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Residents Urged To Take Precautions After Flooding
The Department of Health provides guidance to residents who have been affected by the recent flooding. Following are safety recommendations from the department.
Protect children from flood waters. Flood waters present a huge temptation to children from elementary to high school age, especially with the high temperatures. With several schools systems closed following flooding in the state, parents and adults providing care should keep kids and teenagers from flood waters as well as rivers, lakes and creeks that have higher than normal water levels and strong currents. Flood waters not only present health risks due to the potential for contamination, but currents in flood ravaged areas have been particularly strong, proving challenging for even the most skilled water rescue personnel. Additionally, experienced swimmers can easily get caught or swept away in rushing waters.
Personal hygiene must be a priority. It is important to remember that during a disaster situation, personal hygiene and sanitation are critical to help prevent the spread of disease. If you must be in contact with flood water or are in the process of cleaning up a home or business, take necessary precautions and wash thoroughly with soap and clean water afterward. Make sure to keep hands clean, which helps prevent the spread of germs. Always wash your hands with soap and clean water. Use water from an approved source or that has been boiled or disinfected. If water is not available, alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be used.
People should wash their hands: before and after preparing and eating food, after using the toilet, after changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet, before and after tending to someone who is sick, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, after handling an animal, animal waste or garbage and before and after treating a cut or wound.
If running water is not available, a temporary hand-washing station can be created using a large water spigot jug that contains water from an approved source. If being used indoors, use a catch basin to catch the water. Also have soap, paper towels and a trash can available.
Consider if you need tetanus vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposure to flood waters or debris does not increase your risk for tetanus. Individuals should get a tetanus shot if one has not been received in 10 years or more. Tetanus is a very rare but serious illness caused when C. tetani bacteria, which is found naturally in the soil, enters puncture wounds or cuts. It is easily prevented through routine vaccination of children and adults. Adults and children should receive a dose of tetanus vaccine every 10 years. If you experience a cut or puncture wound, you should clean it with soap and water and consult your health care provider. Under these circumstances, your health care provider may recommend that you receive a tetanus booster if it has been more than five years since your last dose. Many health care providers, immunizing pharmacists and all local health departments routinely offer tetanus-containing vaccines for people who need it.
When in doubt, throw it out. Due to the recent flooding and power outages experienced in the area, food safety must be a top priority for affected residents. To ensure safety and wellness, individuals should throw away all food that may have come in contact with flood water as well as those perishables exposed to temperatures about 40 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours or more. This includes canned goods that are bulging, opened or damaged as well as those that have an unusual odor, color or texture, meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs and leftovers.
Prevent mold growth. Moldy porous items that cannot be cleaned, such as carpets and upholstery, should be discarded. Moldy surfaces should not be painted or caulked. The mold must be physically removed. Non-moldy wet items should be dried within 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Mold can be removed from hard surfaces by wiping or scrubbing with water and detergent. Dry the surfaces quickly. If using bleach to clean up mold, mix one cup of bleach with one gallon of water. Never mix bleach with ammonia. Open windows and doors and turn on the vent in the bathroom to increase ventilation.
For more information, visit the CDC Web site at http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/foodwater/.
For a complete list of natural disasters and how to prepare and respond to them, please visit CDC’s Web site at http://www.bt.cdc.gov/DISASTERS/.
For complete story, see this weeks edition of the Enterprise.
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