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Storm Recovery Guide
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  • yGuide

    Storm Recovery Guide

  • �. BeSafe:StayHealthyafteraDisaster..................................................................................................... 4 SafetyinaDisasterArea..........................................................................................................................................4 DangersofDebris....................................................................................................................................................4 ApproachingandEnteringaDamagedBuilding.....................................................................................................5 FoodandWaterSafety.............................................................................................................................................5 YouMayRunintoCrittersinUnusualPlaces.........................................................................................................6 AvoidingMoldHazards...........................................................................................................................................7 TheseareTryingTimes............................................................................................................................................8

    �. SurvivingandRecoveringfromaPowerOutage.................................................................................. �0 UsingGeneratorsforElectricalPower..................................................................................................................10 PlayitSafewithFood............................................................................................................................................11 HowtoCookwhenthePowerGoesOff................................................................................................................12 RemovingOdorsfromRefrigeratorandFreezer...................................................................................................12 PowerOutageinWinter.........................................................................................................................................13

    �. RestoringStorm-damagedBuildings..................................................................................................... �4 DeterminingStructuralDamage............................................................................................................................14 PreliminaryRepairs...............................................................................................................................................15 DryWelltoPreventDecay.....................................................................................................................................15 FloodingandDamage-causingPests(termites,boringinsects,fungi)..................................................................16 RepairingtheRoofAfteraStorm..........................................................................................................................17 StrengthenWeakPoints.........................................................................................................................................184. SalvagingWater-damagedBelongings................................................................................................... �9 CaringforLargeElectricalAppliances..................................................................................................................19 SalvagingandCleaningFurniture.........................................................................................................................20 CleaningCarpetsandFloors..................................................................................................................................21 CleaningStorm-soakedClothing...........................................................................................................................21

    5. LawnandGardenLosses........................................................................................................................ �� SalvageTips...........................................................................................................................................................22 TreeDebrisandRenewal.......................................................................................................................................23 AssessingLandscapeTreeLoss.............................................................................................................................23 SmallFruitStrategiesafteraStorm.......................................................................................................................24 SalinityandTurfgrassafteraHurricane................................................................................................................25

    6. FinancialRecoveryandRiskManagement............................................................................................ �6 DocumentingLossesandClaims...........................................................................................................................26 FilingforInsurance................................................................................................................................................26 Homeowner’sInsurance.........................................................................................................................................26 FloodInsurance......................................................................................................................................................27 CreditandOtherSourcesofRelief........................................................................................................................28 ContractingforRepairsandRebuilding................................................................................................................28 ContractEssentials.................................................................................................................................................29

    Table of Contents

  • 4 Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 1

    • Learntorecognizeanddealwithstress.• Ifyougetascratch,cutorbrushburnfromflooddebris

    andhavenothadatetanusboosterinthelastfewyears,consultyourdoctorimmediately.

    DangersofDebrisDebrisishazardous.Itoftenhassharporroughedges;

    itmaycausefalls;itmaycontainhazardousmaterialsuchasasbestos,leadorfiberglass;anditmayhavebeencon-taminatedwithchemicalsorgermsbythefloodorstorm.

    ContaminationFloodwatermayhaveflowedthroughthelocalsewer-

    agesystembeforereachingyourproperty.Ifithascomefromupriver,itmaycontaincontaminatedrunoff.Suchwatermayhaveelevatedlevelsoffecalcoliformandchemicals.Floodwatersmayhavepickeduppesticides,herbicides,fertilizers,gasolineandotherchemicalscom-monlyheldinhouseholdstorageareas.

    Thebacteriawhichcausetetanus,orlockjaw,mayliedormantinsoil.Thisiswhycutsfromtoolsorotherobjectsthathavebeenonthegroundareparticularlyhaz-ardous.Oncethedormantforms(spores)oftetanusenterthebody,theybegintomultiplyandformapowerfultoxinthataffectsmuscles.Themostcommonsymptomsareastiffnessoftheneckmusclesandpainfulspasmsofthejawmuscles.Othermusclespasmsmayoccurlater.Tetanusfrequentlycausesdeath.Symptomsoftetanusmayappearfromfourdaystothreeweeksafterthewoundisinfected.AbouthalfthetetanuscasesintheUnitedStatesresultfrominjuriesconsideredtrivialatthetimetheyhappen.

    Ifyouhavenothadimmunizationagainsttetanusandreceiveascratch,cutorbrushburn,consultaphysicianimmediately.Animmediateinjectionoftetanusantitoxinwilllastlongenoughtopreventinfectionfromdeveloping,ifgivenintime.

    HazardousMaterialsSomeofthedebrisonyourpropertymaycontain

    asbestos(roofing,siding,flooringtiles)orbepaintedwithlead-basedpaint(pre-1978paint).Airborneasbestosandleaddustaredangeroustoinhaleoringest(eat),buttheyaregenerallyharmlesswhenwet.Theyshouldbehandledwithglovesandbaggedwhilewet.Fiberglassfibersfrominsulationwillirritateskinandlungsaftercontactorifinhaled;collectcarefullyandbag.

    BurningInareaswhereburningispermitted,beparticularly

    carefulnottoburnasphaltroofing,vinylsidingoranyformoftreatedlumber.Thesmokecancauseeyeandlung

    Theforcesofnature–wind,water,earthquakeandextremesoftemperature–canleavebehinddebris-strewnareas,contaminatedwater,spoiledfood,displacedwildlifeandconditionswhich,ifnottreatedproperly,mayleadtohealthproblems.Inthesepagesyou’llfindinformationtohelpyouavoidandrecoverfromsomeofthehazardscre-atedbywindandwater;severewinterweatheriscoveredinaseparatepublication.Remembertotakecareofyour-selfandyourfamilyfirst,thendealwiththethingsyoumayhavelosttothedisaster.

    SafetyinaDisasterArea• Keeparadioonsoyoucanhearbulletinsandotheran-

    nouncements.• Avoidriding,drivingorwalkingthroughafloodedarea.

    Floodedroadsareweakened,ditchesarehardtodistin-guishfromroadsandbridgesmaybewashedout.Nevergoaroundapolicebarricade.

    • Walkordrivecautiously.Debris-filledstreetsaredan-gerous.Infloodedareas,washoutsmayhaveweakenedroadsandbridges,andtheycouldcollapseundertheweightofyourvehicle.

    • Don’ttouchanybuilding,carorotherstructurethathasafallenpowerlinetouchingit.Callaprofessionalelectricianorpowercompanyrepresentativetoremovetheline.

    • Don’tuseflamesorsparkingdevicesuntilyou’resurethereisnonaturalgasleakinginthearea.

    • Becarefularounddamagedbuildingsandtrees.Thesemayfallifdamagedseverely.

    • Wearprotectiveclothing,sturdyshoesandgloves.• Assumethatwatersuppliesarecontaminated.• Considerallfoodsthathavebeenincontactwithflood-

    watertobecontaminated.• Beawarethatsnakes,rodentsandotheranimalsmay

    havetakenrefugeinstormdebrisoreveninyourhome.Useapokingsticktoannounceyourapproachandal-lowanimalstoflee.

    • Ifyouarebittenbyapoisonoussnake,don’ttrytotreatthebiteyourself.Gotothenearesthospitalfortreatmentimmediately.Makeamentalnoteoftheappearanceofthesnakeforidentificationandtreatmentpurposes.

    • Keepsmallchildren,pregnantwomenandpeoplewithhealthproblemsawayfromthefloodedareasuntilcleanupiscomplete.

    • Ifchildrenareinthearea,besuretheyaresafeandbe-ingcaredforatalltimes.Neverleaveyoungchildrenaloneorallowthemtoplayindamagedbuildingsorareasstrewnwithdebris.

    Be Safe: Stay Healthy after a DisasterNatural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 1

  • 5

    irritationorotherproblems.Don’tburnwoodwithlead-basedpaintsincetheleadfumesarepoisonous.

    InfestationPropercleanupanddisposalofdebriswillreducethe

    potentialfornestingbyrodents,snakesandinsects.Ifyourdebriswillnotbedisposedofquickly,besuretopileitasfarfromthebuildingaspossibletokeepinfestationsinaconcentratedareaawayfromthehome.Don’tletchildrenplayonorarounddebris.

    ApproachingandEnteringaDamagedBuilding

    Beforeenteringadamagedbuilding,checkforstruc-turaldamage.Makesurethebuildingisnotindangerofcollapsing.Lookforleaningwalls,saggingroofsandceil-ings,andweakenedsupportcolumns.• Turnoffanyoutsidegaslines,andletthehouseventi-

    lateforseveralminutestoremoveescapinggas.• Besureallelectricserviceisturnedoffbeforeentering

    forthefirsttime.Ifthemaindisconnectisinsidethehouse,itwouldbewisetocallyourutilitycompanyforassistance.Evenifpowerisoutinyourneighborhood,disconnectthemainswitch,fuseorcircuitbreakeratyourhome,anddisconnectallcircuits.

    • Whenenteringthebuilding,don’tuseanopenflameasalightsource;useabattery-operatedflashlight.DONOTSMOKE.

    • Entercarefully.Walkingsurfacesmaybeslipperyoruneven.Checkforasaggingceiling;wetinsulationorpocketedwatercancauseceilingstofall.Oncein,unplugallappliancesthathavebeenflooded.Remem-berthatsomeappliancescanshockyouevenafterthepoweristurnedoff.

    Part3ofthispublicationdealswithdeterminingandstoppingstructuraldamage.

    FoodandWaterSafety

    WaterAfteramajorstormorflood,you

    mustassumeallwatersourcesarecontaminateduntiltheyareprovedsafe.Purifyallwaterusedfordrink-ing,cookingandforwashingeatingandcookingutensils.Alsopurifythewaterusedforwashinghands,bodyandkitchenandbathroomsurfaces.DoNOTtrytouseorpurifywaterthathasadarkcolor,anodororcontainsfloatingmaterial.Notethatthepurificationproceduresoutlinedherereducebiologicalcontaminationonly;ifyoususpectchemicalcontamina-tion,donotusethewater.

    ChooseONEofthesemethodstopurifywaterthathasbiologicalcontamination.Boilingisthemosteffectivemethodofdisinfectingofwater,particularlyforpeoplewhohaveseverelyweakenedimmunesystems(infectedwithHIV/AIDS,cancerandtransplantpatientstakingim-

    munosuppressivedrugs,orpeoplebornwithaweakenedimmunesystem)andforinfantsandelderlywhowishtotakeextraprecautions.• Boilwaterforonefullminuteinacleancontainer.The

    one-minuteboiltimebeginsafterthewaterhasbeenbroughttoarollingboil.(Theflattastecanbeelimi-natedbyshakingthewaterinabottleorpouringitfromonecontainertoanother.)

    • Ifthewaterisclear,mix1/8teaspoonor16dropsofun-scented,liquidchlorinelaundrybleachwithonegallonofwaterandletitstandforatleast30minutespriortoconsumption.Ifthewateriscloudyorcolored,use1/4teaspoonpergallonofwater.Besuretomixthoroughly.Ifthetreatedwaterhasachlorinetaste,pouritfromonecleancontainertoanotherseveraltimes.

    References: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency, 2005 and Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health, News Release, Drinking Water Warn-ing Issued to Southeast LA Residents, August 31, 2005

    • Othertreatmentssuchasiodineorpurificationtabletsarenotrecommended.

    WaterWellPurificationHowdoIcleananddisinfectmywellafteraflood?

    Afteraflood,itisimportanttotakeeveryprecautiontoensurethesafetyofyourwellwater.First,itisnecessarytoinspectandcleanthewellandpumpbeforeusingthem.Youmaywanttohaveyourwaterwelldrillerorcontractorcheckoutthewellbeforeusingit.• Donotturnonthepumpuntilanelectricianorwell

    contractorhascheckedthewiring.Thereisariskofelectricalshock!Aftertheproperinspectionshavetakenplace,runthepumpanddiscardthewateruntilthewellwaterrunsclear.

    • Mostimportant,afteraflood,youshoulddisinfectthewell.Thiscanbeaccomplishedbyfollowingtheproce-duresoutlinedbelow;however,itisadvisabletohireawellcontractortodisinfectthewellforyou.

    • Pumpthewellforseveralhourstoreducethecloudinessandcontaminantlevelsinthewater.

    • Pour4gallonsofachlorinebleachsolutionintothewell.Chlorinebleachsolutionconsistsof1gallonofbleachwith3gallonsofcleanwater.Openeveryfaucetandpumpthewateruntilthewatercomingoutofthefaucetsmellslikechlorine,andthenturnoffeachfau-cet.Ifyoudonotsmellchlorineatthefaucet,addalittlemorechlorinesolutionuntilthesmellisdetected.

