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Disasters and their impact and mitigation best illustrates the value of social psychiatry. Social psychiatry “recognises the importance of social institutions like family, community, and for social cohesion beyond the individual level characteristics and actions for mental health.” The emotional health of populations exposed to disasters is a well-recognized public health priority. Toward mitigation of the negative impact of the disasters on mental health, and building resilience is vital. The recent flood disaster in the southern state of Kerala illustrates many of the areas where Indian Social Psychiatry can, and should, rise to the challenges of mitigating human suffering and protecting the mental health of disaster-affected people. Rebuilding of Kerala, especially in relation to mental health, requires building emotional health of survivors through self-care; strengthening of families; supporting Anganwadis, schools, colleges, and workplaces to become places to promote mental health; creating caring communities from Panchayat level; building resilience at the community level for long-term preparedness; and most importantly, to sensitize the administrative mechanisms for the mental health aspects of developmental choices and disaster preparedness.