From : U.S. Small Business Administration
Location : Washington , D.C.
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Question :
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Today’s chat has run out of time. Thank you for participating, and I would be glad to answer any more questions later. You may contact me at dmcclure@ibhs.org.
Please be sure to visit www.DisasterSafety.org to utilize the valuable information available to the public on disaster preparedness and safety for homeowners, renters and businesses.
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From : Paul
Location : Laredo , Texas
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Question :
I live in a community that is a frequent destination for hurricane evacuees from Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley. What should this community do to prepare for the possibility of having to house and accommodate refugees?
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Paul - as I indicated in one of the previous answers re. how communities can help each other. . .the first step is to figure out the breadth of the geographical area where communities might need to help each other. Is it a big county? Totally independent jurisdictions? Public, private and NGO/non-profit groups need to work together ahead of time to establish contingencies.
I know I'm answering very generally, but the point is planning ahead! We have all read about churches and other faith-based groups and organizations that help out too.
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From : martha najera
Location : el paso , texas
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Are there any counseling website geared towards disaster situations, especially for children that have gone thru the trauma?
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I am sure there are, but suggest you start with Save the Children. I know they're starting a national program for disasters in the U.S., whereas they have been international before. I have also seen Red Cross publications for children, so you might visit their website.
You might do a Google search to find more.
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From : Greg Jones
Location : jacksonville , florida
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Question :
Even if I have insurance against disaster, can I still qualify for SBA disaster help?
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Greetings!
Yes, if your apartment, home or business is located in an area declared a disaster area by the President or the SBA (SBA also makes disaster declarations), you are eligible to apply for an SBA disaster assistance loan. We encourage disaster survivors not to wait for the insurance settlement...go ahead and apply for the disaster loan, even if you're not sure how much of the damage is covered by your insurance. The SBA may approve a loan for the full amount of the loss, up to our loan limits, provided you use the insurance proceeeds to reduce the amount of the loan.
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From : James
Location : Oxford , MS
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Question :
Can you provide a timeline showing the typical chain of events that a small business goes through after a disaster?
What are common mistakes made by small businesses AFTER a disaster? Best practices for the first 48 hours after a disaster?
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James - good questions and this could take a long time to answer. For the sake of brevity, IBHS has an online training tool composed of 8 modules to walk the user of the Open for Business toolkit (www.DisasterSafety.org/business_protection) through the planning process. One of the modules addresses how you think through what you have to do in the first 48 hours. Go to http://www.disastersafety.org/OFB_Training/. You can sign up for the training or by pass signing up, and find the appropriate module.
Briefly, the emergency response, being sure people are safe, is what happens the first 48 hours.
Best practices for first 48 hours would vary, I would imagine, depending on the type of disaster, extent of the disaster, whether people are present or not (e.g. midnight in empty building). . .
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From : Ed Powell
Location : Wheeling , Wv
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What is status of ready.gov website?
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Greetings! And thanks for your question!
The "Ready Campaign" is managed by the Department of Homeland Security, and was launched in 2003. If you go to www.ready.gov, you can access informaiton on disaster preparedness for families and business. There's a link to the ready.gov site, whice takes you to "Ready Business." There, you'll find downloads for a sample emergency plan, an emergency supplies checklist, an "Insurance Discussion" form, and a computer inventory form. Those items should prove helpful as you develop your emergency plan.
If your're interested in more infomation about family, business and community preparedness, in addition to visiting ready.gov, you can also call 1-800-BE-READY (1-800-234-32390.
Carol Chastang
SBA
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From : Dave Larson
Location : Salt Lake City , Utah
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Question :
Hi Diana, can yo tell me the number one thing that should be done to prepare?
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Dave - thanks for the question. I just answered another question with a similar slant. Be sure you can take care of people - whether family/friends at home, employees/visitors at work. That means having an emergency response plan in place, as well as emergency supplies. Also, everyone needs to know what they are supposed to do - such as a common meeting place.
From a business perspective, I would add that it is wise to have plans in place for how you will resume your business as quickly as possible. That means having all the contact information in place you need for employees, suppliers/vendors, and business partners, emergency personnel, etc.
It also means thinking through what is critical to your business. What has to get up and running first? Second? What do you need to make that happen?
Please visit www.DisasterSafety.org/business_protection for more information.
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From : Harriet Younger
Location : Houston , TX
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With all the news lately about fires (in Ca.) and floods (in the central states), what is the number one thing you recommed homeowners and business owners do when the unthinkable happens?
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Thanks, Harriet. I’m sure you’d agree that the number one thing homeowners and business owners should do when the unthinkable happens is to take care of the people – whether family at home, workers or visitors on the premises at work. That means evacuation plans have to be in place; emergency supplies on hand; up-to-date telephone numbers to contact family, emergency personnel available.
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From : martha najera
Location : el paso , texas
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Question :
Are there available online packets with information to be given to our clients from the SBA
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HI Martha. What kind of information were you seeking--details on SBA's disaster loan program?
Carol Chastang
SBA
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From : Victor Thrash
Location : Tustin , CA
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Question :
I visited your site, and I've seen articles about how businesses should prepare....on the other hand, I think that some things (like doing earthquake retrofitting because I live in earthquake country) is really costly. i'd like information on low-cost solutions...preparing for a disaster without spening too much money
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Victor - that is true. Retrofit is much more expensive than new construction that integrates disaster resistant features. I believe that the IBHS materials on earthquake retrofit provide a price range for each retrofit action.
But, building safety is only one part of being prepared as a business to resume your operations. Please visit www.DisasterSafety.org/business_protection to find materials that can help you create a business continuity plan.
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From : Ben Scott
Location : San Francisco , Ca.
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What kind of help is there for people who have lost everything. How do they get back on their feet and how do communities recover.