    • Letthesystemsitfor24hours.• Openthefaucetsandrunthewateruntilthechlorine

    smelldisappears.• Havethewatersampledandtested.ThewaterISNOT

    safefordrinkinguntillabresultsshownoindicationoftotalcoliformbacteria.Youcandiscussthefinallabresultswiththelaborlocalparishhealthunit.Itisimportanttorememberthatdisinfectionwillnotremovechemicalswhichmayhavecontaminatedyourwelldur-ingaflood.

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 1

  • 6

    FoodsandFoodPreparationItemsContaminatedbyFloodWater

    • Donoteatanyfoodthatmayhavecomeintocontactwithfloodwater.

    • Discardallfoodthatcameincontactwithfloodwatersincludingcannedgoods.Itisimpossibletoknowifthecontainersweredamagedandthesealcompromised.

    • Discardwoodencuttingboards,woodenspoons,plasticutensils,babybottlenipplesandpacifiers.Thereisnowaytosafelycleanthemiftheyhavecomeincontactwithcontaminatedfloodwaters.

    • Thoroughlywashmetalpans,ceramicdishesanduten-silswithhotsoapywaterandsanitizebyboilingthemincleanwaterorbyimmersingthemfor15minutesinasolutionof1teaspoonofchlorinebleachperquartofwater.

    • Cleanandsanitizeallkitchensurfaces,especiallythosethatmayhavebeencontaminatedbyfloodwaters.

    • Washandsanitizeyourdishes,utensilsandkitchenap-pliancesbeforeusingthem.

    FoodsFloodedWhile“onthevine”Discardanyfruitsandvegetablesyoudidnotharvest

    beforeaflood.Thisappliestoanyfoodproductwhichwasmaturingormatureatthetimeoftheflood,bothaboveandbelowground.Examplesincludesquash,cabbage,broc-coli,tomatoes,potatoesandcarrots.Mosthomegardenplantswilldiefromtheflood.Intheabsenceofspecificresearchonthesafetyofproducefromaplantwhichwasexposedtofloodwaterbeforefruitset,andgiventheuncertaintyofwhatmayhavebeeninthefloodwater,theLSUAgCenterrecommendspullingupanddiscardingafloodedgardenandreplantingit.

    YouMayRunintoCrittersinUnusualPlaces

    Manyanimalsinthepathofamajorstormaredisplacedandlefthomeless.It’scom-montofindtheseanimalsseekingshelterandfoodinareasclosetopeople—inhouses,storagesheds,barnsandotherbuildings—andun-derdebris.Structuresdamagedinastormareparticularlyattractiveandprovideeasyaccessforwildlife.

    Outdoors• Watchwhereyouplaceyourhandsandfeetwhenre-

    movingorcleaningdebris.Ifpossible,don’tplaceyourfingersunderdebrisyouintendtomove.

    • Wearsnake-proofbootsatleast10incheshighorsnakeleggingsinheavydebrisareaswheresnakesarelikelytobefound.

    • Neverstepoverlogsorotherobstaclesunlessyoucanseetheotherside.

    Assoonaspossibleafterastorm,removefromaroundhousesandbuildingsalldebristhatprovidesprotective

    coverfordisplacedanimals.Keepthelawnandfieldveg-etationmowedatalowleveltoeliminateprotectivecover.Removeanypotentialfoodsource.

    Rats,miceandsquirrelsareunwelcomepost-stormguests.Theycandamagepropertyand,inextremecases,poseapotentialhealthproblem.It’sagoodideatogetridofthem.Sealallopeningsaroundthehouseaquarter-inchandlargertoexcludesnakesandotheranimals.

    TipsonRodentTrapsandBaits• Poisonbaitsregisteredforratandmousecontrolcontain

    anticoagulantandnonanticoagulanttoxicants.Allrodentbaitsareeffectiveincontrollingthesepests.

    • Snaptrapsareeffectiveincapturingnuisanceratsandmice.Successfultrapbaitsforthetriggermechanismincludebaconskin,peanutbutter,oatmealandcottonballs.Checktrapseachday.

    • Traps,includingNo.0or1legholdtraps,boxtrapsandcagetraps,willcatchsquirrels.Regularrattrapswillcatchflyingsquirrels.Goodbaitsareapple,crackedcornandpecansremovedfromtheshell,peanutbutterandsunflowerseeds.

    SnakesIntheSouth,therearemanymorespeciesof

    nonpoisonoussnakesthanpoisonoussnakes.It’simportanttorealizebothpoisonous

    andnonpoisonoussnakesarebeneficialtopeoplebykeepingrodentpopulationsdown.Sincerodentsarealsodisplacedbystorms,thisisespe-ciallyimportant.

    Learntoidentifynonpoisonousandpoisonoussnakes.InformationonsnakeidentificationcanbeobtainedfrombookssuchasfieldguidesonamphibiansandreptilesfromthestatewildlifedepartmentorfromyourlocalLSUAgCenterOffice.

    Ifyouencounterasnakeoutdoors,stepbackandallowittoproceedonitsway.Snakesusuallymoveslowly,andapersoncaneasilyretreatfromasnake’spath.Ifyoufindasnakeinyourhouse,trytoisolatethesnakewithinasmallareaofthehouse.

    Nonpoisonoussnakescanbecapturedbypinningthemdownwithalongstickorpole,preferablyforkedatoneend,andthenscoopingthemupwithaflat-bladeshovel.Ifyouareuncomfortableremovingthesnakeyourself,seeksomeonewithinthecommunitywhohasexperiencehan-dlingsnakestodoitforyou.Agoodstartingpointisyourlocalanimalcontrolshelterorsheriff’sdepartment.

    Asalastresort,youmayneedtokillapoisonoussnake.Clubitwithalongstick,rodorothertoolsuchasagardenhoe.Nevertrytokillapoisonoussnakewithanin-strumentthatbringsyouwithinthesnake’sstrikingrange(usuallyestimatedatlessthanone-halfthetotallengthofthesnake).

    Nolegaltoxicantsorfumigantsareregisteredtokillsnakes.Repellentsareavailable,buttheyhavelimitedsuc-cess.

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 1

  • NaturalHazardsSeries:RecoveryFor Your Health and Safety

    “Blackmold”isameaninglesstermsincemanytypesareblack.IthasbecomeapopularlabelforStachybotrys,atoxigenicmoldthathasreceivedmajormediaattentionforitssuspected,yetnotproven,connectiontoseriousconditionsandinfantdeaths.

    MoldTestingandRemediationServicesMoldtestinginahomeisnotusuallyneededandis

    rarelyusefultoanswerhealthconcerns.Someinsurancecompaniesandlegalservicesmayrequiresamplingforevidence.Professionalmoldremediationcontractorsmaytestbeforeandaftercleanuptoverifythecleanup’seffec-tiveness.

    Toprotectyourfamily’shealthandhome,makesurethemoldclean-upprocessisdoneassafelyandcompletelyaspossible–assoonaspossible.Usingawell-trainedandproperlyequippedprofessionalcanofferthesafestremedi-ation,butthisisoftennotpossibleformany.Ifyouhireacontractortoremovemold,seekalicensedmoldremedia-tioncontractorwithspecialtrainingandequipmentsuchasHEPAvacuumsanddehumidifiers.Getinwritingthecost,methodsandstepstobeused.ComparetheirprocedureswithEPA’sMoldRemediationInSchoolsandCommercialBuildingsavailableonlineatwww.epa.gov/mold.AlsoreviewtheCDC’sMoldPreventionStrategiesandPossibleHealthEffectsintheAftermathofHurricanesKatrinaandRitaavailableonlineatwww.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/mold/re-port/

    Do-It-YourselfMoldRemovalGuidelinesIfyouneedtoorchoosetocleanuponyourown,use

    thesestepstodosoassafelyandeffectivelyasyoucanandrefertoEPA’sABriefGuideToMold,Moisture,andYourHomeatwww.epa.gov/mold.1.Wear Protective Gear:Alwaysweararespiratorrated

    N-95orhigherwheninsideamoldyspace.Duringclean-up,alsowearglovesandgoggles.Gooutsidefre-quentlytobreathefreshair.Sometypesofrespiratorshavevalvestomakeiteasiertobreathe.Aproperlyfit-tedhalf-faceorfull-facerespiratorwithfiltercartridgesprovidesgreaterprotectionandcomfortthanthedustmasktypes.

    2.Isolate Work Area and Ventilate to Outdoors:Disturbingmoldcoloniesduringcleanupcancauseahugereleaseofsporesintotheair,sosealoffthemoldyareasfromtherestofthehouse.Openwindows,anddon’trunthecentralairsystemduringcleanup.Tapeplasticoverairgrilles,anddrapeplasticinthestairwellifthesecondstoryisdryandclean.Ifpowerison,putaboxfaninawindowtoblowoutandexhaustmold-filledairtotheoutdoors.

    3. Remove Moldy Porous Materials:Porousmoldyorsew-age-contaminatedmaterialsshouldberemoved,putinplasticbagsifpossibleandthrownaway.Toreducethereleaseandspreadofmoldspores,itishelpfultocovermoldymaterialwithplasticsheetingbeforeremovingit.• Removeallfloodedcarpeting,upholstery,fabrics

    andmattressesrightaway.It’sbesttodiscardthem,butifyouhopetosalvageavaluableitem,haveitcleaned,disinfectedanddriedquicklyoutsidethehome.Neverreusefloodedpadding.

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 1

    AvoidingMoldHazardsAflood-damagedbuildingrequiresspecialattention

    toavoidorcorrectamoldpopulationexplosion.Moldproblemscanresultindamagetomaterialsandhealth.Thelongermoldisallowedtogrow,thegreatertheriskandtheharderitistoremedy.Assoonasthefloodwatersrecedeanditissafetoreturn,don’tdelayclean-upanddryout.

    WhatIsMold?Moldsareatypeoffungi.Theyserveasnature’s

    recyclerbyhelpingtobreakdowndeadmaterials.Moldsproducetinycellscalledsporesthatfloatandspreadeasilythroughtheair.Livesporesactlikeseeds,formingmoldgrowths(colonies)whentheyfindtherightconditions–moisture,nutrients(nearlyanythingorganic)andasuit-ableplacetogrow.Ofthese,moistureisthekeyfactor--forgrowthandforcontrol.

    MoldandHealthExposuretomoldscanaffecthealth.Peoplearemainly

    exposedbybreathingsporesortinyfragments,butcanalsobeaffectedthroughskincontactandbyeatingmoldcontaminatedfood.Bothliveanddeadmoldsporescanaffectpeople.

    Thetypesandseverityofhealtheffectsfrommoldvarywidelyandarehardtopredict.Itdependsonthesen-sitivityoftheperson,theamountandtypeofexposure,thelengthofexposure,thetypesofmoldandotherfactors.

    Themostcommonhealthproblemscausedbymoldareallergicreactions.Peoplewhoaresensitivetomoldcommonlyreportnasalandsinuscongestion,coughing,wheezing/breathingdifficulties,sorethroat,skinandeyeirritation,sinusandupperrespiratoryinfections.Althoughthereiswidevariationinhowdifferentpeopleareaffected,longtermorhighexposurecanbeunhealthyforanyone.Exposuretomoldcantriggerasthmaattacks,maysuppresstheimmunesystemorhaveothereffects.

    Atgreaterriskofbeingaffectedmoreseverelyandsoonerthanothersarechildren,theelderly,peoplewithrespiratoryconditionsorsensitivitiessuchasallergiesandasthma,andthosehavingweakenedimmunesystems.Ifyoufeelyouoryourfamily’shealthisaffectedbymoldoryouhavespecialhealthconcernsthatincreaseyourrisk,youshouldavoidanymoreexposureandtellyourdoctororhealthprofessionalaboutyoursymptomsandmoldexposures.

    Whatis“toxicmold”?Sometypesofmoldcanproduceharmfulchemical

    compounds(calledmycotoxins)incertainconditions,butdon’talwaysdoso.Moldsthatareabletoproducetoxinsarecommon.Ifatoxinisproduced,itmaybepresentinliveanddeadsporesandfragments.

    Althoughpotentialeffectsofspecificmycotoxinsareknown,identifyingamoldthatcanproducemycotoxinsdoesnottellyouwhetherornotyouhavebeenorwillbeexposedtoatoxininaharmfulamount.Still,allindoormoldgrowthispotentiallyharmfulandshouldberemovedpromptly,nomatterwhattypeofmoldispresentorwhetherornotitcanproduceatoxin.

  • • Removeallwetfibrousinsulation–evenifwallboardappearstodry.Wetinsulationwillstaywetfartoolong,leadingtothegrowthofhiddenunhealthymoldanddecayfungiinsidethewalls.Cutwallcoveringabovethelevelthatwaswet;watercanwickupabovethefloodlevel.

    • It’sbesttoremoveallmoldy,porousmaterials,especiallyifthereisheavyorlong-termmoldgrowth--includinggypsumwallboard,processedwoodproducts(particleboard,chipboard,etc.),ceilingtilesandpaperproducts.

