Released June 19, 2008

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Reliable information is an important ingredient in preparing for, surviving and recovering from a natural disaster.

The Extension Services of the nation’s state land-grant universities are working together to provide that kind of information on the Web at http://eden.lsu.edu/.

The “eden” in the address stands for the project’s name – Extension Disaster Education Network.

“The EDEN site provides access to a wealth of practical, research-based recommendations. The available topics range from hurricanes or pandemic flu to mold or West Nile virus,” said Mary Lou Peter-Blecha, EDEN point of contact for Kansas State University Research and Extension.

Of interest to thousands of Kansans now, EDEN provides an array of links to tornado-related facts, she added. Purdue University’s state page, for example, provides twister information at http://www.ces.purdue.edu/eden/disastertopics/tornado/index.html.

“Given current events, it’s rather ironic that some of the best flood-related information is on K-State’s EDEN page,” Peter Blecha said.

K-State’s links are in categories – Food and Health, Cleaning Up After the Flood, and Farming in the Wake of the Flood. They’re at http://www.eden.lsu.edu/State_Contacts_View.aspx?state=Kansas.

Each of the nation’s county, district and/or area Extension agents also has resources available or access to such resources as publications, brochures, fact sheets and videotapes, Peter-Blecha said.

“The educators in those local offices also know their county and its needs as well as anyone could,” she said. “In addition, they can provide contact information for local and state leaders, agencies and organizations that may be needed or useful in a disaster.”

-30-

http://isis.oznet.ksu.edu/KSRENews/story/briefs061908.aspx

Contact: Mary Lou Peter-Blecha, mlpeter@ksu.edu