Emergency Health Precautions For Flooded Areas

   Flooding can result in many potential health 
hazards. Flooding can carry waste materials from barnyards, sewers, 
septic tanks, cesspools, and pit privies into a well.  Water from a 
well that may have been flooded should not be used for drinking until 
the well has been sampled and found to be safe.
   Preventing typhoid fever, dysentery, infectious hepatitis, and 
other diseases associated with flood waters should be a major 
objective of all users of well water.  Children should not play or 
wade in flood water because of its disease-transmission potential.
   The following precautions are suggestions that residents in 
flooded areas may want to implement.

Drinking Water Supply

   Community:  Your community water supply has many safeguards to protect the quality
of your drinking water.  However, this protection may break down during floods and other 
emergencies.  The public water system will notify you of possible problems and will 
instruct you about how to ensure the safety of the drinking water.  If you are concerned 
about the condition of your community's water system, contact your local public water 
system representative to determine if any precautions are necessary.  

   Private:  If you use water from a private well, spring or cistern, it can become 
contaminated if flood waters have submerged or backed up to your water supply.  You should 
consider the water unsafe for use until you are assured otherwise by state, district or 
local health department officials.  It may be best to use bottled water for drinking and 
cooking until your water supply is proven to be safe.

   Assuring the Safety of Available Water:  No water can be presumed to be safe.  
When in doubt, you should take the following precautions with your water supply:
1)   Strain the water through a clean cloth to remove any sediment and floating matter;
2)   Bring water to a rolling boil for one full minute;
3)   If boiling is not possible, disinfect the water with any of the following chemicals:

Laundry bleach (5.25% sodium hypochlorite) - Mix 1/8 teaspoon of unscented, ordinary 
household bleach per gallon of water and let stand for 30 minutes before using.  Double the 
amount of bleach added to the water if the water is colored or turbid.

Tincture of Iodine - Add 1O drops to each quart of water, mix thoroughly and let stand 30 
minutes before using.

Iodine or Chlorine Tablets (obtained from a drugstore or sporting goods store) - Follow 
instructions on package.

Waste Disposal

   Household garbage should be securely bagged and stored for proper disposal when 
conditions permit.  Toilets and other plumbing fixtures should be used only if they drain 
properly.

Household Clean-up

   Walls, hard-surfaced floors, and many other household surfaces should be cleaned with 
soap and water and disinfected with a solution of 1 cup of bleach to 5 gallons of water.  Be 
careful to thoroughly disinfect surfaces that may come in contact with food such as counter 
tops, pantry shelves, refrigerators, etc.  Areas where small children play should also be 
carefully cleaned.  Wash all linens and clothing in hot water or dry clean them.  For items 
that cannot be washed or dry cleaned such as mattresses and upholstered furniture, air dry 
them in the sun, then spray them thoroughly with a disinfectant.  Steam clean all carpeting.  
If there has been a back flow of sewage into the house, wear rubber boots and waterproof gloves 
during cleanup.  Remove and discard contaminated household materials that cannot be disinfected, 
such as wall coverings, cloth, rugs and drywall.

Flooded Food

   Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water.  Discard any food 
without 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, and then disinfect them with a solution consisting of 
one cup of bleach in 5 gallons of water.  Relabel your cans, including expiration date, 
with a marker.  Food containers with screwcaps, snap-lids. crimped caps (soda pop 
bottles), twist caps, flip tops, and home-canned foods should be discarded if thev have 
come into contact with flood water because they cannot be disinfected.  For infants, 
use only canned baby formula that requires no added water, rather than powdered formulas 
prepared with treated water.

Frozen and Refrigerated Foods

   If your refrigerator or freezer is without power for a long period:
1)   Divide your frozen foods among friends' freezers if they have electricity;
2)   Seek freezer space in a store, church, school, or commercial freezer that has 
electrical service; or
3)   Use dry ice - 25 pounds of dry ice will keep a cubic-foot freezer below freezing 
for 3 to 4 days.  (Be careful when handling dry ice, because it freezes everything it 
touches.  Wear dry, heavy gloves to avoid injury.)

   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".  
Discard any food that has been at room temperature for two hours or more, and any food 
that has an unusual odor, color, or texture.  Your refrigerator will keep foods cool for 
about 4 hours without power if it is unopened.  Add block or dry ice to your refrigerator 
if the electricity is off longer than 4 hours.

Personal Precautions

  After handling contaminated materials, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water 
before touching your body or members of your family, particularly face, mouth, eyes, or nose.  
Using an antibacterial soap gives added protection from the organisms that may be present 
in flood waters.  Do not touch or handle food, eating, or cooking utensils until you have 
thoroughly washed your hands.  Immediately report to your doctor or public health 
professional any diarrhea, stomach upset, sudden illness, or infection observed by you or 
members of your family.

Power Precautions

   Electrical power and natural gas or propane tanks should be shut off to avoid fire, 
electrocution, or explosions.  Try to return to return to your home during the daytime so 
that you do not have to use any lights.  Use battery-powered flashlights and lanterns, 
rather than candles, gas lanterns, or torches.  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, the police or fire department, or the State Fire Marshal's office.  Do not turn 
on the lights or do anything that could cause a spark.  Do not return to the house until 
you are told it is safe.

   Your electrical system may also be damaged.  If you see frayed wiring or sparks, or if 
there is an odor of something burning but no visible fire, you should immediately shut 
off the electrical system at the circuit breaker.

Assistance

   If you have questions, desire special assistance, or need further information, call 
the North Dakota Department of Health:
   Water Quality Division at (701) 328-5210; 
   Municipal Facilities Division at (701) 328-5211;
   Disease Control Division at (701) 328-2378;
   Food and Lodging at (701) 328-6147;
   or your local district health unit.

Sample Collection

   If you want to determine the bacteriological safety of your drinking water, collect a 
sample and submit it to a laboratory for bacteriological analysis.  Special sample containers 
must be used and are available on request from the laboratory.  Laboratories that perform 
this type of analysis are listed below:

Astro-Chem Lab, Inc.
4102 Second Ave. West
PO Box 972
Williston,  ND 58801
(701) 572-7355

Fargo Cass Public Health   
401 Third Ave. North
Fargo, ND 58102
(701) 241-1360

First District Health Unit
801 11th Ave. SW
PO Box 1268
Minot, ND 58702
(701) 852-1376

Southwestern District Health Unit
2869 3rd Ave. West,
Dickinson, ND 58601
(701) 227-0171

North Dakota Department of Health
Division of Microbiology 
1205 Avenue A West
PO Box 5520
Bismarck, ND 58506-5520
(701) 328-5262