Huge relief efforts are under way after Hurricane Katrina ripped across the Gulf coast, with several people dead and countless homes destroyed. To help affected homeowners cope before they even make any attempts at assessing the direct impact of this disaster to them, guidelines are being passed around. As an example, we have abcnews' Safety tips for Post-Hurricane clean-up and Red Cross' What to do after a Hurricane.

To parents... do not forget that this may have a big impact on your children's emotional health, as well. To find out how to gauge your children's reactions, check out 'Helping Children After a Disaster' from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Jackson Health System also has, imo, very good after the hurricane stress reaction and symptoms detailed for kids ages 1-5, 6-12 and 13-18. It also discusses coping techniques in detail.

"Children naturally look to parents for reassurance; the more quickly it comes, the faster the emotional wounds heal."

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Help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Details can be found here.