News Release Distributed 01/05/16

BATON ROUGE, La. – As the threat of river flooding heads to Louisiana, now is the time for homeowners to plan and prepare, said LSU AgCenter housing specialist Claudette Reichel.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has prepared new free guides for restoring disaster-damaged homes, Reichel said.

“When a flood or any disaster damages homes, survivors face the daunting and dangerous task of cleanup and repairs,” she said. “Everyone is understandably eager to restore their homes and lives quickly, yet many are not aware of all the potential hazards that can be worsened by the process.”

To address this need, HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes developed a collection of new, free educational resources in varied forms for consumers, workers and stakeholders working with the LSU AgCenter and other agencies and consultants. They are now available online by clicking on OLHCHH Post Disaster Recovery and Resources in the Popular Topics list on www.hud.gov/healthyhomes.

The flagship how-to guide is “Rebuild Healthy Homes: Guide to Post-disaster Restoration for a Safe and Healthy Home.” It’s a detailed, illustrated, comprehensive reference to help homeowners, volunteers and other workers safely restore homes damaged by each type of natural disaster – from floods and hurricanes to wildfire and earthquakes, said Reichel, who was primary author of the guide.

“A major goal of Rebuild Healthy Homes is for disaster victims to end up with more than just a livable home, but to protect the wellbeing of their families and create a silver lining, rewarding their recovery efforts with a safer, more resilient, durable, comfortable and healthy home,” Reichel said.

The guide includes Top 10 tips; personal protective gear; assessing hazards; work preparation; best practices for clean-out, tear-out, gutting, decontamination and repair; ways to “restore for more than before” with hazard-resistant, energy-saving and healthy home improvements; and links to many other resources.

The 72-page guide was extensively reviewed and refined by disaster survivors and stakeholders from across the nation, Reichel said. It also conforms to new federal interagency recommendations for dealing with mold, lead, asbestos and radon after disasters.

The guide is available as a free online PDF that can be printed whole or in part. A free mobile app for iPhone or Android devices can be found by searching “Rebuild Healthy Homes” in the appropriate app store.

Other new educational disaster resources available on the HUD website www.hud.gov/healthyhomes include:

– Healthy homes disaster recovery and response videos, three short YouTube videos narrated by Reichel: “Restoring Your Home after a Natural Disaster,” “Returning to Your Flood Damaged Home” and “Addressing Mold after a Disaster” can be found in the playlists section of the HUDchannel on YouTube.

– Indoor environmental pollutants brochures for families and contractors developed by a federal interagency working group to create consistent guidance on post-disaster cleanup and hazard reduction from asbestos, lead, mold and radon in homes.

– “Consumer Tips for Post-Disaster Home Restoration,” a 12-page online PDF that provides a brief overview of home health hazards and restoration safety steps.

– “Guide for Team Leaders to Help Disaster Victims Get Back to a Healthy Home,” a 14-page online PDF.

– “Important Information for Volunteers in Helping Disaster Victims Get Back to a Healthy Home,” a two-page online PDF fact sheet to create awareness of restoration hazards.

– The HUD “Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes Disaster Recovery Toolkit,” a 15-page directory of HUD’s collection of resources with brief descriptions and regional contacts. It includes a two-page flyer that for easy duplication and distribution.

In addition, three healthy homes disaster recovery and response YouTube videos narrated by Reichel can be found in the playlists section of the HUDchannel on YouTube. “Restoring Your Home after a Natural Disaster,” “Returning to Your Flood Damaged Home” and “Addressing Mold after a Disaster” can be found in the playlists section.

Louisiana residents can also find a wide array of regional flood preparation and recovery information at www.LSUAgCenter.com, including the Louisiana Flood Maps link under Features, the Disaster Recovery Resources link on the home page and the LaHouse Resource Center site (www.lsuagcenter.com/LaHouse).