Flood waters are polluted with disease causing organisms and chemicals. Always wash your hands with soap and properly treated water before preparing or eating food, after toilet use, after participating in flood cleanup activities, and after handling articles contaminated with flood water or sewage. If you receive a wound during clean up activities, consult a doctor about whether a tetanus vaccine booster is necessary.

How to Make Sure Your Food is Safe

Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water. Discard any food not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with flood water. Undamaged, commercially canned foods can be saved if you remove the can labels, thoroughly wash the cans with soap and water, and immerse them in a disinfection solution consisting of 15 mL (1 Tbsp) of unscented, household bleach in 5 liters of water. Be cautious when handling bleach, use a ventilated area and avoid splashes. Use a marker to re label your cans with the contents and expiration dates, do not reuse the original labels. Food containers with screw caps, snap lids, crimped caps (soda pop bottles), twist caps, flip tops, and home canned foods should be discarded if they have come into contact with flood water because they cannot be disinfected.

Spoiled food does not always have an unusual odor, color, or taste. Discard any normally refrigerated food that has been at room temperature for two hours or more. Thawed food can usually be eaten or refrozen if it is still refrigerator cold, or if it still contains ice crystals. To be safe remember when in doubt, throw it out.

How to Make Sure Your Water Is Safe

Listen for public announcements on the safety of municipal water supplies and for boil water advisory information.

Avoid consuming untreated water from private wells that have become flooded, or if contamination is suspected. Private water wells that have been affected by flooding will need to be disinfected and tested after flood waters recede. Water wells that have been impacted by heavy rains should also be tested before they are considered safe for using.

If you suspect or have been advised that your water is unsafe, use bottled, boiled or distilled water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene.

Details may vary among the many sources of information available on how to treat water to make it safe. We recommend you refer to the following general rules concerning water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene:

If your well is directly affected by river water, or you suspect your well has become polluted by chemicals, boiling water may not render it safe use an alternative safe source such as bottled water for drinking or cooking.

Do not use contaminated or untreated water to wash dishes, wash your hands, brush your teeth, prepare or cook food, or to make ice, juice or baby formula.

Do not resume use of untreated water from your well until testing confirms the well 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 is sufficient to disinfect the water under most conditions. If the water is cloudy (turbid), highly colored, or suspected to be heavily contaminated, the water should be boiled for 2 minutes to ensure thorough disinfection.

Use a bleach solution to rinse water storage containers before reusing them. Do not use any container for water storage that may have been previously used to store chemicals.

How to Deal with Physical and Chemical Hazards

Do not attempt to move displaced chemical containers or propane tanks as these may be punctured and present a risk to safety. Before entering your home make sure the building is structurally safe. Look for buckled walls or floors. Watch for holes in the floor, broken glass and other potentially dangerous debris.

How to Deal with Electric and Gas Utilities

Avoid any downed power lines, particularly those in water. Avoid electrical shock by wearing rubber boots in an area flooded with more than two inches of standing water. Keep extension cords out of the water. If the power is on in the flooded area, shut it off immediately at the breaker box. If conditions are wet around the breaker box, sand on a dry board and use a dry stick to turn off the switch. Consult your utility company if you require assistance. All electrical equipment and appliances must be completely dry before returning them to service. It is advisable to have a certified electrician check these items if there is any question.

Natural gas or propane tanks should be shut off to avoid fire or explosions until it is safe to use them. Use battery-powered flashlights and lanterns. If you smell gas or suspect a leak, turn off the main gas valve, open all windows, and leave the house immediately. Notify the gas company or the police or fire departments, and do not turn on the lights or do anything that could cause a spark. Also, remember not to operate any gas powered equipment indoors.

How to Deal with Flood Impacted Housing Material and Furniture

Do not allow children into the house or yard until everything has been cleaned and disinfected. If children must be present during clean-up, supervise them closely. Do not attempt to save any absorbent articles and/or housing materials that have been exposed to sewage or river water. Surfaces and items that are salvageable must be cleaned first with soap and clean water, rinsed, and then disinfected.