Recovery is the phase of emergency management that deals with putting peoples lives back into place after a disaster. Depending on the severity of the incident, it could be a very simple adjustment, or a major change of life styles. Below we have included some links to information dealing with recovery.

• Returning Home from a Disaster
• Helping Children Cope with Disaster
• Locating Safe Drinking Water after a Disaster
• Emergency Food and Water Suggestions
• Am I Eligible for Federal Disaster Assistance

Returning Home from a Disaster

Returning home after a major disaster can be both dangerous and difficult. Be careful when entering a disaster area, and be ready to adapt to the conditions at hand. Use the following information as a guide.

• Keep a battery operated radio with you to hear any emergency updates.
• Put on a sturdy shoes and work gloves for protection against glass or other other debris.
• Check house, roof and chimney for structural damage.
• Be careful when entering a damaged building.
• Stay away from fallen or damaged electrical wires. They could still be alive.
• Do not carry lanterns or torches that could start a fire.
• If you have any doubts about safety, have your home inspected by a professional before entering.
• Watch out for animals, especially poisonous snakes that may have come into your home with the flood waters. Use a stick to poke through debris.
• Check for injured or trapped persons.
• Give first aid where appropriate.
• Do not move seriously injured persons unless they are in immediate danger of further injury. Call for help.
• Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance - infants, elderly people and people with disabilities.
• Until phone service is fully restored, use the phone only for a life-threatening emergency.
• Open closets and cupboards carefully.
• Check food and water supplies before using them. Foods that require refrigeration may be spoiled if the electricity was cut off for some time. Throw out any food that has been in contact with flood waters.
• Extinguish all open flames.
• Check gas supply. If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing sound, open a window and quickly leave the building. Turn off the gas at the outside main valve if you can, and call the gas company from a neighbor's home. If you turn off the gas for any reason, it must be turned back on by a professional.
• Check electricity. If you see sparks, broken or frayed wires, or if you smell hot insulation, turn off the electricity at the main fuse box or circuit breaker, call an electrician first for advice.
• Check sewage and water lines. If you suspect sewage lines are damaged, avoid using the toilets and call a plumber. If water pipes are damaged, contact the water company and avoid using water from the tap. You can obtain safe water by melting ice cubes.
• Checking Electrical Appliances. If any of the electrical appliances are wet, turn off the main power switch in the house. Unplug the appliance, dry it out, then reconnect it and turn off the main power switch back on. If fuses or circuits blow when the electrical power is restored, turn off the main power switch again and re-inspect for short circuits in the home wiring or appliances. Call a professional if the problem continues to occur.
• Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, gasolines, or other flammable liquids.
• Try to protect your home from further damage. Open windows and doors. Patch holes.
• Clean and disinfect everything that got wet. The mud left behind by floodwaters can contain sewage and chemicals.
• If your basement is flooded, pump it out gradually (about one-third of the water per day) to avoid damage. The walls may collapse and the floor may buckle if the basement is pumped out while the surrounding ground is still waterlogged.
• Throw out food, cosmetics and medicines that have come into contact with flood waters.
• Stay at home and avoid driving to keep roads clear for emergency workers.
• If you have flood insurance, call our agent. Take pictures of damages. Keep good records of repair and cleaning costs.
• Get assistance from your local American Red Cross. They can provide a voucher so you can buy groceries, new clothing, medications, furnishings, and other items required for daily living.

Pets After A Disaster

• The behavior of your pets may change after an emergency. Normally quiet and friendly pets may become aggressive or defensive. Watch animals closely. Leash dogs and place them in a fenced yard with access to shelter and water.
• If after a disaster you have to leave town, take your pet with you. Pets are unlikely to survive on their own.

After a Disaster Strikes

It takes a long time to recover from a disaster. Take your time and pace yourself. Plan a reasonable amount of activity each day. Include children in clean-up and recovery activities. Watch for signs of stress in yourself and family members. If you can't shake feelings of despair, get professional help. While life will not be the same as before the disaster happened, you can and will recover.

