The hurricane has passed but there is still danger. There may be no more winds or high water, but hazards still abound. A wrong step could be fatal.
Get Your Re-Entry Information
Getting Your Home in Order
Restoring Utilities
What to do with Trash
Safety Guidelines for Water
Safety Guidelines for Food
Filing Your Claim
Get Your Re-Entry Information
After a storm, each parish or community will establish their own plans for residents to re-enter the area. As lines of communication are made available, they'll be posted here.
City of New Orleans re-entry placards:
services.nola.gov
Red Cross
www.redcross.org
www.preparelouisiana.redcross.org
FEMA
www.fema.gov
800-480-2520
Getting Your Home in Order
If your home looks unsafe it probably is. Emergency management officials have plans to certify structures for safety after a hurricane. It's wise to wait on them.
* Wear rubber soled shoes & rubber gloves
* Photograph the damage. Do this before making any repairs (even temporary ones).
* Make only temporary repairs. Don't make permanent repairs until your insurance agent inspects the property. Keep all receipts from temporary repairs.
* Do not inspect anything at night. Wait until daylight, and even then use a good flashlight when you go inside.
Inside:
* Do not smoke or use an open flame. If you smell gas, turn it off at the meter or tank.
* Watch for falling objects, especially loose wires, ceilings, or beams.
* Do not touch electrical appliances or tools when standing in water.
* Be careful not to further weaken your home while removing debris.
* Open all doors & windows. This will release moisture, odors and dangerous gases. Be careful of broken glass when opening windows. If you do not feel safe opening doors or windows, let someone else.
* If the walls of a wood-frame home are waterlogged, drill or punch "weep holes" in interior walls to let water out.
* If you have wood floors that buckled, don't try to straighten them until they've dried.
* If you have ceramic or terrazzo tile on top of concrete flooring, let the floor dry then reattach any loose tiles.
* Look for holes where water can get in through the roof.
Outside:
* Look for big problems by walking slowly around your house.
* Inspect your roof thoroughly. Look at roof supports, ridge areas, gable ends, eaves and missing shingles.
* Do not walk on the roof when assessing roof damage. Step onto the roof in rubber sole shoes. The roof may have shifted and be very weak. You could fall through the ceiling.
* Emergency repairs to roofs can be made in a variety of ways: "Sneaky Paper" comes in rolls and has a self-adhesive side that sticks to the roof. "Visqueen" plastic sheeting should be at least 6 mils thick.
Restoring Utilities
* Call the power company. If there are lines down or sparking on your property let the power company fix them.
* If the rest of your neighborhood has power & you don't, call the power company but don't expect immediate service. The power company will concentrate on restoring power to whole blocks not individual homes.
* Keep debris from cluttering utility poles. Pile debris as neatly as possible close to the street.
* Garbage pickup will be delayed. Call your local trash hauler to find out when pickup will resume.
* You will not have cable as long as the power is out. Call your cable company once power is restored.
What To Do With Trash
Garbage pickup will be slow immediately after a storm. Call your local trash hauler to find out when service will be restored.
* Double bag all garbage in plastic bags.
* Keep the bags in covered containers.
* Spray the inside of garbage containers with insect repellant.
* Pile debris as neatly as possible. Keep it as close to street as you can, away from utility poles so crews can make repairs.
* If the smell becomes unbearable, use a pickup truck to haul the garbage to a central collection point.
Safety Guidelines for Water
Boil-water orders are often issued after a hurricane. That's usually because the public water utility has lost pressure in its water-moving systems, making it possible for contaminants to enter water lines. WGNO will announce on the air and online when local authorities make water announcements on the status of the water supply.
* Use only bottled or disinfected water for drinking & cooking. Do this until the public water supplies are declared safe. Estimate one liter of water per person per day.
* Use water that you saved before the storm. It should be safe up to 6 months if you store without air in the bottles and in the dark.
* Use disinfected or bottled water to brush teeth & for pets.
