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Information Concerning Floods
If you have experienced high-water conditions or lost power during the recent storms take precautions to prevent water-borne infections and ensure the safety of food.
The following actions can help prevent health problems from occurring:
Avoid contact with flood waters.
Flood waters may contain fecal material from overflowing sewage systems, agricultural and industrial byproducts, or other groundwater contaminants.
Although skin contact with flood water does not, by itself, pose a serious health risk, it is important to clean any open cuts or sores that have been exposed
to flood water to reduce the chance of infection. If a wound develops redness, swelling or drainage, seek immediate medical attention.
Always wash your hands with soap and water that has been boiled or disinfected after participating in flood cleanup activities or handling articles contaminated
with flood water.
In addition, parents can help children avoid waterborne illnesses by not allowing children to play in flood water areas or to play with any toys that have been
contaminated with flood water unless those toys have been disinfected. Toys can be disinfected by using a solution of one cup of bleach in five gallons of water.
There also can be a risk of disease from eating or drinking anything contaminated with flood water, or from using utensils that have come into contact with flood water.
Wooden cutting boards, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers cannot be properly sanitized if they have come into contact with contaminated flood waters.
These items should be discarded.
Sanitize food-contact surfaces.
Follow this four-step process to sanitize food-contact surfaces:
- Wash with soap and warm, clean water.
- Rinse with clean water.
- Sanitize by immersing for one minute in a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach (5.25 percent, unscented) per gallon of clean water.
- Allow to air dry.
Store food safely.
While the power is out, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
Add block ice or dry ice to your refrigerator if the electricity is expected to be off longer than four hours.
Identify and throw away food that may not be safe to eat.
- Throw away food that may have come in contact with flood water.
- Throw away food that has an unusual odor, color or texture.
- Throw away perishable foods (including meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers) that have been above 40 degrees Fahrenheit (F) for two hours or more.
- Throw away canned foods that are bulging, opened or damaged.
- Discard any food containers with screw-caps, snap-lids, crimped caps (soda pop bottles), twist caps, flip tops, snap-open, and home canned
foods that have come into contact with flood water. These types of containers cannot be disinfected.
- Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, wash your hands, make ice, or make baby formula.
Public health officials say flood waters do not pose a significant communicable disease danger.
Although the water may contain debris, sewage, dirt, oil or other potentially hazardous materials,
- Always wash hands with soap and water that has been boiled or disinfected before preparing or eating food,
after using the toilet and after handling articles contaminated with flood water or sewage.
- There is no need for additional vaccination against hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera, meningococcus or rabies.
- A tetanus booster is recommended only if you have a serious wound.
Disaster responders should receive a Td or Tdap if it has been ten or more years since their last booster.
Hepatitis B is recommended for responders who will be performing direct patient care or may come into contact with bodily fluids.
Flood Recovery Information
Office of Environmental Health
Food Protection and Salvage.
Private Well Flooding, Disinfection and Testing.
Hazardous Substances Encountered in Flood Damage Cleanup.
Disposal of Dead Livestock and Other Animal Carcasses .
Flooded Septic Tanks and Drainfields - Flood Recovery.
Cleaning of Flood Damaged Clothing and Fabrics.
Since flood waters may carry many kinds of chemical and bacteria that can cause infection, injury or disease; it is important that these
items be thrown out or cleaned and dried as quickly as possible.
Prompt drying of all items is crucial because wet or damp fabrics will mold or mildew very quickly.
Mold can lead to allergies and other respiratory problems.
Stuffed furniture, carpets, carpet pads, pillows, rugs that are too large to launder or dry-clean, probably cannot be
salvaged because they cannot be cleaned adequately nor dried quickly enough. Unless these articles are very valuable and you can arrange quickly for commercial cleaning
and drying, they should be thrown out.
Clothing and other light-weight fabric materials can be washed in a household washing maching. (It is safe to use your household water for laundering even though there may be a boil advisory or other concerns about the safety of water for
drinking or for food preparation purposes.) Take care in removing soil to prevent “settings” stains.
Cold water rinsing or washing may be necessary before you use hot water or before you use heat for drying. You can use standard laundry detergent, following
instructions and precautions on the labels. Warm or hot water washing is more effective in sanitizing than is cold washing. Hot or warm drying is also helpful in
killing bacteria as are fresh air and sunshine.
Be sure that heavily contaminated clothing receive warm or hot treatment somewhere during the cleaning process.
It is not necessary to launder differently than you normally do so long as you keep your wash and rinse water reasonably clean.
Oregon Health Division news releases
Tips for food & water safety in wake of storms, flooding .
~ Alerta: Con el agua y alimentos después de las tormentas.
Officials advise private well-owners to take safety precautions .
~ Pozos privados: tomar precauciones despues de las tormentas.
Carbon monoxide danger from gas generators and alternative heating fuels .
~ Alerta: Del peligro del monóxido de carbono
People in flood areas do not need to seek extra vaccinations.
~ Después de las tormentos: vacunas extras no son necesarias.
When disaster strikes, coping techniques can help.
~ Aviso preventivo de salud para las playas del Estado de Oregon .
Precautionary health advisory issued for Oregon beaches.
Safety tips for people returning to flood and wind-damaged areas.
~ Consejo de seguridad a lugares afectadas por la inundación.
For more information:
Safe Food & Water in an Emergency
Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency
Procedures on how to disinfect a well
Brochure on Mold
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