After so long, energy and adrenaline stores expire and people collapse from exhaustion. News crews are everywhere reporting live from the disaster zone, bringing images of devastation to the world and creating an outpouring of sympathy and donations. In the honeymoon stage, the world assistance descends on the disaster zone. Volunteers from countries around the globe arrive to help the victims and there is a general feeling of goodwill despite the tragic surroundings. But then the media leaves to cover a breaking story elsewhere on the globe.
Volunteers pack up to go home to their families and return to their jobs.
As the rest of the world moves on, the community is left with the destruction and the monumental task of cleaning up and rebuilding. They are surrounded by ruin and are, in many cases, out of work and homeless. They quickly become depressed or enraged. In families with no history of violence, spousal and child abuse appears. Suicide attempts are made, and strangers lash out at each other on the street.