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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Recover from Disaster

    If you've been impacted by a disaster or emergency, you are not alone. There are resources that can help.

    A family smiles. A woman in the center drinks a hot beverage out of a mug and wears sunglasses.

    Recover and Rebuild

    Recovering from disaster doesn't happen all at once. In the immediate aftermath, it's important to focus on safety and well-being.

    What To Do

    • Try to stay calm. Help family members or neighbors who may need help.

    • Check the area around you for safety. In the case of biological, chemical or radiological threats, listen for instructions on local radio or television stations about safe places to go.

    • Continue to be careful and follow safety instructions. Some natural hazards, like severe storms or earthquakes, may continue to happen over the next several days. 

    • Stay tuned to your local emergency station. Information may change quickly after a major disaster, so listen regularly for updates. If the power is still out, listen to a battery-powered radio, television, or car radio.

    • Wash small wounds with soap and water. To help prevent infection, use bandages and replace them if they become dirty, damaged, or soaked through with water.

    Help Is Never Far

    Recovering from disaster is a process. There's all kinds of help available, from financial assistance to housing, to help dealing with your insurance company.

    Available Disaster Help
    • Unless told by officials to evacuate your area, stay off the roads. This is so that emergency vehicles can quickly get where they need to go.

    • Avoid using the phone if a large number of homes in your area have been affected by a disaster. Emergency responders need to have phone lines available so they can quickly help people. During the immediate post-disaster time period, only use the telephone to report life-threatening conditions and to call your out-of-town emergency contact. Texting your network is a better option than calling.

    • Turn off sensitive electrical equipment to prevent it from being damaged when electricity is restored. This includes computers and televisions. You should also turn off major electrical and gas appliances (like stoves, refrigerators and washing machines) that were on when the power went off. This will help prevent power surges when electricity comes back on.

    • Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to keep in the cold. 

    • Do not use the stove to heat your home. This can cause a fire or deadly gas leak.

    • Use extreme caution when driving. If traffic signals are out, treat each signal as a stop sign: Come to a full stop at every intersection and look around you before driving through it.

    • Don't call 911 to ask about a power outage or to get other information about the emergency. Even during and after a disaster, 911 should only be used for emergencies.

    For Kids

    Children need special attention after an emergency.

    • Encourage children to talk about their fears. Let them ask questions and tell you how they’re feeling. Listen to what they say as a family, when possible.

    • Reassure them with love. Remind them that they are safe, and answer their questions honestly.

    • Tell them, in simple language, what is happening. Tell them that they are not responsible for what happened. Limit the amount of news they hear on the radio or see on the TV.

    • Hold and hug them often.

    • Encourage them to also talk with teachers or school counselors.

    • Encourage them to do the things they love:  Play games, ride bikes, and all of the other things they did before the disaster.