* Wash hands frequently With disinfected water & soap. This will help to prevent the spread of germs.
* Do not use water that has an odd color, odor or things floating in it.
* Use water stored in the bathtub or the tap to flush the toilet.
* Bathing or showering with tap water is okay. Just don't let any of the water get in your ears, eyes or mouth. And if you shave with tap water, clean any cuts with antiseptic.
* Don't drink water from wells.
* Use bottled water for cleaning contact lenses.
Boiling Water:
* Strain solids from water first.
* Boil at rolling boil for 10 minutes, then let cool.
* Add a pinch of salt for taste.
* Pour water back and forth from clean containers to reduce the flat taste.
Liquid Chlorine:
* Strain solids from water first.
* Use common household chlorine bleach, without scents. Add 16 drops of chlorine bleach for each gallon of water.
* Stir and let stand for 30 minutes.
* If water does not have a slight chlorine odor, repeat the dosage and let stand for 30 minutes.
* If water doesn't smell like chlorine after second treatment, discard and find another source of water.
Safety Guidelines for Food
Before you cook, assess the safety of your food. When in doubt, throw it out. The young and the elderly are at the greatest risk for food poisoning. In advance of the storm, buy foods that are non-perishable and that do not require heating preparation, including canned beans, puddings, fruit, tuna and snacks. Any food that hasn't been handled or processed will spoil quickly.
Frozen Foods:
Meats, Poultry, Seafood, Casseroles, Stews, Pies:
* Do not re-freeze foods that are partially thawed. A refrigerator thermometer is helpful in determining what foods are safe.
* Keep track of how long foods are left at room temperature. Any food that sits at room temperature (between 40 and 104 degrees) for more than one hour should be cooked and served, cooked and refrozen, or thrown away.
Commercially Packaged Vegetables, Fruits & Juices:
* Refreeze if ice crystals are in place, but there maybe some loss in flavor.
* Throw away if kept at room temperature for more than 2 hours, especially if there's mold or yeast smell.
Foods Containing Dairy:
* Dairy & high-protein foods spoil quickly. It's best to use the one-hour rule to be safe. Dispose of anything with a moldy or yeast smell.
* Throw away if thawed.
Refrigerated Foods:
Foods kept in an unopened refrigerator for 24 hours, will remain safe, as long as the food remains colder than room temperature. Eat foods in your refrigerator first, before exposing frozen foods to warmer temperatures which cause spoilage.
* Milk: discard if unrefrigerated for more than two hours.
* Fresh eggs: safe unrefrigerated for five to seven days. Discard if shells are cracked or odor or discoloration is present.
* Hard boiled eggs: discard if kept at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
* Hard cheese, butter, margarine: safe unrefrigerated if well wrapped. Discard if mold or bad odor develops.
* Fruits or vegetables: safe as long as they did not develop mold or a yeast smell.
* Fresh meats, lunch meats/hotdogs: throw away after 1 hour at room temperature.
* Opened mayonnaise: throw away after being unrefrigerated for 1 hour.
Filing Your Claim
* Call your agent immediately.
* Check over your list of coverages again.
* Begin making temporary repairs. Keep all receipts.
* Removal of trees or branches that have fallen on your home is usually covered by homeowner policies. Trees or branches that blew into your yard without damaging anything is NOT usually covered.
* Let your agent know where you can be reached. If your home is uninhabitable, let your insurer know where you are.
* Adjusters will see worst hit homes first. If your home only suffered minor damages, be patient.
* Adjusters or agents may issue checks on the spot to cover costs of temporary housing.
* Officials suggest getting the loan process going as soon as possible if you think you'll need financial help.
* Get bids from several contractors. Present your bids to your adjuster. Some companies provide lists of recommended contractors.
* Contact the insurance company's claims department manager if you and the insurance company cannot settle how much it will cost to repair your home.
* Litigation should be a last resort in settling a claim. Cases can cost thousands of dollars in legal fees and take years to resolve.
