Living in south Louisiana, we know that getting ready for the storm means stocking batteries, candles, water, canned goods and first aid supplies. We also need to think about the landscapes that surround our homes or businesses and how they can provide a buffer zone that can reduce storm damage.

Athough it is uncommon in most homes, toxic mold, also known as black mold, has become a major issue for some home builders and homeowners in the United States. The effects have run the gamut from disposal to litigation.

Some lawns were lost to the flood waters and some were only hurt in spots. Dead areas will have to be replanted, or a weed patch will result. Some forethought before planting may save time, effort and money.

Floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the surrounding area suppressed fire ants in some areas and eradicated them in others, according to experts from the LSU AgCenter. As families move back into the devastated areas, they’re offered a unique opportunity – a red-imported-fire-ant-free landscape, said Dr. Linda Bui, an entomologist with the LSU AgCenter.

One gleaming ship stands out among the others in a Plaquemines Parish shipyard crowded with boats damaged by last year’s hurricanes. That vessel, the Pat-Al, went back in the water this week thanks to a device known as a Marine Travelift and the generosity of people from Alaska.

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

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

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

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)

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).