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Important Precautions During and After a Hurricane
Avoid
Dangerous Areas
- If
waters continue to rise, evacuate the area immediately.
- Do
not walk in, play in or drive through flooded areas. Flood water
contains hidden hazards and may be deeper and faster-moving than
it appears. Wear shoes at all times.
- Stay
away from downed power lines.
- If you get a cut or puncture wound, get a tetanus booster shot
if you have not had one in the past 5 years.
Drinking
Water
- Public
and private wells that have been flooded or have lost electricity
may have become contaminated. Water must be treated before use (see
below). Contact your health department about well water testing.
- Use
only bottled water for drinking and cooking, if available.
- Tap water used for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth or making
ice must be boiled for at least five minutes before use.
- Pregnant women and children should use bottled water instead of
tap water or boiled water. Baby formula should be made with bottled
water. Boiled water is not good for babies and pregnant women. However,
if bottled water is not available, do not use untreated water--use
boiled water until bottled water becomes available.
- If you cannot boil your tap water, it can be treated with liquid
chlorine bleach, using 8 drops (1/4 teaspoon) to one gallon of
tap
water. (WARNING! Do not use bleach that is scented or contains
soap.) Mix thoroughly and let stand for 30 minutes before using.
- Do
not use floodwaters for any use.
Food
and Medicines
- Any
foods (including those in cans, plastic or glass), medicines
and cosmetics that have come in contact with floodwaters should
not be eaten. Throw them away.
- Food in the refrigerator should be thrown away if the power has
been off for more than 4 hours or if food is warmer than 41 degrees
Farenheit.
- Frozen
food should be thrown away if it has thawed. Do not re-freeze thawed
food.
- Medicines
and cosmetics that have been in flood waters should be thrown away.
Septic
tanks
- If
your septic tank has been flooded, do not use the plumbing system
while the septic tank is still under water.
- Do
not use your plumbing system if sewage water has backed up into
your home.
- Try
to reduce the amount of debris that enters the septic tank or drains.
- Avoid
contact with sewage from a septic tank that is not operating.
- For
information on repairing or constructing a septic tank system, contact
your local health department.
Insects
and other animals
- Bees,
wasps, fire ants, snakes and other animals have lost their homes
and may be very dangerous. Avoid contact with these animals as much
as possible. Be cautious in moving items where animals could be
hiding.
- Standing
waters are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Use insect repellant,
long sleeves, pants, socks and shoes, if possible. Empty standing
water from containers inside and outside the home.
- Avoid
touching dead animals.
Cleaning
up your home
Take
extra precautions to protect your health and safety. If your home
was flooded during the hurricane, assume that everything touched
by flood water is contaminated and will have to be disinfected or
thrown out. Most clean up can be done with household cleaning products.
Remember to wash your hands frequently during clean up and always
wear rubber gloves, a disposable dust/mist face mask (NIOSH approved
N-95 type) and, if possible, waterproof boots. If your ceiling
was damaged, wear a hard hat and safety glasses.
If
your home has been flooded, you should:
- Before
turning the power back on, have your home’s electrical system checked
out by an electrician.
- If
the pilot light on your natural gas furnace, hot-water heater or
stove has gone out, have it re-lit by a professional.
- Throw
away flood-contaminated mattresses, upholstered furniture, carpets
and padding, wallboard and wallpaper because they can not be cleaned
all the way through.
- Clean
plaster or tile walls, hard-surface floors and other household surfaces
by scrubbing with soap and water and disinfect them with a solution
of one cup of bleach to four gallons of water. Pay particular attention
to areas that come in contact with food, or where small children
play. After cleaning a room or item, go over it again with disinfectant
to kill germs and odors left by flood waters. Dry everything completely
after cleaning.
- Use
a two-bucket method when cleaning. Put cleaning solution in one
bucket and rinse water in the other. Replace rinse water frequently.
- Wash
all linens and clothing in hot water with a disinfectant, or dry
clean them. Throw them away if they are moldy or mildewed.
- Materials
should be completely dry before cleaning, or mold and mildew will
grow. If items cannot be completely dried out, throw them away.
- If
materials become moldy or smell musty, they are probably contaminated
and should be thrown away.
- Remove
mildew on hard surfaces with household mildew cleaner; a mixture
of five tablespoons washing soda or trisodium phosphate to a gallon
of water; or 1/4 cup of laundry bleach to a gallon of water.
- If
sewage backed up into your home, wear rubber boots and waterproof
gloves during cleanup. Remove and discard contaminated household
goods such as wall coverings, rugs, upholstered furniture, cloth
and drywall that can't be disinfected.
- Avoid
touching dead animals. Use gloves or a shovel to move dead animals,
and then wash hands thoroughly. Contact your local health department
about proper disposal of dead animals.
- Empty
standing water out of birdbaths, tires, flower pots and other containers.
For more information on cleaning up after a flood, contact your local
Emergency Management Office, county health department or Red Cross
chapter. You can also get information from the following internet
sites: http://www.redcross.org
or http://www.fema.gov. and http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us
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