    • Plaster,woodpanelingandnon-paperfacedgypsumboardwallsthatdried,areingoodconditionandhavenoinsulationinthewallmaybecleanedandsanitizedtosalvagethem.It’sbesttoremovemultiplelayersofpaintonoldplastertoaiddrying.Thereisariskofmoldonthebackside,however,thatcanreleasesporesintothehomethroughairleaksinthewalls.Ifyouchoosetorestorethesematerials,trytosealinteriorgapswithcaulk.

    • Removeallvinylwallpaper,flooring,andanyothermaterialsthathamperdryingofframingtowardtheinteriorspace.Allinteriorsideplasticsheeting,foilfacedinsulationandanythingelsethatcanactasawatervaporbarriershouldberemoved.

    4.Clean and Disinfect:Surfacemoldcanbeeffectivelycleanedfromnon-porousmaterialssuchashardplas-tic,concrete,glassandmetal;solidwoodcanalsobecleanedsincemoldcannotpenetratesolidwood,butgrowsonlyonthesurface.Cleaningshouldremove,notjustkill,themold,becausedeadsporescanstillcausehealthproblems.

    Aftercleaning,youmaychoosetouseadisinfectanttokillanymoldmissedbythecleaning.Iftherewassewagecontamination,disinfectionisamust.Ifyoudisinfect,followlabeldirectionsandwarnings,handlecarefully,wearrubbergloves,andnevermixbleachwithammoniaoracids.Manydisinfectants,includingbleach,cankillmolds,butdonotpreventregrowthofnewcolonies.• Removeanysediment.Hoseoutopenedwall

    cavities,ifnecessary.• Washdirtyormoldymaterialswithnon-phosphate

    all-purposecleaners,becausephosphateresidueismoldfood.Roughsurfacesmayneedtobescrubbed.Rinse,butavoidpressurespraythatcanforcewaterintomaterials.

    • Ifavailable,useaHEPAfilteredvacuum(notaregularvacuum)toremovedustandmoldresidue.

    • Disinfectwallcavitiesandothermaterialsaftercleaningtokillanyremainingfungiandbacteria.Soilcanmakesomedisinfectants,includingbleach,lesseffective.Oncolorfast,non-metalsurfaces,youcandisinfectwithasolutionof1/2-1cuphouseholdchlorinebleachpergallonofwater.Donotuseintheairconditioningsystem.Milder,lesscorrosivedisinfectantsincludealcohols,phenolicsandhydrogenperoxide.

    5. Consider Borate Treatment:Applyingaboratetreat-menttowoodframingcanprovidesomeresistanceto

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 1

    termites,decayandmold.Thetypeofboratesolutionthatpenetratesthewoodovertimeismoreexpensivebutoffersgreaterprotection.Othermoldinhibitorssuchaslatexzincpaintsandfungicidesmayalsohelpinhibitmoldgrowthduringdrying.DoNOTapplysealantsthatcanreducedrying.

    Framingmaterialsthataredifficulttocleanorreplace(suchas“blackboard”,OSBsheathing,roughsurfaces,etc.)canbepaintedwithlatexpaintto“encapsulate”anyremainingmoldandpreventitsreleasetotheair.

    6.Flush the Air:Aftercleaninganddisinfecting,airoutthebuilding.Usefansinwindowstopullmoldsporestotheoutdoors.

    7.Speed Dry: Dryallwetmaterialsasquicklyaspos-sible.Closewindowsandairconditionorheat,runfansanduseadehumidifier,ifpossible.Ifthereisnopower,keepwindowsopen.

    8.Remain on Mold Alert:Continuelookingforsignsofmoistureornewmoldgrowth.Newmoldcanforminaslittleas2-3daysifmaterialsstaywet.Woodandothermaterialsthatmaylookdrycanstillbewetenoughtosupportnewgrowth.Ifmoldreturns,repeatcleaningand,ifpossible,usespeeddryingequipmentandmois-turemeters.Regrowthmaysignalthatthematerialwasnotdryenoughorshouldberemoved.

    9.Do Not Restore until All Materials Have Dried Completely: Woodmoisturecontentshouldbelessthan20%.DoNOTusevinylwallpaper,oil-basedpaintorotherinteriorfinishesthatblockdryingtotheinside.

    10.Restore with Flood Resistant Materials:Ifpossible,“wetfloodproof”yourhomesoitcanwithstandafloodwithlessdamage.Useclosed-cellsprayfoaminsulationinwalls,orrigidfoaminsulatingsheath-ingthatdoesnotabsorbwater.Choosesolidwoodorwater-resistantcompositematerials.Elevatewiringandequipment.Considerremovable,cleanablewainscotingorpaneling.Usepaperlessdrywallthatdoesnotprovideafoodsourceformold.Userestorableflooringsuchasceramictile,solidwood,stainedconcrete,etc.

    TheseareTryingTimesAnaturaldisasterleavesmorethana

    trailofpropertydestructioninitswake.Manytimesitleavesthousandsofvictimswithadestroyedsenseofbalance.Inaddi-tiontoavoidingphysicalhazards,restoringbuildingsandreplacingmaterialpossessionsduringtherecoveryperiod,youneedtobeawareofstressandhowtoreduceit.Duringtherecoveryperiod,devotesometimetogettingyourstresslevelundercontrol.

    Startbybeingpatientwithyourselfandothers.Don’texpectthingstorestorethemselvesinstantly.Focusonthebigpictureinsteadofthelittledetails.Determinewhat’sreallyimportant,andkeepinmindthatdifferentpeople,eveninyourownhousehold,willhavedifferentpriorities.Betolerantofmoodswingsandexpressionsofdisbelief,anger,sadness,anxietyanddepression.Don’toverlookthefeelingsofchildren.

  • 9

    TipsforHandlingStress• Trytokeepyourbodyhealthyandstrong.Keep

    yourfamily’sdietasnourishingaspossible.• Talkwithfriends,family,ministers.Incrisis

    situations,asupportivenetworkisessential.Providehelptootherfamilieswhenpossible;itwillmakebothofyoufeelbetter.

    • Resistthetemptationtoresorttobadhabits.Alcohol,blaming,denial,smoking,overeatingandrevengeeventuallycausemoreproblemsthantheysolve.

    • Thinkpositive.Developasensethatthingswillworkout.

    • Maketimeforrestandrelaxation.

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 1

    ifthereisanotherstormorheavyrainsoon.Theymayaskrepeatedly,“Willitcomeagain?”

    • beafraidtobeleftaloneorafraidtosleepalone.Chil-drenmaywanttosleepwithaparentoranotherperson.Theymayhavenightmares.

    • behaveastheydidwhenyounger(suckingthethumb,wettingthebed,askingforabottle, wantingtobeheld).

    • havesymptomsofillnesssuchasnausea,vomiting,headaches,notwantingtoeat,runningafever.

    • bequietandwithdrawn,notwantingtotalkaboutwhathappenedtothem.

    • becomeupseteasily-cryingandwhining.• feelguiltythattheycausedthedisasterbecauseof

    somethingtheydid.• feelneglectedbyparentswhoarebusytryingtoclean

    upandrebuildtheirlivesandhomes.• refusetogotoschoolortochildcare.Thechildmay

    notwanttobeoutoftheparent’ssight.• becomeafraidofloudnoises,rain,storms.• notshowanyoutwardsignofbeingupset.Some

    childrenmaynevershowdistressbecausetheydonotfeelupset.Otherchildrenmaynotgiveanyevidenceofbeingupsetuntilseveralweeksormonthslater.

    Whatparentsandotheradultscandotohelpchildrencopewithfeelings:

    Talkopenlyaboutwhatisgoingon.Givesimple,di-rectanswerstoquestions.Childrenhaveradar.Theyknowwhenadultsareafraidorworriedandnottellingthemthetruth.Theyhearotheradultstalk.Itdoesn’thelptotellachild“nottoworry”yetshowallthesignsofworryingyourself.Taketimetotalkopenly,honestlyandoften.

    Listentoyourchild.Watchyourchildatplay.Oftenchildrenexpressfearandangerwhenplayingwithdolls,trucksorfriendsafteramajordisaster.Acknowledgethechild’sfeelings,andencourageconversation.

    Reassureyourchild,“Wearetogether.Wecareaboutyou.Wewilltakecareofyou.”

    Holdyourchild.Providecomfort.Touchingisimportantforchildrenduringthisperiod.Close contacthelpsassurechildrenthatyouarethereforthemandwillnotabandonthem

    Spendextratimeputtingyourchildtobed.Talkandofferassurance.Leaveanightlightonifthatmakesthechildfeelmoresecure.

    Help“actout”withbooks,art,toysanddrama.Workwithclaydough,paint,waterplay.Ifchildrenneedsome-thingtokickorhit,givethemsomethingsafelikeapillow,ballorballoon.

    Ifyourchildlostaspecialtoyorblanket,allowhimtomournandgrieve(bycrying,perhaps).Itisallpartofhelpingtheyoungchildcopewithfeelingsaboutdisaster.Intime,itmaybehelpfultoreplacethelostobject.

    Formoreinformation,contactyourlocalLSUAgCen-terOfficelistedunderlocalgovernmentinthetelephonedirectory.

    HelpingYourChildCopeChildrencopewithstresseveryday.Oneoftheirbig-

    geststressorsisfear.Children’sfourmajorfearsaredeath,darkness,animalsandbeingabandoned.Childrenhaveavarietyoffears:beingafraidofthedarkorthedoctororthevacuumcleaner,forinstance.Disastersaresomewhatdifferentforchildrenbecausetheyaffectentirecommuni-ties.Disasterishighlypublicizedandchildrensensethatadults,too,seemtobeafraid.So,itisnormalforchildrentoremainstressedandhaveahardtimecopingforalongtimeafteradisaster.

    Evenchildrenwhohavenotbeeninthedisastermaybeafraidandworriedthatitwillhappentothem.Youngchildrenareusuallyworriedbecausetheydon’tunderstandwhatishappening.Theycan’talwaystellthedifferencebetweenwhatisrealandwhatispretend.Schoolchildrenareworriedforadifferentreason.Theycantellthediffer-ence,butdon’tyetfullyunderstandthelawsofprobability.Theyunderstandwhatcausesastormbutmayexpectdisastersorstormstoreappearsoonandoften.

    It’shardtopredictwhichchildrenwillbemostaf-fectedandhow.Researchindicateschildren’sfearsvaryaccordingtoage,maturationandpreviouslearningexperi-ences.Inadisaster,childrenmayhaveencounteredthreeofthefourmajorfears.Undoubtedly,thiswillhaveanimpactontheirabilitytocopeforquitesometime.

    Anotherimportantaspectaboutchildren’sfearsin-dicatedinresearchisthatfearsmaybeintensifiedwhenadultsbackawayfromdiscussingpainfultopicswithchildren.Manyfamiliesbanallpainfultopicsfromfamilyconversation.Suchstrategiesreaphighcostsintermsofintensifieddespairandnegativityamongchildren.Talktothechildrenaboutthedisasterandtheirfears.

    Afteradisaster,somechildrenmay:• beupsetatthelossofafavoritetoy,blanket,teddybear,

    etc.• beangry.Theymayhit,throw,kickoractoutinother

    ways.• becomemoreactiveandrestless.Theymaywander

    aboutandnotbeabletosettledown.• beafraidofthedisasterrecurring.Thisisespeciallytrue

  • �0

    Oneofthefirstthingstogoinanaturaldisasteriselectricalservice.Youmaysufferanoutageevenifyouescapeallotheraspectsofastorm,butitdoesn’ttakeadisastertodisruptyourservice.Anautomobileaccidentorfallentreemaytakeoutyourpower.Thepowercompanyitselfmaysufferanequipmentfailure.Generally,theselocalizedproblemscanbecorrectedbeforeyouneedtotakeanyaction.

    Itisgenerallyagoodideatoturnoffaircondition-ers,heatersandotherapplianceswhilethepowerisoff.Otherwise,theywilltrytocomeontogetherwhenpowerisrestored,andyourcircuitsbreakersorfusesmayblow.Unpluggingapplianceswillalsoprotectthemfrompowercyclesandsurgeswhichmayaccompanyrestorationofelectricalservice.

    Yourprimaryconcernwithaprolongedpoweroutageduringthesummerisusuallyknowingwhetherthefoodstoredinrefrigeratorsandfreezersissafe.Inseverelyhotweather,thelossofelectricfansmayalsobelifethreaten-ing.Inseverelycoldweather,tryingtostaywarmandpreventfreezedamagewillbeofconcern.

    Ifthepowerisofforwillbeoffforanextendedpe-riod,theinformationonthesepagesmayhelp.

    UsingGeneratorsforElectricalPower

    Emergencygeneratorsbecomepopularafterdisasters.Theycanhelpsavefoodinfreezersandrefrigerators,buttheyalsomaybedangerousifnotusedproperly.

