Global Advice on How to Cope, Recover and Rebuild

As damaging as Hurricane Sandy has been, many places around the world have endured far more devastating, and frequent, disasters. The earthquake in Haiti in 2010 caused hundreds of thousands of deaths. The tsunami that hit Japan in 2011 led to power and transportation problems far more catastrophic than those in the northeastern United States. Typhoons batter Asian countries much poorer than the United States with regular ferocity.

The International Herald Tribune asked its Facebook community and the New York Times asked its Facebook followers from those who have lived through disaster their advice for New Yorkers and others dealing with the wreckage of Sandy, now and tomorrow.

Much of the advice involved working together, seeking out those who live alone to see what they need or banding together with neighbors to clear debris from roads and buildings.

Many advised prayer, and many suggested greater energy conservation and environmental legislation to slow or reverse climate change.

There was lots - lots - of advice from the Philippines, which, as Rendezvous's Asia blogger, Mark McDonald, writes, sits in the middle of what might be called Typhoon Alley. (Mark points out that Cyclone Nargis killed 130,000 people in Myanmar in 2008.) Still, their compassion for much richer Americans was palpable.

Ronello Fernandez Bernardo, a Manila native, says, “The greatest weapon is to Pray!!!!! No one is prepared for something like this so be strong and think positive!”

Debashish Chakraborty of Bangladesh, wrote, “Be strong mentally. That will help to overcome this disaster.”

And Kung S Vijakkanawong suggested, more practically, that those with electricity or gas provide “cooked meals for people who live without power.”

“Ration food, share medicines, keep only one cell phone on,” wrote Kiran Bindu.

Write “a day-to-day plan guiding through the actions to be taken with times of the da ys. It's best to draft for the next day, and not for longer, before going to sleep,” wrote Akos Simon. “Also routines that keep one's hope and families' members up with useful activity.”

Miguel Burgos wrote:

I'm from Cozumel, Mexico. Here we are used to hurricanes and I can assure the best way to get over a big disaster like this is [to] get out, see the damage, if you don't have any on your own property give a bit of your effort to help others, and hopefully it will be a chain reaction. Even if you don't know them, ask them how they are, what do they need? How can you help them? It's all about team work and wanting to get up ASAP… don't try, DO IT! Above all, don't blame your government if they are not responding fast enough or helping as you would expect. It's your job too.

And Treena Clark wrote:

Forget about resuming the normalcy of daily life and trying to race to work. There is no 9AM to 5AM mentali ty for awhile. There is no structure. Let the hours pass whichever way they do. Have conversations with your loved ones and neighbors. Thank God for your blessings. Focus on solidarity and mutual help. Everything else is about conservation. Ration food, eat dried food and canned food (do you have a can opener?), use water sparingly, brush teeth fast, use liquid soap (easy to divide up), use a radio that is battery operated, stop using a cellphone as if power supply is unlimited (watch scene from Revolution on TV), always have cash on hand. Share if you can.

Jennifer Dunston advised: “cooking outdoors may be an option for those who have electric stoves and no power. Also cooking in the fireplace if you place a grill on top. That way pots of water can be heated for bathing and washing by hand. Working together as a community is vital so that anything of use won't be wasted.”

Nigel Cheffers-Heard of Exeter, England, said: “Support your neighbours, and together, seek out those who are unwilling or unable to ask for help. Forget artificial distinctions.”

And Carolyn Milner wrote:

When Brisbane, Australia was flooded 2 years ago, people registered on a volunteer website. This website directed people where to go and help with the clean up operation and informed you what day you were needed.

Some advice came from closer to home. Jessica Butler wrote:

I live within the U.S. in south Louisiana - we go from house to house helping pull carpet, bring water, food, ice, etc. and check that our neighbors are safe. We also string electrical cords to close neighbors and share generator power for freezers/refrigerators. If one is spared devastation, then you spare a room for someone in need. Although it may seem like an eternity, the power companies, phone companies, etc. are doing their best. Prayer and patience are a much needed commodity. And sometimes lending an ea r to listen and a shoulder to cry on is worth everything.

There was also sobering advice about the questions that many homeowners will be facing after the immediate cleanup is over. Katharine Campbell wrote:

About half the people I knew in my home town all lost their homes during a terrible forest fire in British Colombia in 2003. My advice would be, if the insurance company gives you a choice between rebuilding your home or getting the money to buy a different one, do not choose to rebuild your home. There will likely be skilled labor shortages, and people often had to wait at least a year to start rebuilding their homes. Find a new home and settle in there, rather than living somewhere random in limbo. Everyone who chose to rebuild regretted it.

If you live outside the United States and have been affected by a natural disaster please join the conversation and add your thoughts in the comments section below.

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