Hurricane Florence has come and gone but the risks from power outages, damaged homes and flooding are still very present for some areas. Recovery efforts are underway in North Carolina and other areas hit by Hurricane Florence. Tom Fargione, deputy federal coordinating officer for the US Federal Emergency Management Agency, is in North Carolina now, and said relief workers are focusing on stabilizing safety and security, food and water, shelter, health care, energy, communications, transportation and hazardous waste in the state. Addressing those, he said, “is what’s going to quickly result in better care for survivors and everything we can do to immediately reduce suffering.” For those returning after the storm, just the journey home could be challenging. “I would like to underscore that if people don’t need to be on the roads they shouldn’t be,” the US Department of Transportation’s Jim Ray said on Monday. “The routes that are available, particularly in the east, we very much want to be available to our first responders and those that are moving equipment in for the rescue part of the mission.” Here’s guidance from government and emergency management agencies about what to look for when returning home after a hurricane. Road safety after a storm Hurricane cleanup at home Safe power sources Food and water Sources: South Carolina Emergency Management Division, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, National Weather Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
