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AFTER A DISASTER
Recovering from a disaster will be a long and difficult process for everyone. If we work together, we can speed up the recovery process for families and the community. The tips below will give you an idea of what to expect and what to do after a disaster:
HEALTH AND SAFETY
- Be aware of new hazards created by the disaster. Watch for washed out roads, contaminated water, gas leaks, broken glass, chemicals, damaged wires, downed power lines, dead animals, and slippery floors. Inform local authorities about health and safety hazards.
- Inspect the outside of your home before entering. Look for loose power lines, sparks, cracks, gas leaks, fire damage, and structural damage. If you find any of these safety hazards, leave immediately and call for help. If you have any doubts about safety, have a professional inspect your home before entering.
If the home is safe to enter, carefully inspect the inside for the same hazards. Do not use oil, gas lanterns, candles or torches for lighting inside a damaged home. A battery-powered flashlight is the best source of light. CAUTION: The flashlight should be turned on outside before entering as the battery may produce a spark that could ignite gases, if present. Do not smoke.
- Try to protect your home from further damage.
- Be aware of exhaustion. Dont try to do too much at once. Set priorities and pace yourself. Wear sturdy work boots and gloves.
- Stay healthy. Check with local authorities before using any water since it could be contaminated. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and clean water often when working in debris. Drink plenty of clean water. Eat well and get enough rest.
- Check refrigerated food for spoilage since the power supply may have been disrupted during the disaster. Throw out all spoiled food and any food that you suspect might be spoiled. Open the refrigerater and freezer door as little as possible to prevent the cold air from escaping.
- For flood-specific information, visit our "after a flood" web page.
COMMUNICATION
- Let your out-of-town contact (from your family disaster plan) know about the status of your family and home.
- Inform local authorities or emergency shelter workers if you need assistance. Check on your neighbors, particularly those with special needs, children, and the elderly. Inform local authorities or emergency shelter workers if they need assistance.
- Monitor local radio or television reports and other media sources for information about where to get emergency housing, food, first aid, clothing, crisis counseling, and financial assistance.
- Watch for signs that a family member or neighbor needs help in coping with the stress of a disaster.
- If your property was damaged but did not get looked at by a government inspector or damage assessor, please inform local authorities. This information will help the City of Austin apply for individual and community disaster assistance.
- Keep an eye out for looting in your neighborhood. Police will be monitoring disaster areas, so be sure to report any suspicious activities.
REBUILDING
- Call your insurance agent. Take pictures of damages. Keep good records of repair and cleaning costs.
- Ask local authorities for the procedures and requirements for getting a building permit before making repairs or rebuilding.
- Monitor local radio or television reports and other media sources for information about the disaster debris removal procedures and schedule. Separate your debris into two piles: tree limbs and trash. The piles will be collected separately and the tree limbs will be recycled to save landfill space. The debris removal crews will follow a special route for the cleanup. The debris removal crews will repeat the route until it is all picked up. If your neighborhood was not affected by the disaster, please be patient, as the regular trash pickup schedule may be temporarily interrupted.
- After a disaster, it is instinctual to want to get everything back to normal as soon as possible. But sometimes the government might ask you to wait a little while before rebuilding so a plan can be designed to reduce future damage in your neighborhood. This may be very frustrating, but keep in mind that these mitigation actions will help strengthen your neighborhood against the next disaster. Particularly with flooding, if it happens once, it is almost guaranteed to happen again, perhaps even within the next year. It is too financially devastating for everyone to repeatedly rebuild.
- Watch out for consumer and repair contractor scams. Use only licensed professionals to rebuild your home. Ask for help finding a contractor if you are unsure.
HELPING OUT
- If you want to volunteer with the recovery effort, check with local organizations or listen to local news reports for information about where volunteers are needed. Until volunteers are specifically requested, stay away from disaster areas. It still may be too dangerous or there may not be enough resources to coordinate new people yet.
If you are needed in a disaster area, bring your own food, water and emergency supplies. This is especially important in cases where a large area has been affected and emergency items are in short supply.
- Do not drop off food, clothing or any other item to a government agency or disaster relief organization unless a particular item has been requested. Normally these organizations do not have the resources to store or sort through the donated items. You can give a check or money order to a recognized disaster-relief organization who are trained to purchase what is needed and get it to the people who need it most.
If your company or organization wants to donate emergency supplies, donate a quantity of a given item or class of items (such as nonperishable food) rather than a mix of different items. Also, determine where your donation is going, how it is going to get there, who is going to unload it and how it is going to be distributed. Without sufficient planning, much needed supplies will be left unused.
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