Hurricane Helene Recovery Communications Toolkit
Flyers
Videos
Before You Enter Your Home: Use this video to determine whether the area around and your home is safe to enter. Before you enter your home that has been flooded, check for things like downed power lines, the smell of rotten gas or hissing noises. Look for structural changes in your home before entering to prevent injury.
Entering a Flooded Home: This video provides instructions on how to safely inspect your home after a flood. Guidance on safely turning off your utilities to prevent gas leaks and electrocution is described. Other considerations such as how to check for weak spots in the floor, ceiling, and walls is also covered. The video provides guidance on how to air out the home to help stop the spread of mold.
What to Wear: This video provides instructions on clothing and protective gear to wear when working on a flooded or hurricane-damaged home. The video shows how to properly use N-95 respirators or N-100/P-100 respirators for removing lead or asbestos in your home. It also covers the importance of wearing boots, pants, long sleeves, and gloves when working in a damaged home.
Tools Needed for Repairing a Flooded Home: A detailed list of tools needed to clean a flooded home. Tools include goggles, gloves, boots, respirator or facemask, cap or hardhat, Tyvek suit, clean drinking water, a first aid kit, sunscreen, bug spray, flashlight, battery-operated radio, battery-operated carbon monoxide detector, reciprocating saw, tarps or temporary weather barriers, shovels, brooms, moisture meter, electric fan, generator, extension cord, dehumidifier, and cleaning supplies.
Hazards in a Flooded Home: This video provides guidance and safety information about hazards that may occur in and around your home after a flood. Risks from injuries from downed power lines, leaking gas lines, and structural damage are covered. Other health risks such as asbestos concerns, lead-based paint, and mold inside homes are also discussed.
Generator Safety: Generators are commonly used in flood and hurricane cleanup activities. Generators, and other devices like camp stoves, gas stoves, and fuel-burning lanterns all produce carbon monoxide, which can kill you in minutes if you breathe it in. Always use a generator outdoors and away from your home or your neighbor’s home. Make sure you have a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector to protect you and your family from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Mold and Moisture Basics: This video describes the health effects of mold exposure and how to safely clean or remove moldy items. Certain household materials depending on the level of water they absorb can be kept and cleaned, while many that absorb water will need to be discarded to prevent or stop mold growth. Details on safely cleaning moldy objects including using detergent and potential disinfectants are covered.
Lead Paint Tips for a Flooded Home: This video provides information and instruction on lead-based paint-damaged homes. Information on how to determine if your home has lead-based paint, what protective gear to wear when removing lead-based paint-damaged materials, and how to properly clean an area after demolition, are all included. Techniques like wet misting and minimizing dust production are covered. Health hazards for children and adults from exposure to lead-based paint are also discussed.
Asbestos Tips for a Flooded Home: This video provides information and instructions on how to protect yourself when cleaning up a damaged home with asbestos in insulation, paint, flooring or ceiling times. EPA provides guidance on how to get your home tested for asbestos and what to look for in an asbestos remediation company. Health effects from inhaling asbestos-containing fibers are also included.
Things to Keep, Clean, or Remove After a Flood: This video describes what items in a home you can keep and clean and those that should be removed. Items that do not absorb water like glass, metal, plastic, and marble, can be kept and cleaned for reuse. Some wood items like framing, hardwood cabinets or floors, can also be kept and cleaned. Items that absorb water quickly like mattresses, cushions, and carpets, will need to be discarded to prevent mold growth.
Floor Cleanup and Removal After a Flood: This video describes how to determine what flooring that has been flooded can be kept and cleaned and what flooring should be removed. Flooring that can be cleaned includes some hardwood flooring and tile that has not been damaged by the flood water. Other flooring, like carpet, vinyl, laminate, and linoleum will need to be removed as water can get underneath the floor and grow mold. Wooden subfloor may also need to be removed to prevent mold growth.
Wall Cleanup and Removal After a Flood: This video provides information and instructions on how to remove drywall that has been damaged from floodwater. EPA recommends removing drywall in large sections at heights of 4ft or 8ft to facilitate the installation of full sheets of drywall. Removing drywall while wearing an N-95 or N-100/P-100 mask is extremely important to protect yourself from mold, lead-based paint, and asbestos in popcorn walls or ceilings.
Drying Everything Out After a Flood: This video provides information and instructions on how to dry out a flooded home before replacing floors and walls. Materials need to be completely dry with a moisture content of 15% before they can be covered or painted. Indoor humidity levels should be kept between 30-60% if possible. Higher humidity levels may delay drying time.
Debris Removal After a Flood: This video provides information and instructions on how to bag and separate waste that has been removed from a flooded home. EPA recommends separating materials into six different categories to facilitate easy pick up of damaged materials and household items after a flood.
First Aid for a Flooded Home: This video describes how to separate clean areas from the home from areas that were damaged from the storm. This will help keep bacteria and other contaminants from entering the clean parts of the home. Supplies that are needed to keep people working on the home safe are also discussed.
Removing Standing Water & Mucking Out: This video describes how to safely remove standing water from your basement to prevent structural damage. Removing water slowly and after water from around the house has receded will prevent cracking and potential structural failures in the home. Once standing water is removed, mud and silt should quickly be cleaned and removed from the home to prevent mold growth. How to remove mud and silt safely is also described.
Installing Roof, Window, and Door Tarps: This video describes how to install temporary weather barriers in a home after a flood or hurricane. Details on how to properly cover a roof or look for assistance from the government such as Operation Blue Roof, are covered. Specifics on how to cover broken windows and doors to prevent rain and additional mold growth are also discussed.
Worksite Safety: Use this video to keep you and your family safe during flood cleanup. Learn how to determine if you or someone working with you is suffering from heat-related illness and how to protect and prevent heat exhaustion.