2007 Press Release: After the Flood

Take Care of Yourself

While property damage is a major concern when cleaning up after a flood, make sure to take care of yourself. While some symptoms (sleeplessness, anxiety, anger, hyperactivity, mild depression or lethargy) are normal, however if they continue, make sure to consult a health professional.

Personal Precautions: Hygiene

• When safe water supply is not available use bottled, boiled or chemically disinfected water.
• Wash your hands regularly, this is particularly important when:
  • Preparing or eating food.
  • Handling a baby.
  • After toilet use.
  • Handling articles contaminated by flooding.

Personal Precautions: Flood Water

• Make sure to avoid flood water. While not always the case, it is safer to assume that floodwater has been infected via a backed up sewage system or agricultural/industrial byproducts.
• Parents should be particularly firm as to expressing the dangers of flood water as children are at a much larger risk for being infected than most adults are.

Personal Precautions: Tetanus

• One of the most serious problems that arise from skin contact with floodwater is tetanus. Anyone sustaining a puncture wound or who has a wound that becomes contaminated with feces, soil or saliva, disinfect the area with soap and clean water, and seek proper medical care immediately.
• If you have any kind of cut, burn, or infection on your hands, be sure to use rubber gloves if you must be in contact with floodwater.

Personal Precautions: Drinking and Cooking Water

• Public and Private water supplies may be contaminated in a flood. Private water wells should be pumped out, allowed to recharge naturally, disinfected and tested before being consumed.
• If you have to use tap water, boil it vigorously for at least one minute. Do not use contaminated water to make ice, brush your teeth or wash dishes. If there is a shortage of safe drinking water, use clean disposable eating utensils, plates and napkins.

Personal Precautions: Food

• Do not eat any food that has come into contact with flood water. Follow the general rule: When in doubt throw it out.
• Canned and sealed goods may be okay for consumption, however inspect very carefully before doing so. Once again, When in doubt throw it out.

Personal Precaution: Refrigerator/Freezer

• Keep doors closed to retain cold air.
• If you are able to get block ice, placing it in a refrigerator or freezer will prolong the life of any perishables that you have stored.

Cleanup

• Flooded indoor areas must be scrubbed with warm soapy water then rinsed with a solution made by adding ½ cup of laundry bleach to each gallon of water.
• Wash all linens and clothing in hot water or have them dry cleaned. Items that can not be washed should be air dried in the sun, vacuumed and sprayed thoroughly with a disinfectant. Steam clean all carpeting.
• If there has been a backflow of sewage, remove and discard any absorbent household materials, such as wall coverings, cloth, rugs and sheetrock.

Other Precautions: Gas Lines

• When returning to your home, check immediately for leaking gas pipes. Do this by smell only. If you must have light, use battery-powered flashlights. If you suspect a leak, turn of the main gas valve at the meter and leave the house. Contact local authorities when you are safely able to do so.

Other Precautions: Electricity

• If you see frayed wiring or sparks, or if there is an odor of something burning, but no visible fire, immediately shut off the electrical system at the circuit breaker.
• Consult your utility company before using electrical equipment, including power generators. It is against the law to connect generators to your home’s electrical circuits without approved, automatic interrupt devices.
• If any electrical devices are wet, unplug them and leave them to dry out.

Other Precautions: Mosquitoes

• Pooled water that remains after a flood are an ideal breading ground for mosquitoes. While a majority of mosquitoes are merely pests, some may carry communicable diseases.
• To protect yourself, you should:
  • Wear Long-Sleeved Clothing
  • Make sure window screens are tight-fitting.
  • Drain standing water in old tires, tin cans, bird baths, yard ornaments and other places where mosquitoes might breed.

Other Precautions: Chemical Hazards

• When returning to your area, be aware of potential chemical hazards you may encounter during flood recovery. Floodwater may have buried or moved hazardous chemical containers. These containers may harbor solvents or other industrial chemicals.
• Propane tanks should not be moved. Contact your police or fire department for assistance.
• Car batteries, when submerged in water, may contain an electrical charge. They should be moved with extreme caution using insulated gloves.

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