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Ben – a big question! There are many governmental and social service agencies that help in disaster. There is financial help, to varying degrees, such as that offered by FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Many social service agencies and disaster relief agencies provide financial help as well as in kind contributions.
Hurricane Katrina is an extreme example, but one we have all watched in the news over the past 2-1/2 years. Many people left and never returned, with varying degrees of success in settling in, finding work, and making a new home elsewhere. Others have tried to return, but have found affordable housing in short supply, public transportation not available, jobs in short supply, not enough schools or child care centers available, etc. The point here is that community-wide recovery is essential for individual and family recovery.
I would like to give a different twist to this question. Communities need to plan pro-actively. IF there is a floodplain, don’t build in it; or, if construction is allowed, build high enough to avoid damage and abide by the building code. Newspaper articles this week have openly discussed the growing problem of construction in the “wildland,” i.e. wooded areas that are now burning in CA. If land use regulations allow that, who pays for all the firefighting? Communities need to plan taking natural hazards into account, and to build/rebuild with those in mind. Again, visit www.DisasterSafety.org to learn more about land use planning, and what states are requiring that natural hazards be taken into account in planning. There is also information about building codes in each state.
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From : Paul
Location : N. Charleston , SC
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Any suggestions on how to deal with looters?
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IBHS does not specifically address this issue, but it would make sense that jurisdictions (city, county, etc.) have public safety plans in place to address monitoring of areas where property is vacated due to disaster. Many times residents or business people are not allowed to return for awhile because of public safety issues, and it is important to abide by those requirements.
Having informal and formalized relationships in a neighborhood or a business district can help when a homeowner, renter or business person has to leave because of severely damaged property. A Neighborhood Watch kind of organization can kick in and be very helpful. I heard of just such a situation in a business district in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and it was very effective.
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From : Allan Johnson
Location : Edina , Minnesota
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Part of Disaster Survival or preparedness is also getting you personal AffairsInOrder. I have started a online company that will help with that. Would you think it important to be part of your discussion?
Allan Johnson
www.AffairsInOrder.com
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Everyone’s first concern is their family, their loved ones. Planning ahead with a solid emergency response plan for your family, knowing what evacuation route(s) you will take if necessary, and/or where you will meet if each member of the family is at a different place when disaster strikes. Emergency phone numbers need to be on hand. For instance, an out of state number for all family members to call could help. Also, as the SBA indicated in its announcement for this web chat, it is important to have a “Disaster Survival Kit” (at home, in your car and at work), with basic supplies you might need in an emergency.
Having your personal affairs in order means knowing what you have and its value, adequately insuring it, in order to file your insurance claim. The Insurance Information Institute, www.iii.org, has free software for you to take a home inventory, as well as some financial planning software. IBHS has a brochure entitled You Can Go Home Again at http://www.disastersafety.org/publications/view.asp?id=13206&cid=1102 that will give you some useful hints. For businesses, IBHS has Getting Back to Business at http://www.disastersafety.org/business_protection/.
When you visit www.DisasterSafety.org, you will find many useful publications to help you make your home safer, whether you rent or own, which certainly is part of “keeping your affairs in order.” If you can remain at home, with damage not so severe that you have to leave, that will definitely make your life easier and you happier.
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From : Tracy
Location : Atlanta , Georgia
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What is the best type of safety box should I have in case of a fire?
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Hello Tracy. You can find some useful information on fire safes at http://www.klsecurity.com/ul_fire_rating.htm
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From : Ben Scott
Location : San Francisco , Ca
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What can other communities do to help those effected by these terrible disasters and evacuated from their homes. What real assistance can be offered to them?
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Ben – thanks for your question. This is a big one, as circumstances vary enormously. I have heard of some instances during the recent wildfires in CA where families that had to evacuate were offered places to stay by residents of other communities – ones they didn’t even know. But, in a more formal sense, communities can work on mutual aid agreements ahead of time. That can include help with fighting fires, for instance; providing building officials to evaluate the safety of damaged structures and whether people can return; it could also include providing sheltering for large numbers of people.
Natural disasters do not operate based on political boundaries or jurisdictions, so it’s important for communities to plan together.
As you know, there are many agencies that provide immediate assistance and shelter, such as the American Red Cross. FEMA has limited programs to help those displaced pay for shelter.
From a prevention viewpoint, what communities need to do is to encourage and support strengthening of existing homes and infrastructure and building stronger. Adherence to building codes, without variances, and even building Code+, can make a difference. Visit http://www.disastersafety.org/text.asp?id=fortified for information on IBHS’ Fortified…for safer living® program.
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From : Penny Darrow
Location : Santa Fe , NM
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Hello Diana, I have not heard of your group before. What exactly do you do to help those is crises from disaster, or from disasters to come?
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Please read my Introduction which I just posted. You can learn a lot from www.DisasterSafety.org, our website.
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From : Elianne
Location : Weston , Florida
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How do you access the chat?
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You have accessed it through the same page you posted this question on. Scroll to the bottom of the screen.
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From : U.S. Small Business Administration
Location : Washington , D.C.
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Question :
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Thank you for joining the SBA and the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) today for the web chat on “Preparing for Disaster – What Every Homeowner, Renter and Business Should Know.” IBHS is a national non-profit organization headquartered in Tampa FL.
IBHS’ mission is to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other property losses by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.
IBHS envisions a nation that promotes resiliency from natural disasters and other property losses by developing an infrastructure that is damage-resistant and through personal and corporate action that helps minimize disruption to normal life and work patterns.
IBHS’ members are insurers and reinsurers that conduct business in the U.S. or reinsure risks located in the U.S. Associate membership is open to al others who support our mission.
IBHS provides www.DisasterSafety.org as a service to homeowners and small business owners as part of its overall mission of reducing property losses.
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