When calm returns after the storm, it’s time to assess the damage and begin repairs. A number of factors should be considered.

If your home was flooded, it must be disinfected and dried thoroughly to prevent mildew and future damage by wood rot.

Cleaning up wood debris after a hurricane or other severe windstorm can spread one of Louisiana’s most destructive pests – the Formosan subterranean termite.

If it is necessary to complete the repairs, however, it is important to receive good quality work, or major deterioration may appear later. Outside contractors and companies will enter the area to offer their services. Some are honest and will do an adequate job, but be careful in working with outside contractors.

The aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita is a wake-up call for all whose homes were spared. It’s a vivid reminder of the importance of making your home stronger, safer and smarter.

An ounce of prevention can be worth a pound of cure when it comes to building homes that stand in the path of a hurricane. Stronger and smarter is the message building specialists are sending to builders and homeowners. (TV News 1/2/06. Runtime: 1 minute 34 seconds)

Your new home can be safeguarded by using preservative-treated wood and following an integrated pest management program at the time of construction.

After a natural disaster many people are housed temporarily in travel trailers provided by FEMA. Safety issues arise from these unique temporary living quarters.

Construction continues on the LSU AgCenter’s showcase home, the Louisiana House Home and Landscape Resource Center. The special features of the structure could influence techniques and components used to rebuild hurricane-damaged areas. Runtime: 60 seconds. (Radio News 1/9/06).

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita exposed how vulnerable standard buildings can be to powerful storms. A lesson from these storms is to build stronger and smarter, the experts say. Runtime: 60 seconds. (Radio News 1/9/06)

Representatives with the U.S. Department of Energy toured the LSU AgCenter’s showcase home, known as LaHouse, and said this structure shows what homeowners can do to streghten their homes and make them more efficient. Runtime: 60 seconds. (Radio News 1/9/06)

Joseph Lstiburek, a principal of Building Science Corp. of Westford, Mass., and an international expert on moisture-related building problems, recently led a two-part seminar on designing and building for extreme climates. Sponsored by the LSU AgCenter, the program was held in Baton Rouge last week (Dec. 15).

Neighbors nicknamed Warren Lawrence’s home in Plaquemines Parish Fort St. Lawrence. Lawrence added special features to his home such as walls constructed of insulated concrete form. His home is outside of levee protection and vulnerable to storms.

(TV News For 11/21/05) Added safety measures can make a difference on a home when a storm threatens. The proof stands on a corner lot in a development in Plaquemines Parish.

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials came to an LSU AgCenter educational site Wednesday (Nov. 9) to stress that rebuilding "stronger, safer and smarter" is the way to go for those affected by this summer’s hurricanes. Such construction is a major theme behind the LSU AgCenter’s Louisiana House Home and Landscape Resource Center.

Many people are surprised about the extent of protection their homeowner's insurance policy offers. Although your policy may not cover flood damage to your home, it does offer some protection from loss due to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, according to LSU AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Ann Berry.

Thousands of Louisiana residents are facing home rebuilding or repairs in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. "Selecting a competent contractor to make home repairs is one of the most important things you will need to do to put your home and life back in order," says AgCenter family economics professor Dr. Jeanette Tucker.