AFTER THE
STORM
After the Flood - Health Concerns
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to AFTER THE STORM
AFTER
THE STORM - Initial Repairs
AFTER
THE STORM - Home Clean-up and Renovation
Every year, more than 200,000
Americans are driven from their homes by floods. Returning home after
floodwaters recede can be a devastating and potentially hazardous venture.
Follow these sensible suggestions when returning home after the flood:
- When returning to a home
that has been flooded use extreme caution, wear sturdy shoes and
use flashlights when examining the building. Watch out for animals, bugs,
and snakes that may have come into your home with the floodwater.
Do not handle live electrical equipment in wet areas. Electrical equipment
should be checked and dried before being return to service. Report
broken utility lines to the proper authorities. If the pilot light
went out on your natural gas furnace, hot water heater or stove,
have it re-lit by a professional.
- If your water is provided
by a community water system that lost pressure during or following
the flood, do not drink the water until it is determined to be
safe. If your water is provided by a well and the well head was covered by
floodwaters, you should have the water tested by Public Health
officials and determined safe. If treatment is necessary, follow Public Health
officials' directions.
- If drinking water is not
available, locate other sources of safe liquids, such as juices,
soft drinks, or other beverages not exposed to flood waters. Other sources
include water stored in clean, covered containers or water stored
in a bathtub.
- When electricity is lost
for several hours, frozen and refrigerated food may not be safe
to eat. Do not refreeze thawed food. Throw away all food that has been
under water, except canned foods. Cans of foods should be washed
and sanitized before opening. All food that cannot be saved should be double-bagged
for normal disposal or buried at least two feet deep.
- Be particularly careful to
disinfect all surfaces that come into contact with food, i.e.,
countertops, pantry shelves, etc.
- If there has been a back-flow
of sewage into the home, wear rubber boots and gloves during cleanup.
Remove and discard items that cannot be disinfected.
- Pump out flooded basements
gradually to avoid structural damage.
- Stay out of buildings if
floodwaters remain around the building.
In warm weather, empty water out
of birdbaths, flower pots, tires and other containers to reduce mosquito infestation.
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