    Thecapacityofageneratorisusuallystatedinwatts.Forexample,youmayhavea2,000-wattgenerator.Thisisthesameasa2-kilowatt(K.W.)generator,because1,000wattsisequalto1K.W.

    Wattsisanelectricaltermdeterminedbymultiplyingvoltstimesamps.Forexample,ifanappliancerequires120voltsanduses10amps,thisappliancerequires1,200watts.Thisinformationisonthenameplateoftheappli-ance.Bythisformula,youcandeterminewhatyoucanrunonyourgenerator.Forexample,anappliancethatrequires1,200wattsandonerequiring600wattscouldberunona2,000-wattgenerator.However,applianceswithmotorsrequiremorecurrenttostartthantheydoaftertheyarerunning.Asuggestionistostartarefrigerator,allowittobeginrunningandthenpluginanotherappliance.

    GeneratorTips

    • Gasolineenginesproducecarbonmonoxide.Don’truntheminanenclosedarea.

    • Checktheoillevelintheenginebeforeusingandonaregularbasis(forexamplewhenrefueling).

    • Lettheenginecooloffbeforerefueling.

    • Thegeneratorshouldbekeptasafedistancefromstructuresbecauseofengineheat.

    • Placethegeneratoronalevelsurfacetokeepoilatproperlevelinengine.

    • Waterwilldamagegeneratorsaswellasproduceanelectricalhazard,sokeepthegeneratordry.

    • Avoltagedropmayoccuriftoolonganextensioncordisconnectedtotheapplianceorifonewithtoosmallawiresizeisused.Iftheextensioncordbecomesverywarm,itisinadequate.

    • Connectthegeneratordirectlytotheappliance.

    • Youshouldnottrytohookgeneratorstoyourelec-tricalsupplybox.

    • Groundthegeneratorasstatedintheinstructions.Ifyouuseanextensioncord,useonewithagroundplug.

    • HavethegeneratorrunningbeforetheA.C.circuitonthegeneratoristurnedonorbeforeyouplugintheappliance.

    • Anappliancethathasaheatingelement,suchasatoasterorhairdryer,consumesalargeamountofcurrent.It’sbesttoavoidusingthesetypesofitems.

    • Ifanappliancehasgottenwetordamaged,itmaynotbeingoodworkingorder.Usingtheappliancemaydamagethegenerator.

    • Somegeneratorshavetheabilitytoproduce115/120voltsor220volts.Selecttheoutletthatcorrespondstothevoltagerequirementoftheappliance.

    Surviving and Recovering From a Power OutageNatural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 2

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 2

  • ��

    PlayitSafeWithFood

    PreparingforaPowerOutageAfteradisaster,electricalpowermaybedisruptedfor

    hours,sometimesdays.Therearethingsyoucandotoprepareforanoutagewhichmayextendthelifeoffoodsinyourrefrigeratororfreezer.• Keepanappliancethermometerintherefrigeratorand

    freezer.Anappliancethermometerwillindicatethetemperatureintherefrigeratorandfreezerincaseofapoweroutageandhelpdeterminethesafetyofthefood.

    • Makesurethefreezerisatorbelow0°Fandtherefrig-eratorisatorbelow40°F.

    • Freezecontainers(suchasmilkcartons)ofwaterforicetohelpkeepfoodcoldinthefreezer,refrigeratororcoolersafterthepowerisout.

    • Freezerefrigerateditemssuchasleftovers,milkandfreshmeatandpoultrythatyoumaynotneedimmedi-ately.Thishelpskeepthematasafetemperaturelonger.

    • Groupfoodtogetherinthefreezer.Thishelpsthefoodstaycoldlonger.

    • Separaterawmeatandpoultryitemsfromotherfoods.Placethemonthebottomshelf.Ifrawmeatandpoultrybegintothaw,thiswillpreventtheirjuicesfromgettingontootherfoods.

    • Planaheadandknowwheredryiceandblockicecanbepurchased.

    • Havecoolersonhandtokeeprefrigeratorfoodcoldifthepowerwillbeoutformorethanfourhours.Pur-chaseormakeicecubesandstoreinthefreezerforuseintherefrigeratororinacooler.Freezegelpacksaheadoftimeforuseincoolers.

    DuringPowerOutageFollowingthesestepswillhelpkeepfoodsafeduring

    poweroutagesorwhenthefreezerorrefrigeratorisnotworking:• Keeptherefrigeratorandfreezerdoorsclosedasmuch

    aspossibletomaintainthelowtemperature.• Therefrigeratorwillkeepfoodsafelycoldforabout

    fourhoursifitisunopened.Afullfreezerwillholdthetemperatureforapproximately48hours(24hoursifitishalf-fullandthedoorremainsclosed.)

    • Obtaindryorblockicetokeepyourrefrigeratorandfreezerascoldaspossibleifthepowerisgoingtobeoutforaprolongedperiodoftime.Fiftypoundsofdryiceshouldholdan18-cubic-footfullfreezerfortwodays.CAUTION:Nevertouchdryicewithyourbarehandsorbreathethefumes.Placethedryiceoncardboardoronemptyshelvesinthefreezeraroundtheitemstobekeptfrozen.

    • Cookandeatanyrawmeat,fishorpoultryproductsstoredintherefrigeratorbytheseconddayofthepowerfailureonanoutdoorcharcoalorgasgrill.

    AfteraPowerOutageTherearecertainprecautionsyoushouldtakebefore

    youbeginusingfoodfromrefrigeratorsandfreezersthathavebeenoffformorethanafewhours.• Nevertasteafoodtodetermineitssafety!• Foodmaybesafelyrefrozenifitstillcontainsice

    crystalsorisat40°Forbelow.Checkthetemperatureofthefreezerwithanappliancethermometerorfoodthermometer.Ifthefoodstillcontainsicecrystalsorisat40°Forbelow,thefoodissafe.

    • Ifathermometerhasnotbeenkeptinthefreezer,checkeachpackageoffoodtodetermineitssafety.Ifthefoodstillcontainsicecrystals,thefoodissafe.

    • Rawmeatsandpoultry,cheese,juices,breadsandpastriescanberefrozenwithoutlosingalotofqual-ity.Preparedfoods,fish,vegetablesandfruitscanberefrozensafely,butqualitymaysuffer.Markthesetobeusedassoonaspossible.

    • Foodthatcontainsicecrystalsorisat40°Forbelowmayalsobecookedandservedorfrozenaftercooking.

    • Rememberthatseafoodwillbeamongthefirsttothawandwillneedattentionfirst.Also,groundmeatislikelytospoilbeforeothermeats.

    • Foodthatwasheldabove40°Fformorethantwohoursgenerallyshouldbediscardedbecausebacteriamaymultiplytounsafelevelsundertheseconditions.Theonlyfoodsthatcanberefrozenundertheseconditionsarewell-wrappedhardandprocessedcheeses,butterandmargarine,breadsandpastrieswithoutcustardfillings,fruitsandfruitjuicesthatlookandsmellacceptable.

    • Vegetablesheldabove40°Fforlessthansixhoursmayberefrozen,butwithqualityloss.Pecansandothernutsmayberefrozensafelybutmaysufferqualityloss.

    Whentherefrigeratorisoperatingagain,usetheseguidelinestodecidewhattodowithfoodsthatwerestoredintherefrigerator:• Discardrefrigeratedperishablefoodsuchasmeat,

    poultry,fish,softcheeses,milk,eggs,leftoversanddeliitemsafterfourhourswithoutpower.

    • Condimentssuchasketchup,mustard,pickles,relishes,picantesauce,vinegar-basedsaladdressings,Worces-tershiresauceandsteaksaucesshouldbefine.Discardopenedmayonnaise,tartarsauce,andhorseradishifabove50°Fforovereighthours.Jams,jellies,pre-servesandsyrupsareallrightbecausesugarservesasapreservative.Checkformoldgrowth.

    • HardcheesewillbeOK,andifthetemperaturehasn’tgottentoowarminsidetherefrigerator,blocksorslicesofprocessedcheesecanalsobeused.Well-wrappedbutterandmargarinecanusuallybekeptaslongastheydonotmelt,butshouldbediscardedifrancidodorsdevelop.Keepunopenedpackagesofcreamcheese,butdiscardiftheyaremoldywhenopened.

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 2

  • ��

    • Freshfruitsandvegetablesaresafeaslongasthey’restillfirmandthere’snoevidenceofmold,ayeastysmellorsliminess.Juicesaresafeaslongasthere’snoevidenceofmoldgrowthandtheylookandsmellacceptable.Cutfruitshouldbediscardedifabove40°Fformorethan2hours.

    • Pecans,othernuts,peanutsandpeanutbutteralsoaresafe.

    RemovingOdorsfromRefrigeratorandFreezer

    Iffoodhasthawedinyourrefrigeratororfreezer,youareprobablyfacinganodorproblemthathangsonevenafterthespoiledfoodisgone.Gettingridofthisodorislikelytotaketime,patienceandacombinationoftech-niques.

    Iftherefrigeratorhasbeenfloodeditshouldbere-placed.

    Empty,CleanandDisinfect• Removeallfood,unplugapplianceandtakeoutallre-

    movableparts.Emptythedefrostwaterdisposalpan(ifithasone).

    • Washeachpartthoroughlywithhotwateranddetergent.Rinsewithadisinfectantsolution(1teaspoonchlorinebleachforeachgallonofwater).

    • Washtheinside,includingdoorsandgaskets,withasolutionofhotwaterandbakingsoda.Rinsewithdisin-fectantsolution.

    • Donotmixammoniaandchlorinesolutions!Thiscom-binationgivesofftoxicfumes.

    Note: Ifgarbagepickupisnotexpectedsoon,takespoiledfoodsoffsitetohelpavoidattractinganimals,insectsandtoreduceodors.

    AiritOutLeavethedooropenforatleast15minutestoairout.

    Ifyouhadalongpoweroutage,thisprobablywon’tbeenough.

    Ifodorremains,repeat-edlyheatandventilatetheinsidewalls.Warmtheinsidewallswithaportableconvectionheater(onethatblowswarmair),hairdryerorhotairpopcornpopper.Donotuseaheatsourcethatcancausedamage,anddonotleavetheheaterunattended.

    Thenturnofftheheatandventilatewithaportablefanuntiltheinsidewallsarecool.

    Repeatthisprocessforseveralhoursoruntiltheodorisalmostgone.

    Ifsomeodorremains,activatedcharcoalfiltersoratrayoflooseactivatedcarbonwillabsorbpersistentodors.Lookforitatdrugstores,applianceservicecompanies,hardwarestoresorpetstores.

    Ifyoucan’tfindactivatedcarbon,youcanusecrushedcharcoal(thekindusedforbarbecuegrills),butitwillnotbeaseffective.Spreadabout3ouncesofthefinepow-deredcharcoalonasheetofaluminumfoilorinashallowpan,andplaceontherefrigeratororfreezershelf.

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 2

    HowtoCookWhenthePowerGoesOff

    Afteradisasterhasknockedoutelectricityorgaslines,cookingmealscanbeaproblemandcanbehazardousifafewbasicrulesarenotfollowed.

    Charcoalorgasgrillsarethemostobviousalternativesourcesofheatforcooking.Neverusethemindoors.Indoingso,youriskbothasphyxi-ationfromcarbonmonoxideandthechanceofstartingafirethatcoulddestroyyourhome.• Campstovesthatuseliquidorsolidfuelshould

    alwaysbeusedoutdoors.• Usesmallelectricalappliancestopreparemeals

    ifyouhaveaccesstoanelectricalgeneratorandthegeneratorhassufficientcapacity.Donotuseanappliancethathasbeenfloodeduntilithasbeencheckedforshortedcircuitry.

    • Youcanusewoodforcookinginmanysitua-tions.Youcancookinafireplaceifthechimneyissound.

    • Ifyouhavetobuildafireoutside,builditawayfrombuildings,neverinacarport.Sparkscaneasilygetintotheceilingandstartahousefire.

    • Neverusegasolinetogetawoodorcharcoalfirestarted.

    • Donotuse“treated”woodasfuelforacookingfire.

    • Makesureanyfireiswellcontained.Ametaldrumorstonesaroundthefirebedaregoodprecautions.Acharcoalgrillisagoodplaceinwhichtobuildawoodfire.Besuretoputoutanyfirewhenyouarethroughwithit.

    • Whencookingisnotpossible,somecannedfoodcanbeeatencold.Oritcanbewarmedovercannedheatorcandles.

    • Neverleaveanyopenfire,cannedheatorcandleunattended.Keepchildrenawayatalltimes.

  • ��

    Ifpossible,runyourfreezerwithnothingbutthecar-boninitforacoupleofdays.

