Our Why: What the Research Says

  • Severe weather events are becoming more frequent and more intense due to climate change- and their emotional impact is too often overlooked. In 2023 alone, the U.S. experienced 28 separate billion-dollar disasters, the highest number ever recorded in a single year (NOAA, 2024). While emergency services focus on physical survival and infrastructure, communities are often left to navigate the emotional aftermath on their own.

  • Research shows that exposure to natural disasters significantly increases the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression, especially for children, low-income individuals, and those who experience repeated events (Goldmann & Galea, 2014; Lowe et al., 2019). Yet many survivors- particularly in rural, storm-prone areas- lack access to mental health support.

  • This gap is widening. Recent federal budget decisions have reduced funding for behavioral health services and disaster mental health programs, leaving communities even more vulnerable and under-resourced in the wake of climate-related crises (HHS, 2024).

In the aftermath of extreme weather, storm survivors and storm-impacted communities are often left to navigate profound emotional distress.

Research shows that exposure to natural disasters significantly increases the risk of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For example, a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health (2021) found that people affected by climate-related disasters had nearly double the risk of developing mental health disorders compared to those who were not affected.

Marginalized communities- often the most impacted- face compounded challenges, including underfunded recovery efforts, fewer mental health resources, and long-term economic displacement. The recent reduction in federal emergency aid and mental health funding further deepens these disparities, leaving survivors to navigate recovery with little support.

It is Storm + Sky Resilience Collective’s mission exists make emotional recovery accessible for storm survivors- also known as “Weather Warriors”- in the immediate aftermath of a storm.

We strive to provide free (and if that’s not possible, low-cost) supports and resources so no survivor is left without support when it matters most.

In addition to supporting storm survivors, we also support other key populations whose well-being is vital to collective resilience:

  • People with storm anxiety often live in fear each storm season, especially in high-risk regions. This fear can be debilitating and isolating, limiting people’s ability to function or engage with their community (APA, 2013). As disasters increase, so will the number of people impacted- not only by physical events, but by the anticipation of them. Addressing this anxiety early can reduce long-term mental health consequences and build a sense of empowerment. We help people prepare, not panic, offering trauma-informed education, nervous system tools, and a supportive space to regain a sense of safety and agency in an uncertain world.

  • First responders- EMTs, firefighters, police officers, and emergency management teams- are trained to handle the worst days of others’ lives. But the chronic stress, exposure to trauma, and emotional suppression often required in their roles leads to high rates of PTSD, depression, substance use, and suicide (Benedek et al., 2007; Smith et al., 2018).

    As disasters become more frequent and complex, we can’t afford to lose the people who keep us safe. Storm + Sky equips responders with the emotional tools, reflective spaces, and peer support they need to recover, re-regulate, and remain resilient.

  • Many therapists, counselors, and social workers are already stretched thin. As disasters rise, they are increasingly called to support individuals and communities affected by climate-driven events, yet most receive little to no formal training in disaster mental health, storm-specific phobias, or climate anxiety (Clay, 2020).

    Storm and Sky offers clinically grounded, trauma-informed education to help therapists feel more equipped to support the unique needs of those impacted by weather. When we support the healers, the impact ripples outward, reaching survivors, families, and whole communities.

  • Through real-time footage, storm data, and personal experiences shared across platforms, storm chasers influence how the public perceives and reacts to severe weather events. Their work can shape public awareness, impact safety decisions, and contribute to education on weather phenomena. Over the course of a chase career, many chasers witness devastation firsthand: destroyed homes, terrified families, and the raw aftermath of nature’s most violent moments. Additionally, the lifestyle itself can be difficult, isolating, and lonely. The emotional toll is often unseen- and rarely talked about. At Storm + Sky, we recognize the psychological wear that chasing can bring. We provide tools to help process what you see, restore your sense of wellness, and reconnect with why you chase in the first place.

Each purchase has purpose.

Every service or product you choose helps deliver life-changing, accessible support to storm survivors when they need it most.

Storm and Sky Resilience Collective was founded not just to fill the gap- but to change the way we think about recovery, resilience, and who deserves support.

Because Resilience Is Built

Day by day, conversation by conversation- one person and one community at a time.

At Storm and Sky Resilience Collective, we believe emotional preparedness is just as critical as storm shelters and weather radios. Through online workshops, practical tools, and healing education, we help individuals and communities recover, rebuild, and restore hope- before, during, and after the storm.

Our mission is to ensure that no one faces disaster without care, and no community is left without a path forward.

No one should have to face the storm alone.

We weather the storm, together.

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