Of the 23 people we surveyed, most were 46 to 65 years old (61 percent), owned their home at the time of Hurricane Helene (65 percent), identified as white (61 percent), and had an annual household income of less than $50,000 (61 percent). Nearly all had basic banking relationships (96 percent had a checking account and 65 percent a savings account), though fewer had savings to draw on.

Financial Stress Snowballs After a Disaster

In our interviews, households consistently described financial stress as cumulative, with costs building up over time rather than peaking immediately after the disaster. Many reported that their greatest financial stress occurred six months or more after the hurricane made landfall, when initial resources were gone and longer-term expenses weighed on them.

One example comes from a two-parent family in South Carolina with household income between $50,000 and $100,000. Shortly before the storm, one parent was laid off, so the family’s savings were already strained. Hurricane Helene flooded their home but neither insurance nor the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) covered the damage. The family moved to a short-term rental, and the cost of their mortgage plus the new rent exhausted their savings within weeks.

As they waited for assistance and repairs, the family relied on credit cards to cover basic expenses, eventually maxing out a card that went to collections, which they said “torpedoed” their credit score. The credit card company denied their request for a temporary pause, so the family cashed out a 401(k) account to stay afloat. When we spoke 14 months after the storm, they were still in temporary housing and had not regained financial stability.

Although just one example, this family’s experience illustrates many common issues that can compound into significant financial stress over time.

• Housing costs. Interviewees who were homeowners described housing as a double burden because they had to simultaneously pay the mortgage on their damaged home and pay for short-term housing, while also paying other disaster-related costs. One survivor reflected, “Every month that comes you have regular things and then you have the added-on things that deplete your funds.”
• Long repair timelines. One interviewee lived with a damaged roof for over a year while navigating a complex and slow assistance process. Others described trying to manage multiple applications for FEMA, the Small Business Administration, and insurance while living in damaged or unstable conditions. One survivor described it as “pulling money from here, there, and everywhere.” Delays and administrative burdens led some to take out loans or disengage from support systems altogether.
• Temporary displacement. Households staying in hotels faced higher food costs without access to kitchens, often relying on takeout or prepared meals. Several survivors described losing food in fully stocked refrigerators, freezers, and pantries because appliances were damaged or could not be powered. Others described how displacement forced them to travel farther for work or medical appointments, increasing transportation costs and time burdens.
• Utility expenses. Survivors pointed out that running generators for extended periods, sometimes for months, came with high costs. One person said they were spending substantial amounts on gas each day just to keep basic appliances running.

In short, everyday expenses such as food, transportation, and utilities increased while many households lost income, drew down savings, and waited out repairs. The result was a steady accumulation of financial pressure that compounded over time, making it difficult for households to stabilize. In these stories, recovery emerges not as a discrete phase, but as an extended period of financial strain.

Assistance Was Often Hard to Access or Did Not Match Household Needs

For many survivors we interviewed, the recovery process became a second crisis. Even though families’ financial needs were immediate, assistance often arrived slowly or unpredictably. Some households waited months for FEMA support, relying on savings or credit in the interim. Others encountered mismatches between program design and their needs.

Survivors described an exhausting cycle of paperwork, documentation, and procedural requirements that drained their time, energy, and financial resources. The burden was often so significant that some chose to abandon assistance entirely. One survivor walked away from support for ductwork repairs because the application process felt too onerous. As another put it, “Even getting help costs money.”

Access to assistance was also shaped by basic infrastructure and technology. One survivor described being without electricity, internet, or phone service for weeks, making it difficult to gather documentation or call for support. Others described needing to travel to access Wi-Fi.

Not all households had the knowledge or support necessary to navigate recovery systems. As one survivor put it, “You need to have knowledge of how systems work and what systems to work.” Survivors who had case managers or others to guide them could move through the process more easily, meaning who received assistance often reflected household ability to navigate the system as much as need.

Beyond logistical challenges, survivors described the emotional toll of assistance systems. Some felt the process treated them with suspicion rather than support. One survivor explained, “It felt like they thought we were lowlifes.” Prior negative experiences also shaped engagement: for some, earlier disasters had eroded trust to the point that they chose not to seek help again.

Finally, several survivors described how support diminished over time, even as needs persisted. One noted that attention fades “after TV cameras go away,” particularly as new disasters draw public and institutional focus.

Households Filled Gaps with Savings, Credit, Loans, or Informal Support

As survivors navigated the financial aftermath of Hurricane Helene, many found that assistance from the government was delayed or insufficient. Instead, survivors relied on savings, credit, loans, and informal networks. The following themes emerged in our interviews.

• Varying use of credit products. During recovery, some survivors avoided credit products entirely. One survivor explained, “I don’t own a credit card. I don’t deal with them, I don’t like them.” At the same time, other survivors relied heavily on credit , with a survivor describing how she “swiped a lot” to cover emergency expenses. Reliance on credit often created long-term challenges. As payments became difficult to manage, some survivors took on debt and saw declines in their credit scores, which limited their ability to access additional financial resources.
• Uneven access to credit. Among those who did use credit, access was uneven and often insufficient. In some cases, survivors were unable to access traditional credit at all, instead turning to high-cost alternatives like payday lenders.
• Lack of awareness of support. Many survivors emphasized they were unaware of what support, if any, their financial institutions could offer. Even those with existing banking relationships had little communication about options such as payment deferrals or reduced interest rates. One survivor reflected, “I don’t even think my bank knew I had anything going on,” while another described reaching out for help only to be told that nothing could be done.
• Informal support played an important role. A smaller number of survivors described supportive relationships, particularly with local credit unions that offered personalized communication or guidance. But these experiences were the exception rather than the norm. Informal networks were more common, with 44 percent of those we surveyed receiving a loan or gift from family or friends and 30 percent receiving support from a religious community.

