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After the flood… getting back into your home safely
Print version A building that has been flooded can be a dangerous place. This
brochure will help you understand and protect you and your family
from the hazards of flooded buildings. It will also provide you information
about cleaning up and making your home safe to live in again.
Watch out for these dangers:
Never assume that a water-damaged house is safe. Going into a building
that has been flooded, even after the water is gone, can present
a wide variety of hazards that can cause injury, illness or even
death. Do not allow children in the home after the flood or while
it is being cleaned, inspected or repaired.
- Electrical hazards - Do not enter a flooded or wet building
if the power is on. If any electrical circuits have gotten wet,
turn
off the power at the main breaker or fuse box and leave it off
until the electrical wiring or equipment has been inspected and
repaired
by a licensed electrician and approved by your local building
inspector.
- Structural damage - Do not enter a building if the framing
or foundation is damaged. Look carefully before you enter. Leave
immediately if
shifting or unusual noises signal a possible collapse of the
building. Contact your local building inspector for a safety inspection.
- Hazardous materials - Dangerous materials found in flooded
homes may include pesticides, fuel oil, gasoline, chemicals and
other substances
that might have been brought in or spilled by flood waters. Damaged
buildings may also contain asbestos and lead-based paint, which
can cause health problems during cleanup. Practically any building
material
that is not obviously solid wood, metal, or glass could contain
asbestos. Lead-based paint can be found pre-1978 housing and is
still used
in commercial and industrial buildings.
- Animal and insect related hazards – Look carefully before
entering a building to determine if there are displaced animals
in the building
such as dogs and cats, raccoons and rodents. Watch out for snakes
and insects such as wasps, fire ants, and mosquitoes.
- Injuries - Falling objects, broken or damaged building components
and slick surfaces can cause injuries, broken bones, and cuts.
Lifting heavy objects can cause back injuries and muscle strains
(see "Stay
safe while you work.").
- Biological hazards - Bacteria, viruses, fungi, (mold and mildew)
and other microorganisms can cause illness when you breathe them
in, take them into your body through your mouth, or take them
in through non-intact skin. Bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms
may be left indoors by floodwater, while mold and mildew may
grow
indoors after the floodwater has receded.
- Bacteria and Viruses and other microorganisms - If you
accidentally get floodwater or the dirt it leaves behind into
your mouth, you
might develop gastrointestinal (digestive tract) illness.
- Mold and Mildew (Fungi) – Mold will grow on many building
materials such as furniture, carpet and other items that stay
wet for more
than 24 hours. Mold colonies are the fuzzy or patchy white,
green, brown or black growths that you will see on wallboard,
wood furniture
and cabinets, clothing, wall studs, and almost any other surface.
Molds releases tiny particles into the air that can cause allergic
illnesses like hay fever (coughing, sneezing, eye irritation),
asthma symptoms, or other respiratory illness that can be serious.
Some
molds may also produce toxins that could cause other illnesses.
We are exposed to mold every day, indoors and out, but mold
contamination can be quite severe in a water-damaged building.
Health risks are
greater for people with allergies or asthma, people with compromised
immune systems and for the very old or very young.
Stay safe while you work:
- Wear a hard hat and safety goggles when there is a danger of
falling materials.
- Wear leather work gloves to protect your hands from cuts or
rubber gloves to prevent exposure to hazardous chemicals.
- Wear rubber boots or hard-soled boots, preferably with steel
toes, when working and lifting.
- Wear a facemask. When you enter a flooded building, wear a
dust mask or respirator to reduce your exposure to mold. At hardware
or
home supply stores, look for a mask with "NIOSH" approval
and an N-95 rating. Both of these marks should be on the respirator
and the container. Read and follow the instructions on the mask
package. Remember that dust masks will only provide protection
against solid
materials such as dusts and liquids. Dust masks provide no protection
against gases and vapors. Dust masks are disposable and should
be thrown away at the end of the day.
- Stay alert. Accidents happen when people are tired. Take the
breaks you need, and drink plenty of fluids (bottled water, juice,
soft
drinks) to avoid dehydration. Never drink alcohol when you are
working in a flooded building.
- Stay alert for displaced animals, snakes and biting or stinging
insects.
- Protect yourself from bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms.
To keep from getting sick, wear rubber gloves while working;
do not eat, drink, or smoke in the house; wash your hands frequently
with
soap and rinse with clean water.
- Wet down mold. Before you touch, move, or clean moldy or mildewed
materials, wet the mold with a soapy solution from a spray bottle
to prevent the mold from getting into the air. Do this even if
the material is already wet because the mold probably won't be
wet. Remember
that mold can still make you sick even after you have sprayed disinfectants
("mold/mildew killer") to kill it.
