May 16, 2003May 16, 2003
Regional faculty and staff are continuing their disaster recovery work following the devastating storms last week. In locations across the state, specialists and staff are working with and supporting COADs - Community Organizations Active in Disasters. These committees, comprised of local and national organizations, provide a focal point for local recovery efforts and ensure that services are provided to people affected by the disaster.
"We've had a big collaborative effort with SEMA," says Eric Evans, community emergency management specialist. "They've relied on us heavily."
In the SW Region, where the most widespread damage occurred, faculty and staff fanned out in Cedar County to answer questions and find help for area farmers impacted by the May 4 tornadoes.
Dona Funk, SW livestock specialist, says there is lots of barn and fence damage in Cedar County, and cattle are still running lose. Phone service in many areas is still unavailable or intermittent.
"I'm finding farmers in this area are not aware that they need to sign up with FEMA and with the FSA office to be eligible for assistance with rebuilding," Funk says. With power still out, Funk says the best way to inform rural farmers of FEMA rules, and to find out what help area farmers still need, is to visit their place personally and offer some one-to-one assistance.
Extension specialists who volunteered to help were Kim Allen, human development specialist; Linda Bartkoski, Cedar County nutrition education assistant; Gordon Carriker, agriculture business specialist; Donna Chilton, environmental design specialist; Stacey Hamilton, dairy specialist; Byron Morrison, 4-H youth specialist; Gary Naylor, livestock specialist; Vicki Simmons, Cedar County youth education assistant; and David Whitson, agriculture business specialist.
Gloves for clean-up crews are on their way to southwest Missouri, thanks to connections made by staff in the NW Region. After making initial contacts, Community Development Specialist Dean Larkin put Lambert Glove Co. and Midwest Quality Gloves in Chillicothe in touch with Ag Engineering Specialist Bob Schultheis, who made the final connection to disaster workers.
In northeast Missouri, where storms struck May 11, regional specialists are helping elderly residents cope with the loss of their homes and neighbors. "We have a lot elderly in the region and in many cases, they've been here all their lives," says Sherry Nelson, human environmental sciences specialist. "Some of the elderly people will lose the neighbors that they had for 30-plus years because they intend to build elsewhere."
Evans said, "The system has been responsive to the special issues." Among the responses were radio public service announcements about what to do during a tornado warning recorded in Spanish. Copies were distributed to stations in southwest Missouri, Kansas City and St. Joseph. Nelson also contacted the Missouri Broadcasters Association about the need for information provided in Spanish. Another Spanish-language PSA was developed to inform Latino audiences in southwest Missouri about disaster recovery resources.
Information pieces on a number of topics are under development to respond to the long-term needs of people affected by the storms, including insurance coverage and fraud, removing fiberglass insulation from hay fields, coping and grief among the elderly, financial recovery and tax issues.
"It's been really nice to see other people in other regions willing to step in to help identify resources," Evans says.
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Eileen Yager,
yagere@umsystem.edu |
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