Return to Top

Helping Children Cope with Disaster

After a disaster, most parents' first concern is the health and well-being of their children. Finding a warm place to sleep and food to eat is only the first step in caring for a child in these circumstances. Disasters are particularly traumatic for children, so adults must be extra sensitive to their emotional needs and make a special effort to reassure them that they will do their best to protect them.

Plan for a Disaster

• Talk to children about the likely disasters in their community. It is easier for children to understand what is happening during a disaster if they already know what can take place. Point out that natural disasters are indeed natural events although they are natural events and although they are dangerous, they do not have to be life-threatening. Try not to alarm the children in discussing possible disasters.
• Teach children about the safety precautions for each disaster.
• Prepare a family disaster plan. Choose a family contact and have a place to meet. Try to include children in the process of developing the plan. Give them some minor duties of their own that will help them feel part of the family.
• Explain how to call for help. Children over the age of 4 should know how to call for emergency assistance. Keep this simple. Teach children to dial either 9-1-1 or 0 for the operator. Make sure they know their address and phone number.

Provide Comfort

• Take a child's fears seriously. Disasters are particularly traumatic for children. They may lead to fears of abandonment, injury, and even death. Fantasized fears are real threats to children. Take them seriously.
• Encourage a confused child to talk and ask questions. Listen to what the child is saying about fears and about feelings about self, family, and what has just happened. Look for any physical reactions such as stomachaches and headaches.
• Keep the family together. Although it may seem to make more sense to leave a child in a safe place while looking for housing or assistance, children may become anxious that parents might not return. Take children along and try to keep the entire family together as much as possible.
• Include children in the clean up process. Let the children be responsible for as much of the clean up process as they can handle. By seeing that it is possible to return to a normal life, children will realize that the world has not come to an end. As they are helping, encourage them to talk about their feelings.
• Allow children to make some decisions regarding the family. Children can decide where and what to eat, or how to lay out family sleeping bags in the shelter. This will help them feel that they still have some control over their lives.
• Leave time for play. Children need to be children even in disaster and need to have time to escape from the demands of the disaster. Encourage children to play, and help them find things to do. The American Red Cross will generally provide play materials in shelters.
• Increase attention. Children may require more attention during this period. Try to meet these additional demands on your time. A child wanting to be held more should be held more.
• Maintain control. Reassure children that you will do your best to protect them in this difficult situation. Be understanding, but firm. Be aware that children may act out of fear or anxieties by having tantrums or provoking fights. Calm, consistent limit-setting is called for from parents.
• Share your fears with children. It is useful for adults to share with their children a bit of their own sense of fear and concern to help children understand that these feelings are normal and acceptable.
• Seek help from local organizations. Your local churches, synagogues and American Red Cross chapter will have more information on helping children cope with disaster.

Communicate

• Children will naturally be curious about what happened. Explain the facts about what happened. Explain the facts and encourage the child to asks questions. If the child continually repeats the same questions, remember that this is a new experience for the child and he or she may need to hear the answers several times. Use these guidelines when talking with children:
• Use words or phrases that won't confuse children. For instance, use of the word "sleep" for death can cause a child to fear going to bed.
• Make sure children understand your answers to their questions.
• Listen to children's feelings and accept them.
• Remember that children - just like adults - may react with unusual behavior such as wide emotional shifts.
• Help children talk with each other about what has happened and how they are feeling.

When to Consider Professional Help

Be open to the possibility that a child may need professional help to deal with a trauma. Children, like adults, recover from trauma at different speeds. Sometimes a trained professional counselor is needed to help a child fully heal. Consider counseling if the child is having an ongoing sleeping problem or difficulty concentrating, or if fears surrounding the disaster seem to have become worse. A child that continually clings to adults several weeks after the event, or who expresses a sense of permanent doom may need to talk about the experience with a trained professional.

How Children React to a Disaster

Children of different age groups are likely to have different reactions. Here are some guidelines developed by Dr. Deborah DeWolfe for the American Red Cross.