    After6or8hours,heatthepanofloosecharcoalinamoderate(350degreesF)oventoreactivatethecarbonsoitcanbereused.Coolthecharcoalandputitbackintheappliance.Repeattheprocessuntiltheodordisappears.

    Largeservicingcompaniesmayrecommendchemicaldeodorizersthatarestrongerthancharcoalandlastseveralmonths.Foodsmustbecoveredifsuchchemicalsareused.

    StoreFoodinSealedContainersorWrappings

    Keepboxesorbowlsofbakingsodaintherefrigerator.Eveniftracesoftheodorremain,sealedfoodwillnotbeaffected.

    Refrigerateandfreezeallfoodinsealedcontainersorsecuredfreezerwrappings.Whenyoutakeoutapackage,removewrappingsassoonaspossible,anddisposeofthemimmediately.

    IfNothingWorksIfalltheseeffortsdon’tseemtohelpmuch,theremay

    havebeenseepageintothewallsofthefreezerorrefrigera-tor.Iftheinsulationhasgottenwet,theappliancemayhavetobediscardedeventuallybecauseitmaynotonlyhavepersistentbadodors,butmayalsoruncontinuouslyorfrostupontheoutsidebecauseoftheruinedinsulation.Insomecases,itmaybefeasibletoreplacethewetinsula-tion,butformost,anewenergy-efficientrefrigeratororfreezermaybemorecosteffective.

    PowerOutageinWinterWithsomanypeopleaccustomedtoheatingwithelec-

    tricalenergy,thelossofpowerinwinterpresentsproblemsofstayingwarmandkeepingthehouseholdplumbingfromfreezing.Theprincipalalternativeheatsourceisfire,whichmustbeusedsafelyandwithcaution,orit,too,becomesahazard.

    Ifyouhavesufferedapoweroutageinseverelycoldweather,youralternativeheatprobablywillnotbead-equatetoheattheentiredwelling.Ifthetemperaturewillbeverylowforanextendedperiod,itmaybeadvisableto

    draininteriorwaterpipesthatwouldhavebeenkeptfromfreezingbythehouseholdheat.

    KeepingYourselfWarm• Dressinlayersofloose,light-weight,

    warmclothing.• Eatanddrinkadequately.Foodpro-

    videsthebodywithenergyandheat.Fluidspreventdehydration.

    • Avoidalcoholicdrinks.Althoughtheymakeyoufeelwarmer,theyactuallymakeyoumoresusceptibletohypothermia.

    • Don’tignorethesignsofhypothermia.Ifyou’reshiver-inguncontrollably,stumblingaround,havingtroubletalking,andfeelingdrowsyandexhausted,gethelp.

    HeatingtheLivingSpace• Heatonlytheareayouarestayingin;closeoffrooms

    you’renotusing.Ifyou’reusingafuel-burningspaceheaterthatisn’tventedtotheoutdoorsthroughapipeorchimney,provideproperventilation.Openawindowslightly,andleavethedoortotheroomopen.Besuretousetheproperfuelfortheheater.

    • Useonlyseasoned(dry)hardwoodsinthefireplace.Makesurethedamperisopenaslongasanyembersaresmoldering;closeitwhenthefireplaceisnotinusetokeephotairfromescapingupthechimney.

    • Neverusestoves,crawfishboilers,ovensorothercook-ingappliancesforhomeheating.Thesecanproducealotofcarbonmonoxide.Sincethey’renotdesignedforcontinuousoperation,usingthemforheatingmayalsocreateafirehazard.

    • Usewindowdrapestoinsulatewindowsatnightandopentoletsunshineininthedaytime.

    • Don’tletchildrenplayaroundheaters.Theymaygetburnedortoppletheheater.

    • Keepflammablematerialsatleast3feetfromheaters.

    • Keepafireextinguisherhandy.

    Formoreinformation,contactyourlocalLSUAgCenterofficelistedunderlocalgovernmentinthetele-phonedirectory.

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 2

  • �4

    DeterminingStructuralDamage

    Assoonasauthoritiesorconditionsallowyoutoreturn,it’stimetoassessthedamageandbeginrepairs.Anumberoffactorsshouldbeconsid-ered,andthefollowinginformationmaybehelpful.

    DamagetoStructuresDamagetostructuresinmanycasesisobvious,but

    damagethatisnotclearlyseenmaycauseproblemsalso.Lookforwoodstructuralmembersthatarecracked,

    andrememberthesecanbehardtodetect.Structuralbrac-ingmaynotbesecuredastightlyasoriginally.Ifdoorsorwindowsdonotopenastheydidbeforethestorm,thismayindicatethestructurehasshifted.Incaseofsevereshifting,waterlines,gaslinesandelectricalcircuitsmayhavebeendamaged.

    Ifwetnessoccurredbecauseofleakingroofs,lookforwetelectricalcircuits,wetinsulationandotherwaterdamagetotheinteriorofthestructure.Onceinsulationbecomeswetinawallorattic,itmustbereplaced.Wallinsulationthatissealedwithinthestructurewillnotdryoutsoonenough.

    Structuresthatusearooftrusssystemshouldbecarefullyinspected.Inmanycases,trusssystemsareconstructedof2x4sandmetalfasteners.Anycrackorbreakinthetrusswillgreatlyaffectthestrengthofthetrusssystem.

    RepairorReplace?Damagedstructurescanbeourhomes,equipment

    storagebuildings,barnsandotheroutbuildings.Careandconsiderationshouldbegiventotheirrestoration.Ap-propriatemeasuresvarywiththetype,ageandconditionofthestructure.Often,thestructureshouldberemovedratherthanrebuilt.Thestructuralintegrityofthebuildingshouldbeassessed,andifthedecisionismadetorepair,additionalbracingmayberequiredbeforerepairsbegin.

    Repairofdamagedbuildingsrequiresabuildingper-mitifitinvolvesmorethanpaintingorreplacingcarpet.Checkwithyourlocalbuildingofficialorpermitofficebeforebeginningorcontractingforrepairs.

    CheckingOutsideforStructuralDamage• Makesurethebuildingisnotindangerofcollapsing.

    Lookforbulges,sways,leaningwallsandsaggingrooflines.

    • Checktheroof.Theroofisaverygoodindicatorof

    Restoring Storm-Damaged BuildingsNatural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 3

    thepresenceofstructuraldamage.Lookattheridgeoftheroof,andassesswhetheritisstraight.Thiscanbeviewedfromadistancebetterthancloseup.Iftheridgesagseitherontheendorinthemiddle,theload-bearingwallshaveshifted.

    • Checkthewallstoverifythattheyareverticalandstraight.Thisnormallycanbedonebyeyeorwithacarpenter’slevel.

    • Checkwherethestructuremeetsitsfoundation.Ifthehouseisonpiers,lookattheindividualpiersandseethattheyremaininplaneandlevel.Whetheritisonaslaboronpiers,checktoseethatthebuildinghasnotshiftedonitsfoundation.Floodedwoodenfloors,iftheydonotbuckle,willsometimespushwallsoutwardatthebase.

    • Checkforcracksinmasonry.Looknearthecornersofthestructuresandunderandarounddoorsandwindows.

    Ifanyoftheseindicatorsofstructuraldamageareobserved,itisadvisabletocallalicensedbuildingcontrac-tor,inspectororengineer.Aprofessionalneedstofurtherassessthebuildingforitssafetyanddeterminetherequiredrepairs.Theseindicatorsshouldbepointedouttoinsur-anceadjusters.

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 3

    EnteringtheBuilding• Turnoffanyoutsidegaslinesatthemeterortank,

    andletthehouseairforseveralminutestoremovefoulodorsorescapinggas.

    • Turnoffthemainelectricalbreakeruntilsafeconditionsareestablished.Ifthemaindisconnectisinsidethehouse,itwouldbewisetocallyourutilitycompanyforassistance.Evenifpowerisoutinyourneighborhood,disconnectthemainswitch,fuseorcircuitbreakeratyourhome,anddiscon-nectallcircuits.Unplugallappliancesthathavebeenflooded.

    • Entercautiously.Donotsmoke.Don’tuseaflameasalightsource.

    • Checkforsaggingceilings;wetinsulationandpocketedwatercancauseceilingstofall.

    TurningofftheElectricity• Standonadryspotwhenworkingwithelectricalboxes

    andpanels.• Ifyouhavetostepinwatertogettothecircuitorfuse

    box,callanelectrician;donottrytoturnoffthepoweryourself.

    • Useadrysticktoopenpaneldoorsandthrowswitcheswheneverpossible.Usecautionwhenremovingfuses(can’tbedonewithastick).

  • �5

    PreliminaryRepairsAnytemporarystructuralrepairsthatcanbemadewill

    requiresomecreativitysincethere’slikelytobeashortageofmaterials.Themostcommonrepairswillinvolvenailingplywoodortapingheavyplastictobrokenwindows,ceil-ingandwalls.

    Ifthebuildinghasshiftedorthefloorshavesettledbadly,itmaybenecessarytoinstalltemporarybracingun-tilextensiveworkcanbedone.Topreventfloodedwoodenfloorsfrombucklingandwarpingfurther,removeaboardeveryfewfeet.

    Coverdamagedroofsectionswithheavyplasticorroofingfeltanchoredinplacewithwoodenboardstohelppreventleaksuntilpermanentrepairscanbemade.Beespeciallycautious;damagedroofingcanbelooseorslip-pery.

    Inside,removeanymudanddebriswhileitisstillmoist.

    Floodingmayrequirereplacementofoutlets,breakers,wiringandcontrols.

    DryWelltoPreventDecayMoldislikelytogrowonwoodandothermaterials

    thatstaywetformorethan2-3days,butmolddoesnotpenetrateorbreakdownsolidwood.However,ifuntreatedwoodstayswetfor(weeksormonths,decayfungicangrowandbreakdownitscellstructure,causingwoodrotandlossofitsstructuralstrength.Wetnesscandamagemanyothermaterials,too–evensteel.Thatiswhyitiscrucialtonotonlycleanandremovemold,butalsospeedthedryingprocessandpostponerestorationuntilallma-terialsaredryandwoodframinghasamoisturecontentunder20%.

    cleaned,driedandrestretchedduringinstallation.Car-petsthatwerefloodedwithcontaminatedwatershouldbediscarded.Youmaybeabletoclean,disinfectandre-storevaluablerugs,butalwaysreplacewetcarpetpads.

    • Removefloodedvinylsheetflooring,laminateflooringandotherflooringswithpaperorothermoisturesensi-tivecomponents.

    • Forsolidwoodfloors,carefullyremoveaplankeveryfewfeettoreducebuckling.Woodfloorsoftenreshrinkbacktonormalwhendryandneedonlyrefinishinginsteadofreplacement.Thismaytakeseveralweeks.

    • Openclosetandcabinetdoors,removedrawersandcontentsandusefanstoaidaircirculationfordrying.Ifcabinetsareinstalledoninsulatedwalls,theymayneedtoberemoved.

    • Removelooseorcrumblyplaster,drywallandwetceil-ingtiles.Plasteranddrywallcansurvivefloodingifitcandryoutandbecleanedorsanitized.Removeallvinylwallpaperandanythickbuilt-uplayersofinteriorpainttoallowwallstodrytowardtheinterior.

    • Discardallwetormoldyfibrousinsulation,evenifitmeanscuttingintowallsorremovingdrywallabovethelevelofmoisturethatwickedupbeyondthefloodlevel.Wetfibrousinsulationwillnotdryoutadequatelywhenleftinplace.

    • Paneledwallsshouldberemovedorproppedopenatthebottomtoremovewetinsulation,thencleanandtreattheframing.

    • Ifdirtyormoldy,washemptywallcavitiesandsubfloororslabwithanon-phosphatedetergentsolutionandrinsewithcleanwater.Tokillanyfungithatmayre-mainaftercleaning,youmaysprayfloodedwallcavitiesandslabswithasolutionsuchas½-1cupfreshbleachpergallonofwaterorotherdisinfectant.Protectwiringandothermetalsfrombleachspraysinceitiscorrosive.

    • Floodedwiringshouldbereplaced.Checkwithyourbuildingpermitofficetoseeifwiringwetfromleakscanbesalvaged.

    • Continuouslyairconditionorheatthespaceandusefansuntilmaterialsaredry.Alsousingadehumidifierwillspeeddryingandishighlyrecommendedtoavoidmoldgrowthduringthedryoutprocess.

    • Donotreplacetheinsulationanddrywallorpanelinguntilthestuds,sillplates,sheathingandanyinteriorpanelingaredry(under20%moisturecontent).With-outthebenefitofadehumidifier,thiscouldtakeweeks.

    • Donotusesealants,vinylwallpaperorothermaterialsontheinteriorsideofwalls.Inairconditionedhomes,wallsmustbeabletodrythroughmaterialstowardtheinside.Useonlylatexpaintonnewdrywall.

