Following recent flooding of the Mississippi River, the FederalEmergency Management Agency is visiting Brookhaven and other areasthis week to educate residents about how to be prepared in case ofa flood.

FEMA Disaster Assistance Employee Steve Roth said he and otherslike him have been sent to Home Depot and Lowe’s stores all overthe state with literature to share. He and his counterparts will beat Home Depot in Brookhaven until 6 p.m. until Friday.

“My job is to mitigate,” he said. “I’m here to tell peoplewhat’s available after a disaster, both in general, but alsospecifically things like where to get food and water, preparationsfor a flood, and the dangers of mold and mildew.”

Roth said the point of FEMA’s mitigation plans is to insure thatMississippians are informed and are not blindsided by a naturaldisaster again.

He said at kiosk in the Home Depot, information is available onall the stages of disaster, including preparations to make, such ashaving community disaster plans, escape routes, options for thehandicapped and checklists of things to keep in the home forsafety. Issues such as power loss, water and food shortage andenvironmental hazards are also addressed.

FEMA distributes information on how to select and work withcontractors in flood plain areas, as well as how to elevate a floodprone home and how to clean out flood-damaged houses.

Along the lines of prevention, FEMA also offers literature forchildren in the form of activity books that show them how to comeup with a plan in case of a flood or other natural disaster.

“These are good because kids need to be prepared too,” Rothsaid. “I’ll ask parents when I talk to them if they’ll go throughthe books with their children. Hopefully the kids will learnsomething, and maybe the parents will too.”

The children’s book contains information such as taking care ofpets during an emergency, making a disaster supplies kit, how toevacuate in case of a flood or fire and what to do during inclementweather.

The FEMA booth at Home Depot offers a free in-depth textbook oncitizen preparedness.

Roth said there is also literature on flood insurance. Thepoint, he said, is not to hand someone a flyer and send them ontheir way, but to provide an information source for people withquestions.

“If we can’t answer the questions right here, we can redirectthem to a relief center that will help in finding those answers,”he said.

Roth said there are relief centers in Rosedale, Greenville,Vicksburg, and Woodville where people can go to apply for helpafter disasters if they live in a disaster-affected area.

Roth said Home Depot and Lowe’s had agreed to be part of themitigation plan because they are large chains that can be found allover the country.

“People who have had a problem have to come somewhere like thisfor supplies when they’re rebuilding,” he said.