• Birth to 2 Years - Infants may become more irritable, cry more than usual or want to be held and cuddled. Children in this age group are likely to retain memories of particular sights, sounds and smells associated with the trauma.
• 2 to 6 Years - Preschoolers often feel helpless and powerless after a disaster. Their age and small size prevent them from being able to protect themselves and others. They feel very afraid and insecure and are unable to understand the concept of permanent loss.
• 6 to 10 Years - School age children understand the permanence of loss and may become preoccupied with the details of the event. These children have a greater grasp of more complicated issues and can have a range of different reactions including feelings of guilt, failure, or fantasies of playing rescuer.
• 11 to 18 Years - Preteens and adolescents may react in a way that combines the normal reactions of adults with those of children. Teenagers may come out of a disaster with a sense of immortality and become involved with different types of reckless behavior. Some teens may feel overwhelmed by emotions, yet be unable to discuss them with family members.

Return to Top

Locating Safe Drinking Water after a Disaster

After a disaster, it is possible that water supplies will be temporarily cut off or become contaminated. Because you must have water to survive, it is important to know how to locate and purify drinking water to make it safe.

Water Sources

In the home. Melt ice cubes, and use water from the hot-water tank, the toilet tank (not the bowl) and water pipes.

• Hot water tank. Turn off the power that heats it, and let the tank cool. Then place a container underneath and open the drain valve at the bottom of the tank. Don't turn the tank on again until water services are restored.
• Toilet tank. The water in the tank (not the bowl) is safe to drink unless chemical treatments have been added.
• Water pipes. Release air pressure into the plumbing system by turning on the highest faucet in the house. Then drain the water from the lowest faucet.
• Outside the home. Rain water, spring water, and water from streams, river, lakes, and coiled garden hoses can be used after it is purified.
• Water Beds. Avoid water from water beds as a source for drinking water. Pesticidal chemicals are in the plastic casing of the bed and chemicals have probably been added to the water to prevent the growth of algae, fungi, and bacteria. The water is safe only for hand-washing and laundering.

Purifying Water

Boiling and chemical are two ways to purify water. Any water that is obtained from sources outside the home or water that does not appear clear should be sterilized. Non-sterilized water may be contaminated with the parasite Giardia.

• Straining water. Straining water containing sediment or floating material through a cloth or paper filter before beginning the purification process.
• Heat sterilization. Boiling water is the preferred method of purification because disease-causing- microorganisms cannot survive the intense heat. Bring water to a rolling boil for 10 minutes. Pour the water back and forth from one clean container to another to improve the taste. Adding a pinch of salt could also help.
• Chemical sterilization. In some situations, boiling may not be an option. The alternative is to treat the water chemically. Plain household chlorine bleach may be used. Be sure the label states that hypochlorite is the only active ingredient. Bleach containing soap or fragrances is not acceptable. With an eye dropper, add 8 drops of bleach per gallon of water (16 if the water is cloudy), stir and let stand. After 30 minutes the water should taste and smell of chlorine. At this time it can be used. If the taste and smell (and appearance in the case of cloudy water) has not changed, add another dose and let stand. If after one half hour the water does not have a chlorine smell, do not use it.

Containers

• Store the water in a clean and sanitary glass or plastic container. Plastic containers are good because they are lightweight and unbreakable. Metal containers should be considered as a last resort because they may corrode and give water an unpleasant taste.
• Water that local officials report has been contaminated with toxic chemicals or radioactive materials cannot be purified using home decontamination methods.

Facts About Water

Water is the single most abundant substance in the human body, making up to 60 percent of an adult's weight and up to 80 percent of an infant's weight. A person can live several days without food, but just a few days without water. It is second only to air in importance to life. Because water is so important to human survival, never ration it. Drink at least 2 quarts per day, as long as supplies last, and look for alternative sources.

Return to Top

Emergency Food and Water Suggestions

Following a disaster, some people may not have access to food and water for days and perhaps even weeks. Taking steps to prepare and maintain a food and water emergency kit can prevent a difficult situation from becoming a life- -threatening one.

Emergency Foods

Things to think about:

• What foods are nonperishable and do not need cooking and refrigeration?
• What foods are easily prepared?
• What foods are high in calories and protein that will help build energy?
• What foods appeal to family members?
• What foods are needed to meet the dietary needs of family members such as babies, toddlers, diabetics, and elderly people?

