Disaster Recovery News

The American Red Cross’ Disaster Online Newsroom has posted a video of 2008’s top 5 disasters. These disasters were mostly weather-related.

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It is possible that first responders will use robots in the near future. The hope is that the robots can be sent in to survey scenes without using up precious time or putting lives at risk unnecessarily. Robots could enter areas that are contaminated and/or structurally unsound.

The military, police and fire departments, search and rescue teams, and many other agencies already use robots. It is only natural that first responders use this type of technology. 

Texas Task Force 1 Director, Bob McKee, states: “I feel strongly that robots will be a valuable asset in the near future for search and rescue teams from around the world. They have tangible benefits that can supplement rescuers.

…Robots are going to be an extension of the emergency responder. You can never take the person out of the response. The understanding, the training and the feeling that comes from a human can’t be duplicated. These robots are going to be able to extend our skill further into rubble piles. They are going to be able to provide better surveillance and sensors to us overhead, and they are going to help responders stay safe themselves.”

Read the full story.

Visit the TEEX blog about this subject.

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Disasters bring about high levels of stress and anxiety, whether the event directly affected one or not. SAMHSA with the United States Department of Health and Human Services has created literature about “Managing Anxiety in Times of Crisis.” Topics on their site include how to help children, teens, older adults, and self-care. In this post, we’ll take a look at some tips on how to help children and older youth.

Helping Children:
· Assure them they are safe. Listen and talk to them about their concerns, questions, and how they have been affected. Pay attention to their drawings and how they play. This may be a good indication of how they are feeling and how they are internalizing a disaster situation.
· Talk on their level: Depending on their age and brain development, children perceive the world in different ways. When one communicates with a child, use terms they will understand that are not too technical.
· Stay positive: Children are very perceptive. If one focuses on the positive, a child may feel safer and have less anxiety. Develop an emergency plan with your child to help them feel safer and know there will be some sort of control when a situation feels out of control.

Helping Older Youth:
· Help the young person understand that it is okay for them to (re)play an event in their mind after a tragedy and it is okay to feel scared or anxious.
· Help them understand there is no one way a person should feel during or after a disaster. One may feel sad, depressed, angry, etc. and that is okay. Even though they may have strong emotions, these will pass and they will feel more normal as time passes.
· Encourage the young person to talk to an adult or peers about his or her feeling and/or experiences.
· Take media breaks: Limit the amount of time the young person is watching coverage about the event so that it does not consume their life.
· Resume the daily routine: This can help one feel some more normalcy and control in one’s life.
· Deal with anger in a health manner: There are right and wrong ways to deal with anger after a tragic situation. Some teens, when they feel angry or out of control, may turn to drugs, alcohol, violence, or hateful actions or language. These behaviors are not helpful to the situation. Encourage the young person to practice anger and stress-relief techniques that are positive. These can include exercising, relaxing in a bath, listening to music, deep breathing, talking, journaling, etc.

When adults experience a disaster, it is important that they not only take care of their needs, but also those of the children and youth in their lives. Helping young people in a healthy, positive manner during hard times can help provide coping tools that will last a lifetime. If a youth or child exhibits signs of prolonged depression or anxiety, it may helpful to seek professional counseling.

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Thunder and lightening cracked and roared last night as rain poured over much of North Carolina. To add to this chaos, a tornado tore through the city of Kenly NC and surrounding areas. The result was devastating: 2 dead and several homes destroyed.

The tornado was atypical of the cyclones one is used to seeing on TV or the movies. Stu Ostro with The Weather Channel explained: “…(the) air moving rapidly in different directions and (were) juxtaposed closely to each other…This is all a result of a strong cold front interacting with warm, humid air out ahead of it, plus a deep dip in the upper-level jet stream and a strong ‘low-level jet,’ with showers and thunderstorms in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast this afternoon capable of producing additional wind damage and possibly tornadoes.”

Mike Baker with the Associated Press reports a local church opened its doors to the Red Cross to shelter those affected. The National Weather Service has sent officials to survey the damage in the affected cities so disaster recovery specialists can begin their work.

FEMA has provided tips about what to do before a tornado, what to do during a tornado, and recovering from a disaster.

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If your home or business were to encounter a disaster, would you remember all the things you have purchased if they were destroyed? Part of emergency preparedness is having an inventory of all the items in your home and business. This inventory will help speed up the claims process, verify losses, and purchase the right amount of insurance.

This database should include the room items are in, a description of the item, serial numbers, model numbers, date of purchase, and receipts. With clothing, inventory the items by category: pants, shirts, shoes, etc. It is also advised by the Insurance Information Institute that one also photographs and/or makes a video of possessions.

Once the list is complete, continue to update it as you make new purchases. Store copies of the inventory, along with photographs or videos, in a safety deposit box or at a friend or relative’s home. This will ensure the inventory will still be available if your copy is destroyed in a disaster.

There are several places one can download home inventory worksheets or computer databases. Here are a few:

8 Home Inventory Worksheets from “Real Simple”

Home Contents Inventory List for Microsoft Excel (97 or later)

Home Inventory for Microsoft Access 2007

Home Contents Inventory List for Microsoft Access (2000 or later)

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