1. Seek necessary medical care at the nearest hospital or clinic. Contaminated flood waters lead to a greater possibility of infection. Severe injuries will require medical attention.

2. Avoid disaster areas. Your presence might hamper rescue and other emergency operations, and put you at further risk from the residual effects of floods, such as contaminated waters, crumbled roads, landslides, mudflows, and other hazards.

3. Continue to listen to a NOAA Weather Radio or local radio or television stations and return home only when authorities indicate it is safe to do so. Flood dangers do not end when the water begins to recede; there may be flood-related hazards within your community, which you could hear about from local broadcasts.

4. Report broken utility lines to the appropriate authorities. Reporting potential hazards will get the utilities turned off as quickly as possible, preventing further hazard and injury. Check with your utility company now about where broken lines should be reported.

Important safety considerations after returning home:

Before entering the affected area the potential for electrical shock hazards and gas leaks must be assessed.
a Unplug all electrical appliances, small electrical devices on wet floor covering or other wet areas and turn off the circuit breakers  supplying electricity to affected areas.
a Turn off the gas (or other fuel source) to your furnace or heater and hot water heater.

If water is of questionable purity, boil or add bleach, and distill drinking water before using. (See information on water treatment under the "Disaster Supplies Kit" section.) Wells inundated by flood waters should be pumped out and the water tested for purity before drinking.  Ill health effects often occur when people drink water contaminated with bacteria and germs.

Pump out flooded basements gradually (about one-third of the water per day) to avoid structural damage. If the water is pumped completely in a short period of time, pressure from water-saturated soil on the outside could cause basement walls to collapse.

Service damaged septic tanks, cesspools, pits, and leaching systems as soon as possible. Damaged sewage systems are health hazards.

Repairing your flooded home (English)
Cómo reparar su hogar inundado (En Español)
 

Food Safety

1. For the Freezer section: A freezer that is half full will hold food safely for up to 24 hours. A full freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours. Do not open the freezer door if you can avoid it.
2. For the Refrigerated section: Pack milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, gravy, and spoilable leftovers into a cooler surrounded by ice. Inexpensive Styrofoam coolers are fine for this purpose.
3. Use a digital quick-response thermometer to check the temperature of your food right before you cook or eat it. Throw away any food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. If it looks like the power outage will be prolonged, prepare a cooler with ice for your freezer items. See "Power is Out" download guidelines (PDF file).

Dry Ice Safety

• Handle dry ice with caution and in a well-ventilated area.
• Do not touch dry ice with bare hands; wear gloves or use tongs.
• Wrap dry ice in brown paper for longer storage.  One large piece lasts longer than several small ones.
• To locate a distributor of dry ice, look under “ice” or “carbon dioxide” in the phone book.
• Buy 25 lbs of dry ice to keep a 10 cubic foot freezer full of food safe for 3-4 days; half-full – 2-3 days. A full 18 cubic foot freezer requires 50-100 lbs of dry ice to keep food safe 2 days; half-full- less than 2 days.
• The temperature of dry ice is -216 degrees Fahrenheit; therefore, it may cause freezer burn on items near or touching it.  Separate dry ice from the food using a piece of cardboard.

Cooking Safety

• Never use charcoal indoors – inadequate ventilation makes indoor cooking with charcoal dangerous and even deadly.
• Never use a gas grill indoors.  Use the grill at least ten feet away from any building.  Do not use the grill in a garage, carport, porch, or near any surface that can catch fire.

Drinking Water Safety

• Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, wash your hands, make ice, or make baby formula. If possible, use baby formula that does not need to have water added. You can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to cleanse your hands.
   
• If you use bottled water, be sure it came from a safe source. If you do not know that the water came from a safe source, you should boil or treat it before you use it. Use only bottled, boiled, or treated water until the Health Department notifies residents that the water is safe.
   
• Boiling water, when practical, is the preferred way to kill harmful bacteria and parasites. Bringing water to a rolling boil for 1 minute will kill most organisms.
   
• When boiling water is not practical, you can treat water with chlorine tablets, iodine tablets, or unscented household chlorine bleach (5.25% sodium hypochlorite):
   
  • If you use chlorine tablets or iodine tablets, follow the directions that come with the tablets.
     
  • If you use household chlorine bleach, add 1/8 teaspoon (~0.75 mL) of bleach per gallon of water if the water is clear. For cloudy water, add 1/4 teaspoon (~1.50 mL) of bleach per gallon. Mix the solution thoroughly and let it stand for about 30 minutes before using it.

Recommended Cleaning Solutions
1. Use  non-sudsing household cleaners or laundry soap or detergent for cleaning items that do not need disinfection.

2. The first choice in disinfecting after a flood is to use 10% solution of liquid bleach (3/4 cup in 1 gallon of water).  If bleach is not available, you can use a household disinfectant such as pine oil (check labels).

Personal precautions after the cleanup
a After completing the cleanup, wash your hands with soap and water. Use water that has been boiled for 1 minute (allow the water to cool before washing your hands).
a Or you may use water that has been disinfected for personal hygiene use (solution of ⅛ teaspoon of household bleach per 1 gallon of water). Let it stand for 30 minutes. If the water is cloudy, use a solution of ¼ teaspoon of household bleach per 1 gallon of water.
aWash clothes contaminated with flood or sewage water in hot water and detergent. It is recommended that a laundry mat be used for washing large quantities of clothes and linens until your onsite waste-water system has been professionally inspected and serviced.
a Seek immediate medical attention if you become injured or ill.

Step 4. Dry out your home and check for mold/mildew concerns.
a Open outside doors and windows.
a Open closet doors and cabinets.
a Circulate the air with fans.
a Run a dehumidifier.

Click here for more emergency preparedness information