    DoMorethanRestoreOnceitisdry,insteadofjustrestoringyourhome,

    improveit.Asilverliningofstormdamageistheopportu-nitytomakeyourhomebetterthanbefore.Makeitmoreenergy-efficienttoincreasecomfortandlowerutilitycosts.Makeitmoredurabletoavoidsomuchdamageandordealafterfuturestorms.

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 3

    Safety• Read“BeSafe”sectiononAvoiding Mold

    Hazards.• Wearadustmask,gogglesandprotectiveclothing

    onlegs,arms,feetandhandswhilecleaningupdebris.Whenhandlingmoldyorcontaminatedmaterial,weararespiratorratedN-95orhigher.

    • Wearrubbergloveswhileusingcleanersanddisinfectants.

    • Buildingsconstructedinthe’70sandearliermayhavelead-basedpaint.Sandingorscrapingthispaintcreatesaserioushealthhazard.Beforeworkingwithsuspectedlead-basedpaint,getmoreinformationfromwww.epa.gov/lead.

    Ifyouseeorsmellmoldinastormdamagedhome,re-fertopart1ofthisbookfor“MoldRemovalGuidelines”.Whetherornotyoufindmold,actquicklytodryoutyourstormorflooddamagedhome:• Removewetcarpets,pads,rugs,upholsteryandfabrics

    assoonaspossible.Carpetswetfromleaksmaybe

  • �6

    • Applyapenetratingboratetreatmenttothebottomtwofeetofwoodframingtoprovidetermiteanddecaypro-tection.

    • Caulktosealthegapbetweensillplatesandaslabfoundation,amajorsourceofairleakage.

    • Sealholesandpenetrationsinframingwithexpandingfoamsealant.

    • Replacedamagedoutletboxes,recessedcanlightsandotherfixtureswith“air-tight”types.

    • Replacedamagedwindows,appliancesandequipmentwithEnergyStarlabeledtypes.

    • Replacedamageddoorswithinsulateddoors(fiberglassorsteelskin).

    • Considerupgradingtoimpactresistantwindowsanddoorsinhigh-windzones.

    • Beforeinstallingnewwindowsordoors,makesureopeningsarewellflashedtodrainwaterleakstotheoutside.

    • InsulatewallcavitiesforhigherR-valueandbettercoveragethanbefore,fromR-13-19.Considerspraycel-lulosewithborates,sprayfoamorhigh-densityfrictionfitfiberglassbattsinnon-floodhazardareas,andclosedcellsprayfoamorrigidfoamsheathinginareasatriskofflooding.

    • Raisedwoodfloorsystemsmaybelessvulnerabletomoistureproblemswithinsulationmethodsthatbothinsulateandprotectfloorjoistsfrommoisture;considermin.R-12sprayfoamorfoil-facedrigidfoamwithtapedseams.

    • Choosemoreflood-resistantwallandfloormaterials.Considerremovablewainscoting,paperlessdrywall,ceramictile,decorativeconcrete,solidwoodandotherrestorableoptions.

    • Ifreplacingallyourdrywallorceilings,usegasketsordrywalladhesivetosealthedrywalltoframingattopandbottomplatesandaroundopenings–the“AirtightDrywallApproach”

    FloodingandDamage-causingPests

    Theseverityofapestproblemfollowingastormorflooddependsonthetimeofyearandwhere,inthesea-sonalcycleofthepest,thedisasteroccurs.

    TermitesFloodingmayleachsometermiticidesfromtreat-

    edsoilormaterials.Ifthetreatedsoiliseroded,thetermiticidewillberemovedwithit.Ifsoilisdepositedalongthefoundationofahouse,itwillprovideabridgefortermitestogoaroundthetreatedsoil.Eliminateallsourcesofwaterandwood-to-soilcontact.Theseconditionsareconducive

    totermiteinfestations.Anydamagetofoundationsorfoot-ingcanresultintermiteinfestations.Termitescanenterbuildingsthroughcracksonly1/32-inchwide.

    Wooddebrisofanykindwillattracttermites.Termitesareextremelyimportantinrecyclingwood.Woodiscom-posedofcellulose,andfeworganismscanbreakitdown.Wewanttermitestorecyclewood,butwedon’twantthemrecyclingourhomes.

    Getthehouseinspectedwithinsixmonthsafteramajorflood.Contactyourpestcontrolcompanybeforedisturbingthesoilaroundthefoundationorinstallingadrainagesystemaroundahome.Youractionsmayvoidyourtermitecontract.

    Don’tbepressuredintogettingANYpestcontroltreatmentsdonequicklyifyouareunsureofwhatyouarebeingtold.Whenindoubt,contacttheLouisianaDepart-mentofAgricultureandForestry-StructuralPestControlCommission.

    SpecialconsiderationsforFormosansubterraneantermitesandwood-attackinginsectsandfungi:Whenastructureisbuiltorwoodisreplaced,thereisaone-timeopportunitytomanagetermitesandotherwood-attack-inginsectsandfungi.Usepressure-treatedwood(borates,ACQorCA)ortermite-resistantmaterialsbecausetheseorganismscannoteatordecaythem.Woodsubflooringandwallframingthatisnotreplacedandwoodproductsthatarenotavailablewithpressuretreatmentshouldbesprayedwithapenetratingboratesolutionforadditionalprotectionfromthesepests.

    Gotowww.lsuagcenter.comandsearchfortermitestogetadditionalinformationonintegratedpestmanagementoftermites.Donotmoveanywood,paperortheirproductswithouthavingtheminspectedforFormosansubterraneantermitesorfumigatingthem.Movementofsuchitemsmayspreadthisdevastatingperennialpest.QuarantinesonthemovementofsuchitemsareinplacefollowinghurricanesKatrinaandRita.

    BoringInsectsandFungiMoistureproblemsinacrawlspacecanleadtoother

    problems,suchaswood-boringbeetlesandwood-decay-ingfungiinfloorjoists.Wood-decayingfungiwillnotgrowbelow20%woodmoisturecontent,however,andthelikelihoodofproblemswithpowderpostbeetlesandoldhouseborersdecreasesasthewoodmoisturedecreasesto14%orless.Donotreplacefloorinsulationuntilwoodisdry.Besurerainwaterdrainsawayfromthehouseandthatthesoillevelunderthehouseishigherthanaroundthehouse.Coverthesoilinanenclosedcrawlspacewithplasticsheeting.

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 3

  • ��

    RepairingtheRoofAfteraStorm

    Underthemultiplepressuresofshortagesoftimeandfindingskilledorreputableworkers,materials,etc.,itmaybetemptingtotakeshortcutsonroofrepairs,butrememberthatadepreciatedhomeandfutureexpensivetroublecancomewithsuchadecision.Repairsnow,whilethedamageisclearlylinkedtothestorm,maybecoveredbyinsuranceorotherassistance.Later,whenproblemsreappear,youmaybearthoserepaircostsalone.

    Whenconsideringroofrepair,assesstheconditionoftheroofingmaterials.Ifyourshinglesarenotnew,youmaywanttoreplacetheroofratherthanpatchit,andmakeitmoreresistanttodamageinfurtherevents.

    atseveralpoints.Ascabshouldrunapproximately4ft.oneachsideofthebreak.Ascabcanbeusedtorepairatrussrafter.Inatruss,thescabmustcoverthebrokenrafterele-mentandthepointswherethatelementisattachedtootherelements.Thesizeofwoodusedforrepairsshouldbethesamesizeasthewoodbrokenorlarger(butneversmaller).

    Brokenorseverelydamagedraftersareseldomasstrongafterrepairs.Furtherstrengtheningmaybeachievedbyaddingsupportbracesbetweentherafter(s)andtheceilingjoist(s)below.Runtwobracesfromeachrepairedrafter:onefromtherafterscabtothepointonthejoistwhereitcrossesaload-bearingwallandonetothejoistbelow(seediagram).Iftheattachmentpointforabraceisnotoveraload-bearingwall,thejoistshouldbereinforcedwitha“strongback.”Thestrongbackisconstructedofone2x4andone2x6planknailedtogetheratrightangles;itisnailedtotheceilingjoistandextendsacrossseveraljoistsonbothsidesofthedamagedarea.

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 3

    Scab

    BrokenRafter

    2”x6”Rafter

    2”x6”BraceStrongback

    2”x6” 2”x6” 2”x4”

    SheathingIfyouhavelimiteddamagetotheroofdeckingthat

    canberepairedwithouttotalremoval,replacedamagedsheathingwithpanelsofthesamethicknessasthatusedontherestoftheroof.Attachthenewsheathingandre-nailtheexistingsheathingtoallraftersortrusseswith8dringshanknailsspacedevery6inches.

    Ifyoureplaceallthesheathing,strengthenyourroofbyusing40/20ratedroofdecksheathing(plywoodorOSB)withaminimumthicknessof19/32inchesandanailingpatternof8dringshanknailsevery4inchesonallpanelsalongagableend,and6inchesaparteverywhereelse.Makesurejointsareplacedoverraftersandnailsdon’tmisstherafters.Donotusestaples.

    AWordofCautionBeforegettingontherooftodorepairs,inspect

    theraftersforbreaksandsags.• Rememberthatelectricalwiringisrunthrough

    theattic;besurethepowerisoffbeforeenteringtheatticspaceforthefirsttime.

    • Evenwithoutadisaster,theatticcanbeadangerousplace.Nailtipsareleftexposedandtherecanbenumerousroughedgeswhichcouldcauseinjury.

    • Whenyoudogetontheroof,beverycareful.Theslopeoftheroofisahazardandadamagedroofmayhavelooseshingles,exposednailsorotherfeatureswhichcouldleadtoinjury.Whenworkingonsteepinclines,useasafetyharness.

    Acommonroofconsistsofthreelayersofmaterials:sheathing(ordecking),roofingfeltandanouterlayerofshingles,metalpanelsortiles.Sheathingisnailedtoraf-tersbeforethefeltandroofingareapplied.Thefeltisthelayerwhichwaterproofstheroof;itisimportanttooverlapthelayersproperlysowaterrunsoveralowercourse,notunderit.Shingles,tilesorpanelsprotectthefeltfromphysicaldamagebutdon’treallysealthestructureagainstrain.

    RaftersIfyouhavebrokenraftersorridgebeams,theymust

    berepairedfirst.Thesizeoftheareadamageddictatesproperprocedures.Oneortwobrokenrafterscanbere-pairedbyusingascab-and-propmethod.Ifthreeormoreadjacentraftersarebroken,itisadvisabletoreplacethem.Replacingraftersmayrequireremovalofundamagedshingles,feltandsheathingalongthelengthoftheraftertobereplaced.

    Checkwiththelocalpermitofficetofindoutwhatinspectionorpermittingrequirementsorbuildingcodesmustbemet.

    Torepairabrokenrafterusingascabmethod,placeanewrafteralongsidethebrokenoneandnailthemtogether

    6”spacinginnon-shadedpanels

    4”spacinginshadedpanels

    NailspacingrecommendationsforplywoodorOSBroofdeck.

  • �� Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 3

    OpeningProtectionsWhenwind-bornedebrisbreakswindowsordoors,

    theinsideairpressurebuildupcancausemajorstructuraldamage.Toavoidtherushtoboardupduringeachstormwarning,considerreplacingwindowsanddoorswithhurricaneratedunitsorinstallingimpactresistantshut-ters.Standarddouble-widegaragedoorsareespeciallyvulnerabletowinddamage.LookforproductsthathavemetrecognizedproductapprovalsystemssuchasSBCCISSTD12,ASTME1186andASTME1996,orMiami-DadeProtocolsPA201,PA202andPA203.

    RooftoWalltoFoundationConnectionsYourhomeisasstrongasitsweakestlink.Tomake

    suretheroofstaysinplaceduringaseverestorm,anchortherooftothewallwithhurricanestrapsovereachrafter(ifsheathingisremoved),orifthat’snotfeasible,withhur-ricaneclipsateverywall-to-rafterconnection.Ifthewallsareopenedforrepair,consideralsoaddingmetalhurricaneconnectorsthattiethestudstothebottomplate,andthebottomplatetothefoundation(suchasepoxy-setanchorboltsintotheslab).

    GableRoof

    HippedRoof

    RoofUnderlaymentandCoveringsConsidersealingroof-sheathingjointswithaself-

    adheredasphalt/rubbertape(modifiedbitumen)atleast4incheswidetoprovideasecondarymoisturebarrier.Analternativethatoffersevengreaterprotectionistoapplyapeel-and-stickroofmembraneovertheentireroofdeckinplaceofjointtapeandroofingfelt.

    Otherwise,roofingunderlaymentmayconsistofeitherasinglelayerof#30feltwithaminimum2-inchoverlap,ortwolayersof15#feltinstalledinaccordancewithmanufacturer’sinstructions.Bothmethodsrequireaminimum6-inchlapatends.Flashingsmustbeinstalledtomaintainashingle-typelayeringwiththeunderlaymentsowaterflowsoverandnotunderthem.

