The 33-year-old has had a rough time contacting family and friends since the disaster, he did not ask the club for time off, that has been seen to after getting a red card at Aston Villa on Saturday.
Now Nelsen misses the game with Fulham this weekend so he will use the time to visit Christchurch and flies out on Monday.
Boss Steve Kean told the club’s official website: "It has been a really tough week for Ryan, obviously, with all the commotion back home.
“He has shown total professionalism. He's trained every day and really wanted to play. I've already said to Ryan that if he wants to go back to let me know.
"The good thing for him is that all of his family are OK. He's on the phone to them supporting them through this difficult time."