Food Safety
- Minimize the number of times you open the freezer and refrigerator doors.
- Food kept in a closed refrigerator will keep for approximately four hours from the time the power went off.
After that, throw it out.
- Food kept in a closed freezer will last for approximately 48 hours. After 48 hours, food should be cooked
thoroughly or thrown out. Do not refreeze thawed foods.
- Any food (including food and drinks in cans, plastic or glass containers) that has come into contact
with floodwaters should be thrown away.
Drinking Water
- Public and private wells that have lost pressure or been flooded may have become contaminated.
Pay attention to any notices put out by your water supplier or health authorities. Contact your local health department about private well water testing.
- Use bottled or stored water for cooking and drinking, if available, until health officials declare that water
is safe.
- If the public water supply has lost power or a resident’s private well has been flooded, tap water used
for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth or making ice should be boiled for at least one minutes. Pregnant
women and babies should use bottled or stored water; boiled water is not good for them.
- If you cannot boil your tap water, treat it with bleach using 8 drops (1/4 teaspoon) to one gallon of
tap water. DO NOT use bleach that contains soap or scent. Mix it thoroughly and let stand for 30
minutes before using.
- All floodwater is considered contaminated; do not use it for any use.
Clean Up
- Assume that everything touched by floodwater has been contaminated and will have to be
disinfected or thrown away.
- Wash your hands frequently and always wear protective gear — waterproof gloves and boots, long
sleeves and pants, eye protection and a disposable filtering face mask, if possible.
- Walls, hard-surface floors and counters can be cleaned with soap and water first, then with a solution
of 1 cup bleach mixed into 4 gallons of water. Go over the area twice with the bleach solution. Pay
particular care to areas where children will be playing.
- Use a two-bucket method of cleaning—put the cleaning solution in one bucket and the rinse water
in another. Change rinse water frequently.
- Upholstered furniture and mattresses that have been contaminated should be discarded. Carpet
and padding might also have to be thrown away. Linens and clothing can be washed in hot soapy
water or dry cleaned. Dry wall and insulation may draw water up above the flood line and will
have to be removed.
- If the pilot light on your natural gas furnace or hot water heater has gone out, have it re-lit by a
professional.
Septic Tanks
- Human exposure to wastewater can lead to disease transmission. Do not let children play in flood
waters as these waters may be affected by sewage also.
- If you live in a low-lying or flood-prone area, the ground in your area may already be saturated due to the
heavy rainfalls during and after the hurricane. Septic systems will not function properly in saturated
conditions. After a major rainfall event like a hurricane, it may take several days for the soils to drain and
allow your system to return to normal. Pumping the tank may not provide any improvement. Water may
flow into the tank from the drainfield, filling the septic tank. You should use household water as little as
possible to prevent backups of sewage in your home.
- If your septic system includes a pump, it will not function without electricity. This can cause backups of
sewage into your home. You should use extreme water conservation practices until power is restored:
flushing toilets only when necessary, taking sponge baths and not allowing the water to run
continuously while brushing teeth, shaving or during cooking practices.
- When power to the system is restored, the pump system’s high-water alarm may sound for a period of
time, but should eventually go off. If the alarm stays on, or if the system does not appear to be working
properly in some other way, contact the system operator, installer or county health department. Repairs
may be necessary prior to returning to normal water use. Residents may also need the services of an
electrician if the sewage system’s electrical control panel or service connection sustained any physical
damage or was flooded.
- Do NOT continue to use water if sewage backs up into the house or if water or sewage is observed
surfacing near the septic system. Keep children out of wet areas that are affected by sewage. Remove
and discard household goods that become contaminated with sewage and cannot be disinfected, such
as rugs, wall coverings and drywall. Wear rubber boots and waterproof gloves when cleaning up
sewage.
- After the storm, septic systems may be damaged during debris removal. Vehicles can crush
drainfields, tanks and distribution boxes, especially when the soil is saturated. Pulling tree stumps with
heavy equipment can also destroy drainfields. Ensure no one drives in or around your septic tank and
drainfield, and either allow stumps to rot in place or have the stumps ground with a small stump grinder.
If you suspect damage to your septic tank, have it professionally inspected and serviced. Signs of
damage include settling or inability to accept water. Most septic tanks are not damaged by a flood since
they are below ground and completely covered. However, sometimes septic tanks or pump chambers
become filled with silt and debris, and must be professionally cleaned. If the drain lines in the disposal
field are filled with silt, a new system may have to be installed in new trenches. Because septic tanks
may contain dangerous gases, only trained specialists should clean or repair them.
Additional Sources of Information
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