Recovery

FEMA says recovering from a disaster is usually a gradual process. Safety is a primary issue, as are mental and physical well-being. If assistance is available, knowing how to access it makes the process faster and less stressful. This section offers some general advice on steps to take after disaster strikes in order to begin getting your home, your community, and your life back to normal.

Recovery also means dealing with insurance providers, filing claims, and starting the process of rebuilding, if that is what you want to do, or moving on. If you live in a flood plain or area of your community that has suffered from previous floods or weather-related disasters, moving to a new location higher than your previous location, for example, or completely relocating to a new community, may be the best solution. 

Thinking of recovering and rebuilding is very often the last thought on anyone’s mind when a disaster occurs. But thinking of how to recover may be just as important as mitigating against disasters, or how to respond when a disaster occurs. Planning for recovery before a disaster occurs means you will have a smoother recovery after a disaster has occurred.

See FEMA's web site for lots of useful information on the recovery process.

FEMA Recover and Rebuild Site

Take pictures - lots of pictures. The better you document the damage to your home or business the better, now, and after your insurance claim is filed. When looking for a contractor to rebuild a damaged or destroyed home or business, make sure the person or company who does the work is a licensed contractor in your state. Don't become a victim of fraud! See the National Association of State Contractor Licensing Agencies (NASCLA) for your state's contractor licensing agency.

OSEI Image of the Day

NOAA Fire Weather Information Center

WxWorx

Privacy policies and important legal stuff

Notice: This web site is copyrighted. The information and links contained herein are provided “as is,” and even though every effort has been made to assure their accuracy, no guarantee of accuracy is to be assumed, and is not claimed.

NASCLA

Also see the Federal Trade Commission for further information.

Federal Trade Commssion Disaster Site

For further information on recovery services, you may contact the following:

Small Business Administration Disaster Site

Red Cross Disaster Services

Minnesota Historical Society

Insurance Institute

© Copyright 2006-2008 Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Services. All Rights Reserved.