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U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (NC) continued her tour of hurricane-affected communities in eastern North Carolina Tuesday. This afternoon, Hagan joined Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and Governor Bev Perdue for an aerial tour of damage from Hurricane Irene along the Outer Banks. 

“As our communities take the necessary steps to recover from the storm, I am working with Secretaries Napolitano and Vilsack, Governor Perdue, and emergency managers on the ground to ensure the federal government provides needed assistance to North Carolina,” said Hagan.  “Having surveyed the damage across our Eastern North Carolina communities, it is clear that we have our work cut out for us. But the sense of community and support I’ve seen across the state is inspiring.”

Earlier today, Hagan toured East Carolina University and discussed recovery efforts with Chancellor Steve Ballard. Hagan has been closely monitoring the situation for several days and began her tour on the ground Monday in New Bern and Washington. Hagan received briefings along the way from county commissioners and emergency managers, and visited with volunteers and affected families.

“I want North Carolinians to know they can contact my office for updated information, support and assistance, including help with the federal claim-filing process,” said Hagan.

Individuals seeking assistance with hurricane recovery should contact Senator Hagan’s office at 877-852-9462 ext. 13. To contact FEMA disaster assistance call 800-621-3362 or visit disasterassistance.gov.

With communities from North Carolina to New England suffering from significant flooding, wind damage and widespread power outages from Hurricane Irene, the American Red Cross is responding with shelter, food and other assistance.  “The storm may be over, but our work is far from done,” said Gail McGovern, Red Cross president and CEO. “We expect this disaster relief operation to be a very large operation that will continue for several weeks. ”Saturday night, the Red Cross was operating in more than 500 shelters, providing shelter for more than 27,000 people, and still had 300 shelters open for 8,000 people Sunday night. Since Friday, the Red Cross has provided more than 48,000 overnight shelter stays.

In North Carolina, three N.C. Baptist kitchens were set-up on Monday in New Bern, Manteo and Williamston, with the first hot meals planned for today.  These kitchens have the capacity to serve approximately 30,000 meals each day. The Red Cross has also arranged to procure approximately 1.3 million meals through various vendors in North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and New York.  The kitchens in New Bern distributed about 1500 meals in Craven and Pamlico Counties yesterday and have planned to distribute about 8,000 meals today.  

“The American Red Cross and NC Baptists have a history of working together to feed people after a disaster,” states Joy Branham, Executive Director, an First Baptist Church of New Bern graciously offered their site and many of the church members are volunteering their time and skills to organize the kitchen and prepare meals for lunch and dinner.   The American Red Cross volunteers help load the trucks and then deliver the meals to locations across Eastern North Carolina.  First Baptist Church is also feeding people onsite and the address is 239 Middle Street in New Bern.   

McGovern and Charley Shimanski, senior vice president of disaster services, spoke about the Red Cross response and its plans during an afternoon media briefing. Both cited the need for donations for the Red Cross relief operation, which will likely cost millions.  “We’re still caring for thousands of people in our shelters, and we’re incurring costs every day,” McGovern said, noting that the Red Cross has active operations in more than a dozen coastal states.  Both McGovern and Shimanski emphasized that flood relief operations typically extend for weeks, citing the example of Minot, N.D., where a Red Cross shelter remains open months after severe flooding overtook the city.

In Irene’s wake, thousands of people have turned to the Red Cross for help, and Red Cross workers are responding. The Red Cross has more than 250 feeding vehicles—or more than two-thirds its entire fleet—ready to go into neighborhoods to provide hot meals. Every Red Cross feeding truck east of the Rocky Mountains has been mobilized for this relief effort.

In addition to noting the need for financial donations to the Red Cross for the disaster operation, McGovern also noted that the Red Cross was in need of another kind of donation as well: blood donations are needed now.

