Some Floridians are bracing for Hurricane Milton just a week and a half after experiencing devastation brought by Hurricane Helene .
Record-breaking storm surges of up to 12 feet are expected in Tampa Bay and Fort Myers, with surges as high as 15 feet possible in Sarasota. Additionally, up to 18 inches of heavy rain is expected to inundate parts of central Florida.
For some other Florida residents, who might not have been affected by Helene, this will be the second major hurricane they face in less than two years after Hurricane Ian caused widespread damage to western Florida in 2022.
Experts told ABC News that experiencing trauma from one disaster so closely to another puts people at risk for symptoms of mental health disorders including anxiety and depression.
“This is a tragedy, obviously, that’s happening to hundreds, if not millions, of people, and I would refer to their experience now as a cumulative trauma,” Dr. Jennifer Genovese, an associate teaching professor and MSW program director at the School of Social Work at Syracuse University’s David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, told ABC News.