Disaster and Critical Incident - a turning point event. Critical incidents
are typically sudden, powerful events that are outside of the range of
ordinary human experiences. Because they are so sudden and unusual, they
can have a strong emotional effect even on well trained, experienced
individuals. Disasters and critical incidents affect people in many
different ways, depending upon how they were personally impacted. During
a critical incident, often many people are feared for their lives or the
lives of loved ones. Many people have lost a loved one, or their home or
property during a local disaster. During a critical incident, our
orderly, somewhat predictable, safe world is suddenly disrupted in some
way. The purpose of this page is to help give direction in our lives to know
what we might expect from our emotions; how to prepare for a disaster in
our local area; what we might look for during the process of recovery
during a Critical Incident/Trauma/Crisis.
Ways we are affected!!!
- Critical Incident Stress Reaction
- Feelings become intense and sometimes are unpredictable
- Thoughts and behavior patterns are affected by trauma
- Recurring emotional reactions are common
- Interpersonal relationships often become strained
- Physical symptoms may accompany the extreme stress
- Grief - The loss of a friend or loved one