“Supplies before the storm were already tight, as they are every summer, and Irene caused the cancellation of 60 blood drives along the East Coast, resulting in a shortfall of more than 2,100 units of blood,” McGovern said. “We’re expecting these numbers to go up due to storm damage in many locations, which will cause more canceled blood drives.”

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Those who want to help can drop off financial donations at Thunder Country on Wednesday located at 1838 South Glenburnie from 7 am – to 6:30 pm,  Donations can also be made by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-REDCROSS, or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions can also be sent to local Red Cross chapters or mailed to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013.

From NCSU

Mold can cause health problems, so people who live in homes that were flooded during Hurricane Irene should act quickly and carefully to prevent or remove mold.

North Carolina Cooperative Extension recommends that homeowners follow four steps: Start by removing contaminated mud and debris, then clean, disinfect and dry the home.

Before you begin, make sure your tetanus shots are up to date. Wear goggles along with a wide-brimmed hat, sturdy shoes — steel-toed boots are best — and gloves that will not rip or tear. A respirator is also essential; use only ones that are rated N95 or higher.

Make sure you have adequate ventilation by opening windows and not running the central air system. Always follow manufacturers’ directions with cleaning and disinfecting products. And don’t wear soft contact lenses. Don’t drink, eat or smoke while cleaning, and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water when you are through or before you take breaks to drink, eat or smoke.

After you’ve removed sediment and other debris that floodwaters have carried into the home, remove excess water by soaking it up, mopping or using a wet vac. Dr. Sarah Kirby, an associate professor and Extension housing specialist at North Carolina State University, recommends removing porous materials such as gypsum, paneling and other wall coverings, flooring and ceiling tiles that have been exposed to floodwaters.

“They need to go because they’ve been able to soak up moisture and can become a breeding ground for mold,” she says.

“Sometimes plaster and wood flooring can be saved, but it just depends. If plaster starts to become removed from the lath, it needs to be removed,” she says. “With wood floors, you will probably need to remove one board to give the wood room to expand.”

Different types of flood-damaged insulation should be treated differently. It might be possible to hose off and salvage rigid polysterene (Styrofoam) insulation. Fiberglass batt and cellulose — loose or blown-in — insulation should be replaced.

Also remove vapor barriers in crawl spaces as well as flexible ductwork that’s been sitting in floodwaters. If you have metal ductwork, it can be saved through thorough cleaning and disinfecting.

When cleaning surfaces, use a non-phosphate cleaner. “This is important because phosphate residue is a food source for mold. Mold likes that,” Kirby adds.

 “After you’ve cleaned, get rid of the brushes, sponges and cloths that you’ve used. Then disinfect any hard or nonporous surfaces — for example, hard plastic, concrete, glass, metal and solid countertops — that have been in contact with floodwaters,” Kirby adds.

To disinfect, use chlorine bleach or quaternary ammonium compounds, but do not use them together. Follow the directions. Dilute chlorine bleach by mixing ¾ cup of bleach per gallon of water. Chlorine can be irritating, so wear rubber gloves. And because it can be corrosive, don’t use it on metal surfaces. On materials that may be damaged by bleach, you can use other milder disinfectants such as alcohols, pine oil cleaners of at least 70 percent pine oil, phenolics and hydrogen peroxide.

After you’ve cleaned and disinfected and have the wall cavities open, consider a borate treatment to resist termites, decay and mold. This is recommended but not absolutely necessary, Kirby says.

Air out the building, including the crawl space. Open windows and interior and exterior doors. Window fans can be used to pull mold spores to the outdoors, if you have electricity.

Then dry the building. If you have no power, keep the windows open. But if you have power, close the windows and if it is safe, run the air conditioner or heater and use fans and a dehumidifier, if possible.

Wooden studs and other wood materials need to be dried to a moisture content of 15 percent or less before closing up the walls and rebuilding. You can check the level with a moisture meter calibrated by wood type.