- Be careful lifting. To avoid back injuries when lifting or
handling heavy and bulky loads like furniture or carpet, avoid
lifting loads
of more than 50 pounds per person.
- Get help. Before you disturb or remove materials that may
be hazardous, take precautions to prevent exposure. If there is
a noticeable chemical
odor and/or a spilled container of a hazardous material in the
building, ask your local health department or fire department for
help. If
there is asbestos or lead paint in the building, call NC Health
Hazards Control at (919) 707-5950.
- Be prepared. If you get a cut or a puncture wound that is
exposed to floodwater or the dirt it leaves behind, see a doctor.
Make sure
your tetanus immunization is up-to-date before you work on the
house. Once immunized, adults should have a routine "booster" every
ten years.
Take these steps:
If a flooded building is to be safely reoccupied, it must be completely
dry. Dirt and trash left by the flood must be removed from building
materials and furnishings. Moldy or mildewed items must be completely
cleaned and disinfected or must be thrown away. If not, mold and
mildew will return and possibly cause health problems for you and
your family in the future.
Before going back to live in your home, take the following steps:
- Get the mess out. Remove all floodwater, dirt, and debris left
behind by the floodwater.
- Remove mold and mildew. Any materials or furnishings that
soaked up water should be removed from the building. Other moldy
or mildewed
building materials should be thoroughly cleaned and dried or
removed and replaced.
- Check out the floors. Carpet and padding cannot be cleaned
well enough to prevent mold and mildew from growing. Throw them
away.
Take out the flooring and sub-flooring if they cannot be completely
cleaned and dried or if they have started to deteriorate. The
remaining floor and/or sub-floor must be dried out completely and
disinfected.
Make sure no moisture is trapped in or on the sub-floor. Sub-flooring
made of particleboard or plywood should be removed and replaced
because it can't be completely dried and disinfected. Crawl spaces
should
also be cleaned out and dried.
- Dry out walls. Walls that were wet should be stripped to the
studs and the insulation removed. Walls must remain open to allow
them
to completely dry. Other wall cavities should be inspected for
visible mold growth. Any area inside a wall cavity with visible
mold growth
should be opened, cleaned, decontaminated and dried. The exterior
of each building (siding, etc.) will need to be evaluated to
see if any or all of the exterior materials should be removed.
Plaster,
brick and concrete block walls can probably be cleaned, disinfected
and completely dried.
- Check Heating Ventilation and Air-Conditioning Systems
(HVAC).
If the HVAC system or air ducts were flooded, use special care.
The inside parts of heating and air-conditioning systems that contacted
floodwater are hiding places for mold. If mold grows in the system,
mold particles may get into the air and make people sick. The interior
components (furnace, air-conditioner cooling coils, and fans) will
need to be inspected, cleaned and decontaminated by professionals.
Air registers (vents) and diffusers should be removed, cleaned,
disinfected
and reinstalled. Replace lined air ducts and ductboard that got
wet. Bare sheet metal ductwork can be taken apart, washed, disinfected,
dried, and put back together. Air duct cleaning services are not
very effective in cleaning flooded air ducts and are only useful
on bare sheet-metal ducts.
- Salvage what you can. Personal property and furnishings that
are moist or wet 24 hours after floodwater recedes will have mold
growing
in or on them. Clothing and linens may be salvaged by washing with
chlorine bleach and detergent, or sent to commercial laundries
or dry cleaners. Upholstered furniture, mattresses, and furniture
made
of particleboard or wafer board should be thrown away. Get information
on saving valuable papers, books, and photographs from the American
Red Cross.
- Remove contaminants. Make sure that any chemical contamination
and hazardous materials have been removed from the building. For
proper disposal, contact your local waste disposal service.
- Make
sure that all parts of the building are dry before rebuilding
or repairing. Mold will grow on replacement materials if the studs,
subfloor or other building parts are not completely dry. The
structure
should be tested with a moisture meter before you start replacing
the damaged parts of your home.
Clean and dry the right way:
Nonporous materials (materials that don't soak up water) and furnishings
and other surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and
allowed to dry completely. First, scrub all surfaces with detergent
and water and rinse well. (Scrubbing removes mold, mold spores,
and the dirt that mold and mildew can grow on.) Then, disinfect
everything. Liquid chlorine bleach should be used to disinfect
and kill any remaining mold and mildew. Follow the instructions
on the label and let the bleach solution remain on the surface
for at least 15 minutes before rinsing and drying. After cleaning
and disinfecting, you must completely dry each item or mold and
mildew will return. To speed drying, keep fresh air circulating.
In conclusion, the most important thing you can do to protect yourself
is to use common sense and be aware of safety and health risks. Do
not enter a building that is clearly unsafe. If you have questions
or need assistance, contact your local health department or building
inspections office.
Other useful information for flood cleanup and health and safety
issues can be found at the following web sites:
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