Terrors, Losses and New Lives of Disaster Survivors: A Phenomenological Inquiry

This study explored the lived experiences of survivors of Typhoon Sendong and the flood which occurred last December 2011 in Dumaguete City, Philippines. Utilizing the hermeutic-phenomenology approach, five informants were interviewed after their consent were acquired. The qualitative analysis generated themes which included the following: losing grip, losing life, losing one’s self, losing faith, learning the fear, eradicating memory, gaining understanding and finding the path. It is concluded that disaster survivors of Typhoon Sendong experienced high levels of anxiety, developed various forms of psycho-emotional maturity and the realization of being given a new life.

 

Keywords: Disaster, lived experiences, loss, tragedy, terrors