“Keep watching to make sure mold doesn’t return, because it can,” she says. “New mold can form in two to three days if materials stay wet. If mold returns, repeat the cleaning, and drying process.”

Raleigh – As residents in North Carolina begin to recover from Hurricane Irene, State Farm has already started assisting our policyholders.  Local agents and claim personnel, as well as members of our National Catastrophe Team, are in the impacted areas assisting customers.

As of Monday, we have a total of 2400 homeowner’s claims and 364 auto claims in North Carolina.  We expect those numbers to rise as power is reestablished and phone service becomes available in the most affected areas.

State Farm policyholders can report a claim 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by contacting their agent’s office, calling  1 800 SFCLAIM, or online at www.statefarm.com .

The period following a natural disaster can be disorienting and dangerous. . In an attempt to return to a state of normalcy, disaster victims will take unnecessary risks. The following tips from State Farm ® will relieve some of the uncertainty and help you stay safe in the aftermath of a major event.

Carbon Monoxide

Never use a portable gas-powered generator indoors. Exhaust from generators contain carbon monoxide and can result in CO poisoning. If you are using a portable generator, make sure that it is outside and away from windows, doors and vents.   

Candle Fire

Use caution when using candles as a light source indoors. Never leave candles burning unattended and keep open flames away from curtains or flammable material. 

Electricity

Be on the lookout for downed power lines. Don’t turn on or use outlets or electric components that have been under water until they have been properly tested and repaired by a qualified electrician.

Gas Leaks

Check your home for gas leaks with a flashlight, not matches or candles, to prevent igniting leaking gas or other combustible substances. If you smell gas, open windows and turn off the main valve. Don’t turn on lights and appliances until the gas has dissipated and the system has been checked.

Food and Water

Use your emergency water or boil tap water before drinking until you are told the water supply is safe. Food that came in contact with water may be contaminated and should be discarded. Check refrigerated food for spoilage.

Standing Water

Do not wade through standing water. If you do, bathe and put on clean clothes as soon as possible. There may be containments or hazardous material in the water that pose a significant risk to your health.

Animals

Stay away from wild or stray animals. Stray dogs may be hurt or afraid and may bite. Call local authorities to handle animals.

Information from NCSU:

Hurricane Irene left many people across North Carolina without power — and with questions about food safety. When the power goes out, food that’s supposed to be kept cool in the refrigerator or freezer can grow harmful bacteria.

Unsafe food may not appear to be or smell spoiled, and so North Carolina Cooperative Extension offers these guidelines:

•   Don’t open your refrigerator or freezer unless you have to.
•  If the power failure lasts less than 4 hours, frozen or refrigerated foods remain safe to consume. But if the power stays out longer, either cook the food immediately or find other ways to keep it cold — put it on ice, for instance, or take it to someone who can refrigerate it. Otherwise, the food may not be safe to eat. Follow these guidelines:
• Breads can be refrozen, as can fruits and vegetables that are still at or below 41 degrees.
• Do not refreeze frozen dinners or other cooked foods that have thawed.
• Discard any meat that has a questionable odor or that has been exposed to temperatures above 41 °F for two hours or longer.
• Foods in a freezer without power may stay frozen from one to three days, depending on these conditions: 1) The door must remain closed. 2) The freezer must be full or almost full. 3) The temperature outside must be moderate. 4) The freezer must be large and well-insulated.
•  Dry ice can be put on boards or heavy paper and placed in the freezer on top of packages to keep temperatures below freezing. Allow 2.5 to 3 pounds of dry ice per cubic foot of space. More will be needed in an upright freezer, because dry ice should be placed on each shelf. Dry ice can cause burns; so don’t handle it with bare hands.
• You may safely refreeze foods that still contain ice crystals or that have been kept at 41° F or below.
• Whole fruits, ketchup, mustard, pickles, relishes and non-dairy beverages have a longer shelf life and won’t need to be thrown out.
• If you have a question about the safety of any item, dispose of it.