Prepare for a hurricane before it strikes - information to help you understand the dangers and what you can do before a disaster (information below).

Recover from a hurricane - recognize possible environmental hazards and what you can do to protect your and your family's health, and for commercial buildings and schools (information below).

Information about 2005 hurricane response.

Prepare for a hurricane before it strikes.

General info: What to do before hurricane season, or before a hurricane strikes. (from fema.gov)

Drinking water and food

• Make a kit of supplies. (ready.gov) Keep at least a 3-day water supply per person -and don't forget pets. What you can do to protect your household well.
  
• Prepare food supplies for a weather emergency. Get a fridge thermometer to be sure of safe storage temperatures. Freeze extra containers of water ahead of time. Use ice chests in case power is out for more than four hours. More info...
  
• For water and Wastewater facilities - Suggested pre-hurricane activities to help facilities prepare for severe weather conditions.

Debris - Planning For Disaster Debris Debris from disasters can overwhelm a community's ability to handle in terms of volume or type of debris. This guide highlights the need for communities to plan ahead for debris cleanup after a major natural or man-made disaster. Based on lessons learned from communities that have experienced such disasters, this guide contains information to help communities prepare for and recover more quickly from the increased solid waste generated by a disaster. Download the printable version, PDF 28 pp 1.6 MB, get PDF reader.

Well-designed storage of fertilizer and chemicals - Properly designed or modified storage facilities enhance worker safety and minimize the risk contamination.

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Recover from a hurricane.

>> Go to the Hurricane Katrina page.

General info: What to do after a hurricane. (fema.gov)

ALERT: Generator exhaust is toxic. Put generators outside or carefully vent the exhaust outside because the exhaust contains dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide (CO), a poisonous gas.

Drinking water and food

• Boiling water information To kill all major water-borne bacterial pathogens, bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute. Boil 3 minutes at elevations above 5280 ft (1 mile or 1.6 km). Getting and disinfecting water (fema.gov)
  
• Make sure older adults have enough water to drink. Older adults may feel thirsty less, and dehydration can be life threatening to an elderly person. More info...
  
• What to do about water from household wells after a flood . Do not turn on the pump - danger of electric shock. Do not drink or wash with water from the flooded well. More info. General info about household wells.
  
• Keeping food safe during an emergency. Don't test spoiled food by tasting it! (usda.gov)
  
• For water and Wastewater facilities - Suggested post-hurricane activities to help facilities recover from severe weather conditions.

Flooding and mold

• Flood cleanup: keeping air healthy inside The key to mold control is moisture control. After the flood, remove standing water and dry indoor areas. Remove and discard anything that has been wet for more than 24-48 hours.
• Safely cleaning a flood-damaged home from cdc.gov and Repair your flooded home from redcross.org
• Mold cleanup in schools and commercial buildings. information for building managers, custodians, and others who are responsible for commercial building and school maintenance.
• General - Mold, moisture, and your home
  • Basics
  • Cleaning up mold
  • What to Wear

Pesticides, chemical and oil spills, hazardous waste

• Call the National Response Center 1-800-424-8802 (24 hours a day every day). For those without 800 access, please call 202-267-2675.
• Industries and businesses that encounter spills or discharges in a hurricane's aftermath should contact the National Response Center immediately.
• National Pesticide Information Center: 1-800-858-7378. Pesticide contacts
• General information about environmental emergencies

Debris

• What To Do With Disaster Debris - Disasters can generate tons of debris, including building rubble, soil and sediments, green waste (e.g., trees and shrubs), personal property, ash, and charred wood. How a community manages disaster debris depends on the debris generated and the waste management options available. Burying or burning is no longer acceptable because of the side effects of smoke and fire from burning, and potential water and soil contamination from burial. Typical methods of recycling and solid waste disposal in sanitary landfills often cannot be applied to disaster debris because of the large volume of waste and reluctance to overburden existing disposal capacity. More information...
• Disposing of debris from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

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