Fixed Incomes Made Recovery Costs Harder to Absorb

For older adults and households with a disability, financial challenges were more acute. Older adults on a fixed income were less able to take on new debt, and some were forced to reenter the workforce late in life. One survivor summed up the limits of aging and income bluntly: “I can’t make more money. Can’t work, can’t get out.”

Those we surveyed also felt that older adults had less capacity to seek out resources or meet the physical demands of repairs on their own. Several wished that organizations would proactively reach out to seniors. One survivor described a 75‑year‑old neighbor living in an old camper on a 94‑degree day, surrounded by her belongings in tents. Winter brought its own hardships. Eventually the neighbor secured support from FEMA, but she needed a project manager to help her navigate the system.

Financial Stress Compounded the Mental and Emotional Toll

The financial strain of recovery often worsened survivors’ mental and emotional stress, which persisted long after the disaster itself. Several survivors shared that they developed post-traumatic stress disorder, making it challenging to perform day-to-day tasks or recall details and events from the months following the disaster.

One survivor described how she feels anxiety when it storms, even though she knows she’s safe: “It causes me to have, you know, my body to get hot, my heart to pump fast. And I have to really focus on, wait a minute, this is not Helene. You got a new roof. Your windows are fine. It’s not going to rain on y’all.”

Another participant described having to calm down her young daughter after seeing images of the destruction on TV. A big point of mental stress for households was the uncertainty of aid applications. Families didn’t know if their application would be accepted, if funding would arrive, or when they could finally return home.

How to Close Gaps in the Disaster Safety Net

Our interviewees described a recovery shaped not only by the disaster itself, but also by the timing, accessibility, and adequacy of resources. Survivors repeatedly described a mismatch between immediate financial needs and available assistance, forcing many to rely on savings, credit, and informal support.

To strengthen household financial recovery after disasters, policymakers, disaster recovery organizations, philanthropies, and financial institutions can prioritize the following:

• Deliver assistance faster and bridge timing gaps. Rapid financial support can help cover immediate expenses for temporary housing, food, transportation, utilities, and repairs and close the gap before the arrival of insurance settlements, FEMA assistance, and other recovery resources.
• Simplify recovery systems. Streamlined application processes can reduce paperwork, eliminate duplicative documentation requirements, and align eligibility rules across programs. Expanding case-management and navigation support can allow survivors to easily complete applications and connect to the resources they need. Recovery systems should ask directly about survivors’ needs rather than routing them through rigid or misaligned programs.
• Improve outreach and resource coordination across organizations. Postdisaster programs can proactively assist affected households, even when internet and phone services are disrupted, by conducting door-to-door outreach, partnering with trusted community organizations, and providing clear information through multiple channels.
• Tailor support to households with greater challenges. Recovery programs should be designed to meet the needs of older adults, people with disabilities, renters, households living on fixed incomes, and those with limited digital access. Programs can offer assistance and services responsive to the specific circumstances of households rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.
• Offer financial services to supplement relief programs. Financial institutions can help households bridge the gap between immediate needs and disaster assistance by offering automatic payment relief on mortgages, loans, and credit cards; reducing interest rates; waiving fees; deferring missed payments; and providing affordable recovery-focused credit products. Financial institutions can also invest in proactive outreach and financial counselors to help households navigate financial decisions.

As disasters become more frequent, policymakers, disaster recovery organizations, financial institutions, and philanthropic organizations should look to build a disaster financial safety net that delivers support quickly, flexibly, and responsively and builds resilience to future disasters.

ABOUT THE DATA

Participants in our survey and interviews were adults who experienced significant financial loss because of Hurricane Helene and relied, at least in part, on resources from outside their households to support recovery. Recruitment was facilitated through long-term recovery groups and other community-based organizations active in disaster recovery. We are grateful to the many local partners who helped connect us with participants and made this research possible.

The survey collected information on household characteristics, disaster-related losses, financial resources, and recovery experiences. The interviews explored survivors’ experiences navigating financial hardship, assistance programs, financial institutions, and household recovery. The interviews also included a recovery timeline exercise to document the timing of financial needs and resources after the disaster.

Because this research is based on a small, nonrepresentative sample, the findings are not intended to be generalized to all Hurricane Helene survivors. Instead, they provide detailed first-hand insight into the financial challenges households face during disaster recovery.
 

This research was funded by PNC and produced through the Urban Institute’s Financial Well-Being Hub and Climate and Communities program. We are grateful to all our funders, who make it possible for Urban to advance its mission. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders. Funders do not determine research findings or the insights and recommendations of our experts. Further information on the Urban Institute’s funding principles is available at http://urban.org/fundingprinciples.