Unsung Heroes: Natural Disaster Cleanup
Natural disasters have wreaked havoc on multiple U.S. states in the late summer of 2017, coast to coast, starting with Southern California wildfires burning thousands of acres in August 2017, to hurricanes in both Texas and Florida. Flooding, wildfires, hurricanes, and earthquakes in multiple countries in the Americas during the late summer of 2017 caused mandatory evacuations, power outages, and structural damage affecting hundreds of millions of people.
Natural disaster first responders braved cities like Houston, Texas, where Hurricane Harvey was declared the most destructive hurricane the U.S. has ever seen. Within the same month, yet another category 5 came to Southern Florida: Hurricane Irma.
In these frightening times, Prudential Overall Supply celebrates the unsung heroes of natural disaster first responders and cleanup crews.
What Do First Responders and Natural Disaster Cleanup Crews Do?
Some of those who respond to the scene of a natural disaster include first responders.
These include:
- Police Officers
- Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)
- Firefighters
- And others
These first responders courageously charged into frightful scenes where most others would flee.
First responders to Hurricane Irma were able to safely relocate hundreds of Southern Florida residents were in the wake of Hurricane Irma, as the National Guard and the Orange County Fire Rescue (OCFRD) saved lives of both humans and animals.
EMTs even delivered babies as hurricane winds blew down power lines and split trees in half as they crashed down on top of buildings. Many vehicles washed away in floods created by heavy tropical storm rainfall.
Who Cleans the Scene After a Natural Disaster?
Once evacuation orders were lifted and residents were able to return to their homes (if still left standing), then the cleanup crews would arrive at the scene. In fact, after every natural disaster, removal of debris is one of the biggest recovery tasks.
Debris removal after a natural disaster, headed by The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), primarily includes removing and disposing of trees, wreckage, vehicles, personal possessions, and mud left behind by a natural disaster. FEMA works in recovery efforts following natural disasters with the help of state and local emergency managers, as well as first responders.
How Can I Help First Responders and Emergency Cleanup Crews?
Fortunately, there are ways to display your gratitude to our unsung heroes.
- Connect to volunteers with trusted organizations offered in an affected area. Volunteers not only clean debris, but help translate for residents and provide immediate shelter to displaced victims of natural disasters, and more.
- Stay off roads and out of the way of emergency workers.
- Obey all evacuation orders to lessen the intensity of the work faced by first responders.
- Donate to a trusted charity for organizations that respond to natural disasters.
As you can see, you can help first responders and natural disaster cleanup crews in their brave efforts to mitigate natural disasters. If you choose to volunteer, Prudential Overall Supply provides protective gear and supplies, such as HAZMAT suits, uniforms, cleanroom gear, and more, to meet your needs. Contact us at (800) 767-5536 for more information about protective gear.
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