Emergency, disaster information available at Texas EDEN website
By: Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Joyce Cavanagh, 979-845-3859, jacavanagh@ag.tamu.edu
Dr. Andy Vestal, 979-862-3013, t-vestal@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION – With the extent and severity of recent rains throughout the state, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts are again reminding Texans the agency provides information regarding to prepare for and recover from a flood.
“AgriLife Extension has a lot of information, most of it free and available online, related to preparing for and recovering from flooding,” said Dr. Joyce Cavanagh, AgriLife Extension specialist in family development and resource management, College Station. “With flooding, there are a number of things you can do to minimize damage to your home or business, protect your family’s health and restore your property after the flood.”
The Texas EDEN website provides a variety of information on topics related to flood recovery. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Steve Byrns)
Cavanagh said the Texas Extension Disaster Education Network, Texas EDEN, website at http://texashelp.tamu.edu provides information on topics such as cleaning flood-damaged homes, emergency food and water supplies, post-flooding safety precautions and other topics. Additional information can be found under the “Disasters & Emergencies” link at the Texas AgriLife Extension Bookstore at http://www.agrilifebookstore.org/Default.asp . This site contains many no-cost materials for downloading and printing, including flood recovery safety tips, controlling mold, basic first aid, caring for important papers and post-disaster considerations for older adults.
“The first thing those affected by a flood need to do is to emphasize safety when returning to their home or business,” said Dr. Andy Vestal, AgriLife Extension’s specialist in emergency management. “People need to be aware of possible structural or electrical damage and possible damage to gas lines. They also need to be aware of possible contamination from flood water and what they can do to reduce that risk.”
Vestal said flood recovery can be a slow process that requires great patience and perseverance.
“It’s also important to have as much information as possible to navigate safely through the recovery process,” he said. “We hope these practical, objective, science-based materials will help make recovery a little easier for those affected by the recent flooding.”
-30-
