It’s always a shock when you learn that your friends are suffering through an unexpected natural disaster. Your first instincts are to check in (while trying not to overwhelm them) and offer help, but it’s difficult; especially if you’re far away and feeling powerless. So what are some things you can do to help out any friends experiencing a flood?

What to do

• Provide immediate practical support if possible

• Offer emotional support

• Help them out with recovery

• Offer financial support if possible

Provide immediate practical support

If you’re nearby and safe from floodwaters yourself, there are many ways you can offer immediate support. If you have a guest bedroom, volunteer your space to them during evacuation orders. Also see if you can care for their pets if their temporary housing situation doesn’t allow for it. If roads are open, offer to deliver any essential supplies such as clothing, toiletries, and medications. Ask if they need anyone to help run errands or drive them to appointments. You can even wrangle several friends into setting up meal deliveries or grocery shopping for them to keep them fed in their time of need.

You can also offer to help their recovery process by joining them on calls with their insurance company as you begin the process with them together. You can also help them start the documentation process since updating spreadsheets isn’t really a fun post-disaster activity to accomplish alone. Tell them you’ll help apply for FEMA assistance if the area has been declared a federal disaster as well.

Offer emotional support

Check in on your affected friends and family regularly without overwhelming them. Be a good listener and remember that you don’t have to try to solve every problem, but allow them to vent their frustrations and worries while you offer comfort. Acknowledge their loss and validate their feelings. 

Try to offer specific, concrete help (“Can I pick up your kids from school for you tomorrow?”) rather than give vague offers like “let me know if you ever need anything.” 

And don’t forget to respect their space and decisions about their recovery process. Losing your house to a flood can be extremely traumatic and if they’re inclined to move away or start over in a different home rather than spend months or years rebuilding, help support their decisions any way you can.

How to assist with their recovery

Once the floodwaters subside, there are ways to help spread the initial cleanup work around. Offer to organize volunteers for cleanup when it is safe to return to their home. You’ll want to remove any standing water and wet materials as soon as possible to prevent further damage and the old saying “Many hands make light work” applies here.

Documenting damage for insurance or assistance claims is also a good way to pitch in. Offer to take plenty of photos and videos in an organized way, and get an inventory list started as you write down all the damaged items found within the home.

Even if you’re far away, you can help your affected friends research contractors that specialize in post-flood clean up. You can reach out and interview any customer references to check into the contractor’s previous work. If you’re nearby, you can be onsite for any estimates as you meet with possible contractors. When recovery tasks are taking center stage, offer childcare if your friends need it, so they can clear their schedule to focus on the rebuilding process.

Financial Support

Often, the most obvious way to help a friend is by offering to pay for their immediate needs. Gift cards are a great way to cover the immediate needs for your friends, including food delivery, gas, and groceries in the aftermath of a disaster. Ask if they need help covering hotels during evacuations or lining up a new storage facility if they need temporary space for their belongings. Offer to help research grant opportunities in their area and organize the best options they can apply for.

Volunteer to be the person that keeps everyone they know up to date on their situation in one specific spot everyone can read, freeing your friends affected by disaster from having to text the same replies to dozens of people. This can be as simple as organizing a big text message group or starting a GoFundMe on their behalf and updating it for them periodically.

The most important thing is to be patient and consistent with your support, as flood recovery is often a long process that continues well after the initial media attention fades.