Picture this.
Your team is knee-deep in muddy floodwater. Trees are down. Roads are blocked. Power is out. Communications are stretched thin. Mosquitoes seem to be everywhere.
The storm may be over, but the mission is just beginning.
When agencies prepare for hurricane season, the focus is understandably on the major threats: high winds, flooding, infrastructure damage, fuel shortages, debris removal, and extended deployments.
But there is another threat that often arrives after the storm passes.
Bugs.
And they can pose a serious risk to responder health, readiness, and operational effectiveness.
Where the Risk Begins
Hurricane recovery puts teams directly into environments where mosquitoes and ticks thrive.
Standing water accumulates in ditches, damaged structures, debris piles, equipment staging areas, and flooded properties. Within days, mosquito populations can skyrocket.
At the same time, fallen trees, brush piles, overgrown vegetation, and debris fields create the perfect hiding places for ticks waiting to latch onto crews working through the mess. Recovery crews clearing roads, restoring utilities, conducting damage assessments, and supporting relief operations often spend hours working directly in those environments.
For crews spending long days outdoors, exposure becomes more than an inconvenience.
It becomes a health concern.
Mosquitoes and ticks can carry diseases that may impact crews both in the field and after they return home.
Know the Risks Before Deployment
From Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever to West Nile Virus and Alpha-Gal Syndrome, insect-borne illnesses remain a real concern for crews working long days outside across the country.
Before hurricane season ramps up, agencies should make sure their teams understand the risks and equip teams to recognize the warning signs.
Learn more about the insect-borne illnesses every response team should have on their radar.
Before the Bite: What to Put in the Deployment Kit
Once you understand the risks you know how important it is to make sure your crews have protection before they deploy into the field.
That is where No Tickz® and No Mosquitoz® come in.
No Tickz®
No Tickz® is built for disaster teams working in tick-infested conditions.
Its picaridin-based formula provides a DEET-Free† option for long-lasting protection against ticks and mosquitoes for up to 12 hours when used as directed. Designed for use in the field, it is unscented, non-greasy, non-staining, quick-drying, and made without DEET, which can damage certain plastics, synthetic materials, and treated surfaces commonly found on outdoor and tactical gear.
For teams spending long hours outdoors during response and recovery operations, that matters.
No Mosquitoz®
For mosquito-heavy environments, No Mosquitoz® offers a DEET-Free† option made with botanical active ingredients.
Formulated with essential oils including citronella, lemongrass, and cedarwood, it helps repel mosquitoes, gnats, no-see’ums, and biting flies, making it a practical addition to staging areas, outdoor posts, temporary facilities, and field operations where personnel and civilians may spend hours outdoors. Because it is made with botanical active ingredients and is safe for use around kids and pets when used as directed, No Mosquitoz® can also be shared with community members during outreach events, recovery operations, and other public-facing deployments.
See how the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency used No Mosquitoz® in the field in our Richmond County case study.
Build Insect Protection Into Hurricane Preparedness
Insect protection should be part of the conversation, as agencies stock PPE, sanitation supplies, fuel, communications equipment, and response gear before hurricane season.
For additional preparedness resources, download our Preparedness Checklist for Households and Preparedness Checklist for Field Operations. These checklists are especially useful during hurricane prep, helping families, agencies, and response teams review essential supplies before severe weather is on the radar.
Together, these resources can help teams move from planning to action by identifying simple steps that reduce insect exposure before, during, and after a storm response.
Recommended best practices include:
- Stock No Tickz® and No Mosquitoz® in response vehicles and deployment kits
- Conduct tick checks after field operations
- Wear long sleeves and long pants when conditions allow
- Eliminate standing water around temporary facilities and staging areas
- Train teams to recognize signs and symptoms of insect-borne illnesses
- Include insect protection in seasonal preparedness plans
Protecting Responders Through Recovery
Hurricane preparedness does not stop when the storm passes. The recovery period often brings a new set of challenges, from standing water and insects to odors, sanitation concerns, and long days in the field. Major Clean helps equip your team with the supplies needed to protect personnel, support community response, and keep operations moving safely and effectively.
By recognizing insect exposure as part of overall preparedness planning, agencies can better protect their teams, maintain operational readiness, and keep their focus where it belongs: helping communities recover.
Because sometimes the most significant risks are the ones that arrive after the storm has passed.
†Not a safety claim.