Food Options to Consider:

• Compressed food bars. They store well, are lightweight, taste good, and are nutritious and high in calories.
• Trail mix. Blends of granola, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits are available prepackaged, or assemble your own.
• Dried foods. Dried foods are nutritious and satisfying, but they have salt content, which promotes thirst.
• Freeze-dried foods. Freeze-dried foods are tasty and lightweight but need water for reconstitution.
• Instant meals. Instant meals such as cups of noodles or cups of soup are also a good addition to kits, although they too need water for reconstitution.
• Snack-sized canned goods. Snack-sized canned goods are good because they generally have pull-top lids or twist-open keys.
• Prepackaged beverages. Beverages packaged in foil packets and foil-lined boxes are suitable for disaster supplies kits because they are tightly sealed and will keep for a long time.

Food Options to Avoid:

• Commercially dehydrated foods. Commercially dehydrated foods require a great deal of water for reconstitution and require extra effort in preparation. They also are inedible unless they are reconstituted.
• Bottled foods. Bottled foods are too heavy and bulky and break easily.
• Meal-sized canned foods. Meal-sized commercially canned foods are also bulky and heavy.
• Whole grains, beans, and pasta. Preparations of these foods could be complicated under the circumstance of a disaster.

Purchasing Foods:

Most of the foods appropriate for a Disaster Supplies Kit are available at local supermarkets. Specialty food stores such as health food stores or food storage supply houses as well as sporting goods stores may have foods prepared especially for this purpose.

Food Storage Tips:

• Keep food in the driest and coolest spot in the house - a dark area if possible.
• Keep food covered at all times.
• Seal cookies and crackers in plastic bags and keep in tight containers.
• Open food boxes and cans carefully so that they can be closed tightly after each use.
• Store packages susceptible to pests, e.g., opened packages of sugar, dried fruits, and nuts in screw-top jars or airtight cans.
• Store wheat, corn, and beans in sealed cans or sealed plastic buckets.
• Buy powdered milk in nitrogen -packed cans for long term storage.
• Keep salt and vitamins in their original packages.
• Inspect all items periodically to make sure there are no broken seals or dented containers.

Emergency Cooking:

In an emergency, food can be cooked using a fireplace, or a charcoal grill or camp stove, outdoors only. Food can also be heated with candle warmers, chafing dishes, and fondue pots. Canned foods can be heated and eaten directly out of the can. Completely remove the lid and label before heating the can to prevent internal combustion or the label catching fire.

Three Day Water Supply

Stocking water reserves

• Store a 3-day supply of water for each family member. The needs of each person will differ depending upon age, physical condition, activity, diet, and climate. A normally active person needs to drink at least 2 quarts of water daily. Children, nursing mothers, and ill people need more.
• Additional water is necessary for food preparation and hygiene. At least 2 gallons per person per day should be stored.

General Tips

• The kit should be assembled based on the idea of providing each family member with at least one well-balanced meal per day.
• The food supplies should be rotated every 6 months to keep them fresh.
• A non-electric can opener and disposable utensils are essential additions to the kit.
• Include only dry food for pets.
• Provide enough calories to retain the strength to work.
• Include vitamins, minerals and protein supplements in your stockpile to ensure adequate nutrition.
• By reducing activity and staying cool, the amount of water a body requires can be minimized.

Return to Top

Am I Eligible for Federal Disaster Assistance

Individuals, families, farmers and businesses are eligible for federal assistance if they live or own a business in a county declared a Major Disaster Area, incur sufficient property damage or loss, and, depending on the type of assistance, do not have the insurance or resources to meet their needs.

To apply for assistance, all you have to do is call the special toll free telephone number, 1-800-462-9029 (TTY: 1-800-462-7585) and register. Specially trained operators at FEMA's National Tele-registration Center will process your application.

The Scarborough EMA staff is always ready to help any resident apply for the assistance they need.  If you need help call the EMA office at 883-6616.

Return to Top