotional response to a natural disaster include: inability to return to normal routine; persistent nightmares or repetitive memories that do not begin to lessen in two weeks; feeling extremely helpless; difficulty concentrating; having thoughts of hurting one's self or others; using alcohol and drugs excessively; unexplained physical problems e.g. having back pains though you did not injure your back; thinking about or being abusive or violent; or having noticeable symptoms of a mental illness.