The American Red Cross and Salvation Army provide food, shelter, and medical supplies. The Seventh Day Adventists supply clothing. National Guard and Civil Defense personnel remove dangerous debris, protect property from looters, and re-open major transportation routes. As the immediate emergency subsides, outside help pours in to clean up and make temporary repairs. With all the assistance, however, many unmet needs remain.
Many people find their insurance coverage inadequate.
Some survivors discover that even with government loans or grants they can't pay for all the repairs they have planned. Others may not even qualify for assistance. Even if physical needs have been met, disaster survivors continue to need assistance in working through their grief, anger, loss, and isolation. The response required following the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 dramatized the problem of unmet needs. Before the earthquake, disaster plans and policies assumed most dwellings contained middle class households that purchased insurance, possessed financial resources, and experienced stable employment.