Natural Disasters
Hurricanes
Hurricane information for individuals, communities, or businesses, from Ready.gov
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Always call 911 if you are in immediate danger and need emergency help.
Below, see EPA information for protecting health and the environment:
- Prepare for a hurricane - information to help you understand the dangers and what you can do before a disaster. Get the current storm forecast from NOAA.
- Recover from a hurricane - recognize possible environmental hazards and what you can do to protect your and your family's health, and for commercial buildings and schools (information below).
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Many of the links below go to sites outside EPA.
Other sites related to preparedness
- FEMA: What to do before hurricane season, or before a hurricane strikes.
- FEMA: What to do during a hurricane
- Ready.gov: Prepare for a hurricane
- National Weather Service: Hurricane Prediction Center
Prepare for a hurricane
Make any preparations that can minimize injury and property damage. Households, utilities, and businesses should plan for disaster before hurricane season starts, or make any possible preparations when a hurricane is predicted.
Drinking water and food:
- Make a kit of supplies. Keep at least a 3-day water supply per person -and don't forget pets. What you can do to protect your household well.
- Prepare food supplies for an emergency. Get a fridge thermometer to be sure of safe storage temperatures if you lose electricity. Freeze extra containers of water ahead of time. Use ice chests in case power is out for more than four hours.
Water and wastewater systems
- Suggested pre-hurricane activities to help facilities prepare.
- Water resiliency planning tools for communities.
Planning for disaster debris:
Damage from a hurricane depends on the size, extent, and other factors. Damage debris can include destroyed structures, hazardous waste, green waste, or personal property. More information
This guide highlights the need for communities to plan ahead for debris cleanup after a major natural or man-made disaster, plus case studies. Read a printable version (PDF) (94 pp 1.9 MB, about PDF).
Chemical or fertilizer storage:
Properly designed or modified storage facilities enhance worker safety and minimize the risk contamination.
Summary of regulatory requirements related to shutdown operations - For complex industrial processes, shutdown operations require special care beyond normal operations. Facility owners and operators are required to minimize chemical releases during process shutdown operations; and if reportable releases occur, they must be reported immediately upon constructive knowledge of occurrence. Read more about applicable regulations: Reminder to minimize process shutdown-related releases and report releases in a timely manner.
Other sites related to recovery
Recover after a hurricane
ALERT: Generator exhaust is toxic. Always put generators outside well away from doors, windows, and vents. Never use a generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds, or similar areas. Carbon monoxide (CO) is deadly, can build up quickly, and linger for hours. More information
Drinking water and food
- Boiling water information– To kill all major water-borne bacterial pathogens, bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute. Boil 3 minutes at elevations above 5280 ft (1 mile or 1.6 km). Getting and disinfecting water.
- Dehydration danger for older adults– Make sure older adults have enough water to drink. Older adults may feel thirsty less, and dehydration can be life threatening to an elderly person.
- What to do about water from household wells after a flood– Do not turn on the pump due to danger of electric shock. Do not drink or wash with water from the flooded well.
- Keep food safe during an emergency Don't test spoiled food by tasting it!
Boil Drinking Water
If your water may not be safe, bring drinking water to a rolling boil for 1 minute to kill water-borne diseases.
Home or facilities wastewater:
What do I do with my home septic system after a flood? Do not drink your well water until it is tested. Do not use the sewage system until water in the soil absorption field is lower than the water level around the house. If you have a home-based or small business and your septic system has received chemicals, take extra precautions to prevent contact with water or inhaling fumes. Proper clean-up depends on the kinds of chemicals in the wastewater.
For water and wastewater facilities - Suggested post-hurricane activities to help facilities recover from severe weather conditions.
Flooding and mold:
- Flood cleanup: keeping air healthy inside Mold can cause serious health problems. The key to mold control is moisture control. After the flood, remove standing water and dry indoor areas. Remove and discard anything that has been wet for more than 24-48 hours.
- Safely cleaning a flood-damaged home from the CDC.
- Mold cleanup in schools and commercial buildings. Information for building managers, custodians, and others who are responsible for commercial building and school maintenance.
Pesticides, chemical and oil spills, hazardous waste:
- Call the National Response Center 1-800-424-8802 (24 hours a day every day). For those without 800 access, please call 202-267-2675.
- Industries and businesses that encounter spills or discharges in the aftermath should contact the National Response Center immediately. You or your organization may have legal requirements for reporting or for taking other actions, depending on the spill.
- National Pesticide Information Center: 1-800-858-7378. Pesticide contacts
- General information about environmental emergencies
What to do with disaster debris:
Disasters can generate tons of debris, including building rubble, soil and sediments, green waste (e.g., trees and shrubs), personal property, ash, and charred wood. How a community manages disaster debris depends on the debris generated and the waste management options available. Burying or burning is no longer acceptable, except when permission or a waiver has been granted, because of the side effects of smoke and fire from burning, and potential water and soil contamination from burial. Typical methods of recycling and solid waste disposal in sanitary landfills often cannot be applied to disaster debris because of the large volume of waste and reluctance to overburden existing disposal capacity. More information on disaster debris.
Disposing of debris from FEMA
Safety guidelines for debris piles:
Do not place debris on or near fire hydrants, utility boxes or gas meters. Keep children away from debris piles. More information from FEMA.
Renovation and rebuilding
Contractors need to use lead-safe work practices on emergency renovations on homes or buildings built before 1978. Activities such as sanding, cutting, and demolition can create lead-based paint hazards. Lead-contaminated dust is harmful to adults, particularly pregnant women, and children.
- Important information about post-disaster renovations and lead-based paint
- Ways to protect against lead-based paint hazards