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<br />be restored for about $30. Rapid clean up and disinfection was critical because mold <br />will start growing and air quality becomes a concern for people with asthma. Facilities <br />continued to monitor the buildings because reports of concern continued to be filed, <br /> <br />Publicity and accurate information is critical in flood recovery management. The <br />university was on national news, and worried that students would not come, but that did <br />not turn out to be the case, Updates were continuously available through the university's <br />home page on the Web. Communication with the campus community was important, <br />especially on health and safety. <br /> <br />Organization was a critical factor, Documentation to work with FEMA and insurance <br />agents was essential, and a team to work with FEMA had to be organized. Working with <br />occupants to assess status, damages, access, and salvage took much time. Assessing <br />documents to recover was a tremendous task. Financial aid and registration for students <br />required new work on computers systems. Some buildings were scheduled to be <br />upgraded, so work with capital improvement process had to be accelerated. To start <br />academic programs required a campus emergency management team which evolved to <br />become a disaster recovery team. Staff were under much stress, and a stress management <br />program was required for them. After all the initial work was done, we had to make long <br />term plans, including implementing storm mitigation plans, and improving emergency <br />management plans, Financial and contract management required much time and <br />attention. Financial committees and a cash management team to work with firm and <br />insurance agents was required, Many consultants were required, including some to <br />manage flood contractors (there were 1,000 people cleaning up the campus) and to help <br />rebuild. <br /> <br />Role of media in flood response and recovery <br /> <br />In the management of flood emergencies, the role of the media is crucial. David Greiling, <br />Executive Editor of the Coloradoan, Fort Collins' daily newspaper, described this role at <br />the November 4 conference. <br /> <br />The event received broad coverage in the United States and abroad. A sampling of many, <br />newspapers covering it included the New York Times, USA Today, the Associated Press, <br />Reuters, the LA Times, and last but not least, the Saigon Times Daily. Television <br />network staffers from the major networks were on the scene, and the story made national <br />news for a day or two. The national media then go on to other stories, but the local media <br />stays fOT the long haul. <br /> <br />By November 4, or some 90 days after the flood, the Coloradoan had published 282 <br />stories that dealt in some way or another with the event. In those stories are answers to <br />questions like where do you go for help when you have lost everything, what the <br />economic and psychological impacts on the community, on individuals, and on <br />businesses are, how you mop up the mess, how much rain we got, who will pay, what <br />kind of aid is available from the state and federal governments, and who will help the <br />flood victims. <br /> <br />14 <br />