[SCA-AE] OT - public service message re flooding in NY and PA part 1

[Clare Jackson]

Folks - 
My non-hobby job has had me manning a Disaster Recovery Center trying to help people in the Susquhannah and Hudson River Valleys cope with the aftermath of the flooding in early September.
 
Please take the time to check on friends down there.
 
Also - if you live in the affected areas - in particular in any county declared a disaster area, PLEASE TALK TO FEMA.
 
Even if you only had a little water in your basement.  You don't know where the mold is now growing and you don't know where in your foundation water may still be lurking.
 
Once FEMA is gone, it will be too late to go to them for help - say in December or January when that water in your foundation freezes and cracks.  Or when the heat gets turned on and you discover that there really was damage to your furnace or your daughter turns out to be deathly allergic to the mold you did not know was there.
 
You should also ask about damage to areas outside your house that might affect it down the road - they have a hazard mitigation unit that can help.
 
There are also State agencies at the Disaster Recovery centers, including the heath department with testing kits for your wells.  And some counties have extra food stamps for people who lost food in freezers due to power outages.
 
Take care of yoruselves and each other,
cori