Extension offers disaster preparedness expertise

With Hurricane Sandy possibly sweeping North Carolina’s coast in the next few days, news media looking for information on a variety of hurricane topics can turn to North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s disaster page at http://ncdisaster.com or they can directly contact Extension experts in the following areas. Information will also be available on Twitter @ncce_news.

Agriculture
Dr. Mike Yoder, an animal science specialist, is Cooperative Extension’s point person when it comes to disasters, and he can address a range of issues related to both crops and livestock. He can be reached at 919-801-8243 or mike_yoder@ncsu.edu.

Food Safety
Keeping food safe after a storm knocks out power can be a challenge. Advanced preparation helps. Dr. Ben Chapman, an assistant professor and Extension food safety specialist at N.C. State University, can discuss stocking up on no-cook foods, what foods keep the longest, and when it’s best to toss. He can be reached at benjamin_chapman@ncsu.edu or 919-809-3205.

Issues for Children and Latino Families
Disasters can be scary times for all of us, but especially so for children. Dr. Andrew Behnke, an associate professor and Extension human development specialist, is bilingual, and he can speak to a wide range of disaster-related issues facing Latino families and parents. He can be reached at 919-515-9156 or andrew_behnke@ncsu.edu.

Pests
Along with wind and rain, hurricanes can bring critters. Dr. Mike Waldvogel, Extension associate professor and entomology specialist, can discuss these pest problems and what to do about them. He has information on the web at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/storm/index.htm, and he can be reached at 919-515-8881, 919-780-8179 or mike_waldvogel@ncsu.edu.

Trees and Timber Resources
Forestry and Environmental Resources Extension specialist Dr. Robert Bardon can discuss the economic damage to the timber industry and how any salvage operations might be conducted. He can also discuss tree care and cleanup related to urban trees and storm damage. Bardon can be reached at 919-515-5575 or rebardon@ncsu.edu.

Disaster-related fact sheets and other material related to trees and forests are online at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/forestry/programs/disaster.php.

Water Quality
Hurricanes can effect drinking water quality and cause runoff from farms and urban areas.Dr. Greg Jennings, a professor and Extension specialist in water quality, can address these areas. He can be reached at 919-600-4790 or jennings@ncsu.edu. Consumers with questions about drinking water safety can get info from their county health
department.

Cooperative Extension is a partner with other land-grant universities nationwide in the Extension Disaster Education Network, which offers myriad disaster preparedness, response and recovery information at http://eden.lsu.edu.

Cooperative Extension is an educational partnership of North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, county governments and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cooperative Extension has centers in all 100 North Carolina counties, and its programs focus on agriculture, natural resources, community and rural
development, family and consumer sciences and 4-H youth development.

For contact information for your Cooperative Extension county center, see http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/counties.

-Dee Shore, 919-513-3117, 919-604-3164 or dee_shore@ncsu.edu–