    Selectahighwindratedroofcovering(shingles,met-al,etc.)and,regardlessoftype,ensurethatitisinstalledinaccordancewiththemanufacturer’srecommendationsforhighwindregions.Lookforroofingthatmeetsthestandards:ASTMD3161enhanced,orUL2390forwindresistanceandUL2218forimpactresistance.

    StrengthenWeakPoints

    SoffitsandGableEndsSoffitsinhurricane-affectedareastendtofailallowing

    winddrivenrainintotheattic.Vinylandmetalsoffitsthatrestinslotsort-channelsaremostvulnerable.Considerusingplywoodorfibercementsoffitssecurelyanchoredtowoodframingmembersorwindratedsoffitsystems.

    Hiproofsaremorewindresistantthangableroofs.Forhomeswithgableroofs,bracingshouldbeinstalledintheattictoresistthedamagingforceofstrongwindsongableendwalls.Formoredetailsonbracinggablewallsandotherprotections,visitwww.ibhs.org

    TypicalWallConnections:Studspacingdifferentfromtruss/rafterspacing.

    Formoreinformationondisaster-resistantbuildingtechniquesandsystems,gettheLa.Extensionpublica-tion,Building Your Louisiana Home: Homeowners Guide throughyourparishLSUAgCenterofficeorfromwww.LouisianaHouse.org

    Ifyouhaveexperiencedstructuraldamage,somestrengtheningoftheroofmayberequiredunderuniformbuildingcodes.Itislikelyyou’llneedtoengageoneormorecontractorstomakerepairs.Informationonselectingacontractor,whatshouldbeinacontractandconsumerprotectionisgiveninPart6,“FinancialRecoveryandRiskManagement.”

    ContactyourlocalLSUAgCenterofficelistedunderlocalgovernmentinthetelephonedirectoryorwww.lsuagcenter.com

  • �9

    CaringforLargeElectricalAppliances

    Applianceswetbyfloodwaterorbyrainwaterafterroofsweredamagedwillneedextremecarebeforereuse.Thiscarewillbeimportantifthelifeoftheapplianceistobeextendedandforthesafetyoftheuser.

    Appliancessubmergedbyfloodwaters,particularlysaltwater,areoftennotrepairable.Appliancesthathavebeenwetbyrainwaterandnotfloodedareoftenrepair-able.Itisalwaysdesirabletohavetheserepairsmadebyareputableserviceperson.Followingdisasters,however,individualswhohavetheseskillsoftenareverybusy,andtheowneroftheappliancemayfinditnecessarytomakerepairs.

    Rememberthatanappliancedamagedbywatercansometimesbemadefunctional,butwillprobablyhaveashortenedlifeexpectancy.Dependingontheageandconditionoftheappliancebeforeitwasdamagedbywater,andconsideringthedangerofpersonalinjuryfromim-properrepairs,itmaybeadvisabletoreplacetheapplianceratherthanrepairit.

    Manysmallappliances,includingtelevisionsets,microwaveovensandradios,aremoreelectronicthanelectrical.Thetipsofferedinthisfactsheetdonotapplytoelectronicrepairs.Mostsmallappliancesorelectronicdevicesarenoteconomicaltorepair.

    MotorandCircuitRepairs• Disconnectallswitches,contacts,motorsandelectrical

    wiring.Makeadiagramoftheconnections,orlistthestepsyoutooktodisconnecttheseitems;thiswillhelpyourememberhowtoreassembletheparts.

    • Flushallpartsofthesystemwithcleanwater,andallowthepartstodryforseveraldaysbeforereconnecting.

    • Usespray-ondryingagentstohelpinthedisplacementofmoistureincontacts,motorsandsoforth.

    • Re-assemblethedisconnectedpartsreferringtoyourdiagramorlistofsteps.

    • Besuretheapplianceisdryandproperlygroundedbeforereconnecting.

    InsulationandMechanicalComponentsAppliancesthatareinsulatedsuchasranges,ovens,

    freezers,refrigeratorsandwaterheatersmayneedtohavewetinsulationremovedandreplaced.• Removeinsulationbyopeningtheframeoftheappli-

    ance;consultyourowner’smanualforconstructiondetails.Usegloveswhenremovingtheinsulation.Cleanthecavitybeforeinstallingnewinsulatingmaterial.

    • Onapplianceswhereinsulationcannotberemoved,replacetheappliance.

    • Newerfreezersandrefrigeratorsincluderigidfoaminsulationthatmaynotrequireremoval.

    • Remembertocheckthemechanicalpartsoftheelectricappliance.Suchthingsasthebearings,hingesondoorsandothermovingpartsshouldbedriedandlubricatedtopreventrust.

    PreventingDamagefromFutureFloodsIftheappliancewasdamagedbyfloodwaterswhich

    werelessthan2-feetdeep,youcanhelppreventfuturedamagebyinstallingtherepairedorreplacementapplianceonaplatform.• Considerelevatingtheelectricalsystemitself.Installall

    electricalswitchesandoutlets12inchesaboveeitherthe100-yearfloodlevelorthelevelofthehighestknownfloodatyourlocation-whicheverishigher.

    • Checkwiththelocalpermitofficetoseewhatpermitsarerequiredforanyphysicalalterationofthelocationofyourappliancesorformodificationoftheelectricalwiringinyourbuilding.

    Salvaging Water-damaged BelongingsNatural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 4

    Safety• Approachafloodedorwettedappliancewithcau-

    tion.Watercanshort-circuitanelectricalappliancesothatpartswhichdon’tnormallyconductelectric-itycanshockyou.

    • Disconnectpowertothebuildingortothecircuitwhichfeedsthesuspectedappliance.Thenunplugtheappliance.Ifthepowertothebuildingorneighborhoodhasbeenshutoff,besureallappli-ancessuspectedtohavewaterdamagehavebeenunpluggedbeforepowerisrestored.

    • Ifyouareuncertainwhetheranappliancehasbeendamagedbywater,donottestitbypluggingitinand/orturningiton.Eithertreatitasdamagedorhaveaknowledgeableindividualcheckforelectri-calshortstoassurethatitissafetouse.

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 4

  • �0

    SalvagingandCleaningFurnitureBeforestartingtosalvagedamaged

    furniture,decidewhichpiecesareworthrestoring.Suchdecisionsshouldbebasedon:extentofdamage,costofthearticle,sentimentalvalue,costofrestorationandqualityofthewoodorfabric.Considereachpieceindividu-ally.

    RestoreorReplace?Antiques

    Antiquesareprobablyworththetime,effortandexpenseofrestoration.Unlessdamageissevere,youcanprobablyclean,reglueandrefinishantiquesathome.Extensiverepairorre-veneeringworkshouldbedoneatareliablefurniturerepairshop.

    SolidwoodfurnitureSolidwoodfurniturecanusuallyberestoredunless

    damageissevere.Youwillprobablyneedtoclean,dryandreglueit.Donotthrowawaysolidwoodfurnitureuntilithasdriedandrepaireffortscanbeassessed.Slightlywarpedboardsmayberemovedandstraightenedorre-placed.

    WoodveneeredfurnitureWoodveneeredfurnitureisusuallynotworththecost

    andeffortofrepair,unlessitisveryvaluablemonetarilyorsentimentally.Ifveneerislooseinjustafewplaces,youmaybeabletorepairit.Veneeredfurniturerepairsareusu-allybestdonebyareliablerefinisher.

    UpholsteredfurnitureWetupholsteredfurnituremaybesalvageable,depend-

    ingonitsgeneralcondition.Floodedpieceswillrequirereplacementofpaddingandupholstery.Sincethisisanexpensiveprocess,itmightbewisertoapplythemoneytowardanewpieceoffurniture.

    Youwillnotneedtorepairallpiecesimmediately.Anyfurnitureworthyofrepairshouldbecompletelycleaned,driedandstoredinadry,shady,well-ventilatedplaceuntilyouhavetimetorepairit.Woodenfurnituredamagedbyfloodscanbestbesalvagedthroughslowdryingandproperrepair.

    FirstStepstoRestorationSubmergedorwetwoodenfurniture

    Takefurnitureoutdoors,andremoveasmanydrawers,slidesandremovablepartsaspossible.Drawersanddoorswillprobablybestucktight.Donottrytoforcethemoutfromthefront.Withascrewdriverorchisel,removethebackandpushoutthedrawerfrombehind.

    Afteryouhaveremovedmovableparts,cleanoffmudanddirt,usingahoseifnecessary.

    Takeallfurnitureindoorsandstoreitwhereitwilldryslowly.Furnitureleftinthesunlighttodrywillwarpandtwistoutofshape.

    Whenfurnitureisdry,reglueitifnecessary.Youwillneedequipmentandclampstoregluesomepieces.Beforeyoustart,decidewhetheryouhavethetime,equipmentandabilitytodothework.Consultanexperiencedcarpen-terifnecessary.Manybooksareavailableonthesubject.

    Toreglueloosejointsorrungs,cutorscrapeoffoldgluesotheareawillbeascleanandfreeofglueaspos-sible.Useawhiteall-purposeglue,followingdirectionsoncontainer.HoldpartstogetherwithrubberropetourniquetsorC-clamps.Topreventdamagefromropesorclamps,padtheseareaswithcloth.

    Dampfurniture-removingwhitespotsWhitespotsoracloudyfilmmaydevelopondamp

    furniturethathasnotbeensubmerged.Iftheentiresurfaceisaffected,rubwithadampcloth

    dippedin(a)turpentineorcamphoratedoilor(b)inasolutionof1/2cuphouseholdammoniaand1/2cupwater.Wipedryatonceandpolishwithwaxorfurniturepolish.

    Ifcolorisnotrestored,dip3/0steelwoolinoil(boiledlinseed,olive,mineralorlemon).Rublightlywiththewoodgrain.Wipewithasoftclothandre-wax.

    Fordeepspots,useadroportwoofammoniaonadampcloth.Rubatoncewithadrycloth.Polish.Rubbingcigaretteashes,poweredpumiceorapieceofwalnutintospotsmayalsohelpremovethem.Besuretowearrubbergloveswhenusingthesesolutions.

    Ifspotsremainafteralleffortstoremovethem,thepieceshouldberefinished.

    CleaningTips• Alwayswearrubbergloveswhenusingcleaning

    solutionsorworkingwithflood-damagedormoldyfurniture.Takefurnitureoutdoorstoclean.

    • Ifmildewhasdeveloped,vacuum(preferablywithanHEPAfilter)surfaceorbrushoffwithabroom.

    • Readfibercontentlabelsofupholstery.Testahid-denareausingasolutionoflukewarmsoapywater(1tablespoonsoapto1quartwater),ordilutedenaturedalcohol(1/2alcoholand1/2water)orbleachsolution(1tablespoonbleachtoapintofwater)toseeifcolorisremovedorfabricshrinks.Allowtodry,thendecideifthefabriccanbecleaned.Spongefabrictoremovedirt,andusebleachoralcoholsolutiontoremovemildew.Fabricmayberemovedfromframetoclean,dependingonthedamage.

    • Removetacks,nails,braid,otherfasteners.• Althoughwetsyntheticfoampaddingcanberestored,

    theriskofcontaminationandcostsusuallymakere-placementabetteroption.Wetcottonorotherorganicpaddingshouldalwaysbereplaced.

    • Wipedownwoodenframeswithawoodcleaneroralco-holsolutionremovemoldormildew.Wipedryandallowtoairdryinanopenshadyplace(neverdryfurnitureindirectsunlight).

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 4

  • ��

    CleaningStorm-soakedClothing

    Whencleaningclothessoakedduringstormflooding,rememberthatthefloodwatermayhavebeencontaminatedwithsewagewaste.Simplydry-ingtheseclothesisnotenough.Forsafety,theymustbedisinfectedtokillharmfulbacte-ria.Twotablespoonsofliquidchlorinebleachperwasherloadwillkillbacteriawithoutsubstantiallydamagingclothes.Donotusemorethan2tablespoonsperwasherloadunlessalltheclothescanbesafelybleached.

    Drycleaningisalsoeffective.Donotusebleachonwool,silk,feathersandfoam.

    Tips• Separatewetitemsassoonaspossibletokeepclothing

    colorsfromrunningtogether.Sortoutclothingthatshouldbedrycleaned.Donotmixflood-soiledclotheswithcleanclothes.Takecarenottocontaminateworksurfaces.

    • Itemstobedrycleanedshouldbeair-driedandtakentoacleanerassoonaspossible.(Ifyoususpecttheymayhavebeeninsewage-contaminatedwater,wearplasticgloves.)Donotdrytheclothesnearaheatsourcesuchasastove.Oncedry,shakeandbrushclothingoutdoorstoremoveasmuchsoilaspossible.

