after-the-disaster

# After The Disaster Skill

In the hours after a disaster, shock and urgency make people do things in the wrong order —
re-entering an unsafe building, throwing out damaged items before documenting them (and
losing the insurance claim), or missing the aid window. There *is* a right order: people
and safety first, then documentation, then claims and recovery — and knowing it turns a
chaotic, costly aftermath into a sequence you can follow. This skill triages the first
hours and days, front-loads the safety non-negotiables, and flags the do-not-miss steps
(the photos before cleanup, the claim deadline, the aid you're entitled to) that quietly
cost people the most later. It routes emergencies to services and claims/aid to the
official bodies.

## What This Skill Produces

- A **triaged action plan** in strict order: (1) safety & people, (2) document everything,
  (3) notify insurance & register for aid, (4) immediate recovery — because doing these out
  of order costs money and safety
- The **do-not-miss list**: the steps people skip in the chaos and regret — photograph
  damage *before* cleaning up, don't discard items until documented, hit the claim/aid
  deadlines, keep every receipt
- **Where to get help**: emergency services for danger, the insurer to start the claim,
  and official disaster-aid/relief programs to register for (which have windows)
- A **health & safety brief**: the hidden post-disaster hazards — contaminated flood water,
  structural instability, mold, carbon monoxide, downed lines — so recovery doesn't create
  the next injury

## Required Inputs

Ask for (if not already provided):
- What happened and the current situation — are people safe *now*, is the building safe,
  is anyone hurt or missing
- The type and rough extent of damage (flood, fire, wind, evacuation with home intact)
- Whether they have insurance and their [[emergency-doc-kit]] (policy numbers, contacts)
- Where they are (country/area) so official aid/relief routes can be pointed to

## Framework

1. **People and safety first — always.** Before anything: is everyone accounted for and
   uninjured? Injuries → medical help. Is the structure safe to be in (fire damage, flood,
   gas, downed power lines)? Do not re-enter an unsafe building for belongings — this is
   where post-disaster deaths and injuries happen. Contaminated flood water, CO, and
   structural collapse are the immediate killers; the skill leads here, firmly.
2. **Document before you touch anything.** The costly, universal mistake: cleaning up or
   discarding damaged property before photographing it, which cripples the insurance claim.
   Photograph and video *everything* — the damage, every damaged item, the waterline —
   before any cleanup, and keep damaged items until the insurer says otherwise. The
   [[emergency-doc-kit]]'s home inventory pairs with this.
3. **Notify insurance and register for aid — mind the windows.** Contact the insurer as
   soon as safe to start the claim (policy number from the doc kit), and register for
   official disaster relief/aid programs, which frequently have application deadlines and
   are missed in the fog. Keep every receipt from the moment of the disaster (emergency
   accommodation, supplies) — many are reimbursable.
4. **Immediate recovery, in safe order.** Prevent further damage where safe (tarp a roof,
   stop water) since insurers expect reasonable mitigation, but not at the cost of safety.
   Secure the property, sort temporary accommodation, and preserve the doc-kit records.
   Guard against post-disaster scams — fake contractors and charities target disaster
   victims ([[scam-message-decoder]]).
5. **Watch the delayed hazards and the human toll.** Mold after flooding, ongoing
   structural risk, contaminated water, and the CO risk from generators/pumps during
   recovery. And the emotional reality: disaster recovery is a marathon of stress and
   grief; name that support (disaster mental-health lines, community relief) is part of
   the plan, not weakness.

## Output Format

```
## FIRST: are people and the building safe?
[Everyone accounted for/uninjured? · is it safe to be in the building? · do NOT re-enter an
unsafe structure · the immediate hazards: flood water, gas, power lines, CO]

## Document before you touch anything
[Photograph/video ALL damage and every damaged item BEFORE cleanup · keep damaged items ·
the waterline/extent]

## Notify & register (mind the deadlines)
[Insurer — start the claim (policy # from your doc kit) · official disaster aid/relief —
register, note the window · keep every receipt from now]

## Immediate recovery (safe order)
[Prevent further damage where safe · secure property · temp accommodation · beware
disaster scammers]

## Delayed hazards & support
[Mold, structural, contaminated water, CO during recovery · disaster mental-health/
community support — part of the plan]

⚠ Emergencies → emergency services. This is not legal/insurance advice — route claims to
your insurer and aid to official relief programs, and follow the authorities.
```

## Quality Checks

- [ ] Safety and people are handled first, with a firm "do not re-enter an unsafe building"
- [ ] "Document before cleanup" is prominent — the costliest common mistake
- [ ] Insurance notification and official-aid registration are included with their deadline
      windows and the keep-receipts rule
- [ ] The delayed hazards (mold, structural, contaminated water, CO) are covered
- [ ] Emotional/mental-health support is named, and scams are flagged

## Anti-Patterns

- [ ] Do not put property before people — re-entering an unsafe structure for belongings is
      how the aftermath kills
- [ ] Do not let cleanup happen before documentation — it destroys the insurance claim
- [ ] Do not miss the aid/claim deadlines — they're real and easily lost in the shock
- [ ] Do not ignore the delayed hazards or the mental-health toll — recovery is where the
      second wave of harm lands
- [ ] Do not give legal/i