WASHINGTON – Today the Department of Homeland Security’s Ready Kids Campaign announced with Sesame Workshop a new tool on emergency preparedness for parents of young children called “Let’s Get Ready!” This guide aims to get families planning together for emergencies through simple activities and games that focus on talking to young children about the people, places and things that will keep the family safe during an emergency.

“Emergencies can happen at any time with little or no warning and, as we’ve seen with recent natural disasters, personal and family preparedness are critically important,” said Erin Streeter, Director of the Ready Campaign. “‘Let’s Get Ready!’ gives parents the tools they need to talk to their young children in a very kid-friendly and non-threatening way and instill in them important information to help them deal with the unexpected.” more

From AGNMORE (Agriculture and More) News from Texas AgriLife Extension Service and AgriLife

COLLEGE STATION – As Southeast Texas and the Gulf Coast deal with cattle orphaned by Hurricane Ike, most of the rest of the state received cooler temperatures and rain – lots of rain.

Parts of Chambers and Jefferson counties, south of U.S. Interstate 10 and Highway 73, received storm surges from 8 feet to as high as 18 feet, said Dr. Jason Cleere, Texas AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist.

“We don’t really have good numbers on actual death losses, but they appear to be substantial,” said Cleere, who visited the area Sept. 16 to deliver feed and water troughs. more

Category 2 Hurricane Ike is long gone but has left agriculture in Jefferson and Chambers counties devastated, according to eyewitness reports from Texas Farm Bureau’s public relations team.

According to TFB staff writer Bobby Horecka, who accompanied TFB Video Director Ed Wolff on a trek to the area, countless cattle have been killed and thousands of others endangered.

Three days after Ike hit, emergency and relief help began arriving. more

COLLEGE STATION – Texas livestock owners can find hurricane preparedness and recovery information on the Texas Extension Disaster and Emergency Network, Texas EDEN, at http://texashelp.tamu.edu.

The EDEN Web site has information on disaster preparedness and recovery.

Immediate danger to livestock from hurricanes comes from drowning due to storm surges and accumulated rainfall. Injury can occur from flying debris or electric shock from downed power lines. more

COLLEGE STATION – Returning home and cleaning up after a disaster such as Hurricane Ike can be a difficult, time-consuming and potentially dangerous task, said Texas AgriLife Extension Service experts.

But there are ways evacuees and others returning to damaged homes can prepare for what they might encounter and get a good start on recovery. more