    • Rinsewashableitemsseveraltimesincoldwater.Ifbadlysoiled,soakovernightincoldwaterandanenzymeproductordetergent.Wringoutandairdryifyou’reunabletomachinewash.

    • Machinewashclothesassoonaspossible.Useaheavydutydetergentandadisinfectantsuchas2tablespoonsofchlorinebleach,pineoiloraphenolicdisinfectant.Usehighestwaterlevelpossible,don’tovercrowdwasherandusehottestwatertemperaturesuitableforthegarments.Selectthelongestwashcycleavailable.Dryinadryer(ifavailable)atthehighesttemperaturesuitableforthefabric.

    • Stainedorverydirtyclothesmayrequireaddinganappropriatebleachtothewash.Followdirectionsonthebleachcontainersandgarmenttagsfortypesandamountstouse.

    • Ifanitemisstillstainedafterwashing,rewashbeforedrying.Dryingmaymakesomestainshardertoremove.

    ContactyourlocalCooperativeExtensionServiceofficelistedunderlocalgovernmentinthetelephonedirec-toryorwww.lsuagcenter.com

    • Dryspringsandothermetalparts.Ifrusthasformed,youmayneedtoreplaceorclean.Usesteelwoolandcoatwithpaint.Alightoilcouldbewipedonmetalpartstohelppreventlaterrusting.Manymajormanufac-turerskeeprecordsoffabricormetalpartswhichcanbeorderedfromthedealerforreplacement.

    • Besureallpartsaredrybeforereassembling.• Areliablefurniturerepairshopwillgiveestimateson

    costofredoingfurniture.Also,considerreplacementcostandvalueofeachpiece.Ifinsuranceallowspartvalueonflood-damagedfurniture,itmaybefinanciallyworthwhiletoapplythemoneytonewarticles,ratherthanpayforextensiverepairs.

    CleaningCarpetsandFloorsCleaningwater-soakedcarpetsandfloorsisdifficultin

    itself,butintheaftermathofastormorflood,contamina-tionbymud,silt,sewageandmildewcancompoundtheproblem.

    It’sbesttoreplacecarpetsandgetprofessionalclean-erstoworkonfloors,butthismaynotbepossible.Inanycase,begincleanupassoonaspossible.

    Tips• Pullupallsaturatedcarpetsandrugs,andtakethem

    outdoors.• Ifyouwishtosalvagevaluablerugsandwaterwasnot

    contaminated,hosemuddycarpetsdown.Workalow-sudsing,disinfectantcarpetcleaningproductdeepintosoiledspotswithabroom.

    • Ifonlysmallareasofcarpetgotwetfromleaks,pullupandpropthewetcarpettodry.Cutawaywetpadding.

    • Todiscouragemildewandodors,rinsethebackingwithasolutionof2tablespoonsbleachto1gallonwater.Don’tusethissolutiononwoolcarpets.Alsodisinfecttheslaborsubfloor.

    • Discardandreplacefoampads.• Sectionsofsubfloorsthatseparatemustbereplacedto

    avoidbuckling.Whenfloorcoveringsareremoved,al-lowsubfloorstodrythoroughly,eventhoughitmaytakeseveralmonths.Disinfectallwetsurfaces.

    • Inwoodfloors,removeaboardeveryfewfeettoreducebucklingcausedbyswelling.Askacarpenterfortipsonremovingtongue-and-grooveboards.

    • Cleananddryfloorthoroughlybeforeattemptingrepairs.Usingadehumidifierwillspeedthedryingpro-cess.

    • Invinylfloorswithwoodsubflooring,thefloorcoveringshouldberemovedsothesubflooringcanbereplaced.Withconcretefloors,removalisn’tnecessaryexcepttohastendryingoftheslab.

    • Loosetilesmaybereplacedifthefloorhasnotbeensoaked.Ifwaterhasseepedundersheetflooring,re-movetheentiresheet.

    • Whilecleaning,washexposedskinfrequentlyinpuri-fiedwater.Wearrubbergloves.

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 4

  • ��

    Winds,floodsandwinterstormscanbeverydamagingtoplants.TheinformationinthispartoftheStormRecoveryGuidewillhelpyousalvagesomeplants,includinggrasses,andgiveyousomewaystorecycleplantdebris.There’salsosomediscussionfordeterminingthevalueoflawnandgardenlosses.

    SalvageTipsWhenplantmaterialhasbeendamagedbecauseof

    intensewindsorflooding,promptcareshouldbetakentosalvageallusableplants.

    ResettingGenerally,itispracticalandeconomicaltoresetonly

    small,youngandeasy-to-managetrees.Large,weakenedtreesandshrubsmaybedangerous,areslowtorecoverandmaybesusceptibletofutureproblemsandevenmoreseverewinddamagelater.Fallenorpartiallyuprootedsmalltreesandshrubsmaybesavedinmanyinstances,sokeeprootscoveredandmoistbeforeresetting.

    Incertainareas,whereerosionandfloodinghaveoc-curred,areconditioningofsoilorplantingareamaybenecessary.Additionalsoilshouldbeincorporatedintotheplantingareaforproperrootcoverage.Replanttreesandshrubsattheiroriginalplantingdepthorslightlyhigher.Excesssoilorexposedrootswillcausefurthershockanddamage.Firmsoilaroundrootstoeliminateairpocketsandprovidesupport.Stakingthefirstyearmaybeneededuntilrootsbecomere-established.

    RepairingandPruningInremovingportionsofaplant,usesharptoolsthat

    makeasmooth,cleancut.Avoidmakingflushcuts.In-stead,cutthebranchbacktotheoutsideofthebranchcollar(theslightswollenareawherethebranchgrowsoutfromthemainbranchortrunk).Leavenostubs.Raggedcutsandunsightlystubsareprimeareasfortheattackofinsectsordiseaseorganisms.Flushcutsremovecellsthatcoverandhealwounds.Whenremovinglargelimbs,avoidunnecessarystrippingofbarkdownthesideofatrunkorprimarylimb.Toeliminatestripping,thefirstcutshouldbeanundercuthalfwaythroughthebottomofthelimb,about12inchesoutsideofthebranchcollar.Thesecondcutisfromthetopofthebranch,about8inchesoutsidethebranchcollar,andshouldgoallthewaythroughthebranchtoremovethebranch.Thethirdcutistotrimthestubtotheouteredgeofthebranchcollar.

    Pruningandthinningshouldbedoneatthetimeofresettingtoreduceweightandremovebrokenandweak-enedlimbs.Pruneoffonlydamagedbranches.Innocaseshouldexcessiveamountsofpruningtakeplace.Foliageisrequiredtomanufactureplantfood,andplantsneedtomanufacturefoodtorecoverandresumehealthygrowth.

    Ifyouneedtouseachainsawtoremovetreesorlargebranches,orifyouneedtoclimbaladdertoreachaffectedbranches,itismuchsaferforyouandthetreetoengagetheservicesofaprofessional,state-licensedarboristtodothework.AlistofstatelicensedarboristsinyourareaisavailablefromtheLouisianaDepartmentofAgricultureandForestryathttp://www.ldaf.state.la.usoryoucancall225-952-8100.

    Cutawayonlybadlydamagedroots.Ifrootsareexposedonblownoverplants,immediatelycoverthemtokeepthemmoistuntiltheplantcanbeuprightedandtherootsburied.

    WateringWaterallnewlysetplantsimmediatelyand,duringdry

    spells,alittlemorefrequentlythanundernormalcircum-stances.Droughtmaycauseadditionaldamagetoplantsnotwateredregularly.Deepsoakingwithaslowstreamofwaterismostbeneficialforrootgrowth.Thisalsowilltendtoeliminateairpocketsaroundtheroots.Asoakerhoseoraregularhosesetonaslowdripisperfectforthis.Leaveontherootzonefor8-24hours,nomorethanonceevery7-10daysduringdryperiods.Smallershrubsandtreescanbeirrigatedlikethisevery5-7days.

    MulchingMulchwillconservemoisture,reduceweedsandbe

    helpfulinre-establishingshrubsandtrees.Mulchwithfall-enleaves,lawnclippings,pineneedlesortreebark.Usealayerofmulch2-4inchesdeep,andkeepmulch2-3inchesawayfromthetrunkofthetree.

    StakingTreesandlargeshrubsthatareresetshouldbestaked

    untiltheybecomewellre-established.Stakingisalsoasecurityagainststressthatmaycomeifplantsexperienceotherwinddamagebeforere-establishment.Usemetalstakesorhardwoodstakesthatwillnotdecayforseveralmonthstoayear.Placestakesatanangleawayfromthetrunkforgreatestsupport.Avoiddrivingthestakesthroughthemainroots.Toavoidinjuringthetrunkuseawidestraporcloththatwillreduceabrasionofthebark.Ifyouusewireorcable,besuretorunitthroughshortlengthsofoldgardenhosetocushionthebark.Securelyanchorplantsfromthreesidestopreventmovementduringnormalhighwindsandrain.

    Lawn and Garden LossesNatural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 5

    Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 5

  • ��Natural Hazards Series: Recovery - Part 5

    Stakingcanbedangerous.Placeallstakesoutofthepathofpeoplesotheywillnottriponthemortheguywires.Itwouldbewisetoclearlymarkorusebrightpaintonobstacles.

    FertilizingAsageneralrule,fertilizerisnotappliedtoplantsthat

    havebeendamageduntiltheyovercometheshock,usuallythenextyear.Untiltheybecomere-established,fertilizerwillbeofnomajorbenefitandmayinjuretheplantbycausingexcessivegrowththatdamagedrootscan’tfeedorwater.

    Fertilizerappliedlateinsummermayalsocauselategrowththatwillbemoresusceptibletoearlyfreezeinjury.

    TreatingFreezeDamageIftreesshowseveredamagebybarkpeeling,you

    shouldpeelloosebarkoffsonewbarkcangrowback.Fertilizethetreeinthespring.Someprotectionforfruittreesorsmall,thin-barkedtreescanbeprovidedbydeepmulchesatthebaseandwrappingthebottomtrunkwithwrapsuchasanoldcoat.DonotfertilizeplantslateintheyearorbeforeFebruarytopreventactivegrowthduringcold,winterweatherandtoincreasedormancy.Followuponfreeze-damagedplantswithpruningbeforeleafingout.Besuretoremoveexcessmulch(deeperthan4inches)andtrunkwrappingassoonascoldweatherpasses.

    TreeDebrisandRenewalUseasmuchtreeandplantwasteaspossibletopre-

    ventburdenonlandfills.

    Tips• Cutsuitabletreesforfirewood.Fallentreesshouldbe

    cutwithinoneyearforuseasfirewood,andthestackedwoodshouldbeprotectedfromrain.Thethermalcon-tentofwooddecreasesasdecayincreases.Ash,oakandpecanmakeverygoodfirewood.Pineandgumwouldbebetterusedforotherpurposes.Firewoodsplittersmaybeavailableforrent.

    • Makemulchandcompost.Mosttreewastewillbedecayedwithinseveralyears,anditprovidesavalu-ablesourceoforganicmatter.Nitrogenfertilizercanbeaddedtomulchandorganicmattertobreakitdownsooner.Chippersmaybeavailableforrent.Formoreinformationoncompostingandmakingmulch,askfortheExtensionpublications“BackyardComposting”and“BasicPrinciplesofComposting.”Thebesttreesformulcharesofterspecieswhichdecayfasterandareeasiertocompost.

    • Usetreesectionsasframingforraisedbeds,fortempo-rarybridgesandforerosioncontrolonsteep,erodingsites.Theymaybepiledinruralareasforwildlifehabitatorfishshelters.Fishsheltersshouldbefirmlyse-curedinflowingwaterstopreventdownstreamblockageofwaterways.

    • Whencutoffatorabovetheground,manyfavoritetreeswillsproutfromthestumpandgrowagain.Trimneatlyandmakecleancutsonanytreesneedingpruning.

    Contactlocalnurseriesoryourcountyagentforpruningadvice.

    • Deadtreestumpsleftinthegroundwilldecay,some-timesproducinglargeholes.Thiswilltakeseveralyears.Tospeeduptheprocess,considerusingastumpgrinderwherelargetreeshavebeenlost.Theoccasionaladditionofnitrogenfertilizertothetopofagroovedstumpwillalsopromoterapiddecay.

    AssessingLandscapeandTreeLoss

    Youmaybeabletoclaimastormlossorinsurancebenefitasaresultofstormdamage.Herearewaystoassessthevalueofdamagedtreesandlandscaping:

    • Thedecreaseinthefairmarketvalueofthepropertyasaresultofthecasualty.

    • Theadjustedbasisintheproperty.• Theamountofinsuranceorothercompensation

    allowed.• Thecostofreplacement(whenreplacementis

    possible).

    Thedecreaseinfairmarketvalueiscalculatedtwoways:(1)appraisalsimmediatelybe