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What to Do After a Flood or Flash Flood
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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.
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Help a neighbor who may require special assistance--infants,
elderly people, and people with disabilities.
Elderly people and people with disabilities may
require additional assistance. People who care for
them or who have large families may need additional
assistance in emergency situations.
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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.
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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.
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Stay out of any building if flood waters remain
around the building. Flood waters often undermine
foundations, causing sinking, floors can crack or
break and buildings can collapse.
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Avoid entering ANY building (home, business,
or other) before local officials have said it is
safe to do so. Buildings may have hidden damage
that makes them unsafe. Gas leaks or electric or
waterline damage can create additional problems.
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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.
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Avoid smoking inside buildings. Smoking
in confined areas can cause fires.
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When entering buildings, use extreme caution.
Building damage may have occurred where you least
expect it. Watch carefully every step you take.
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Wear sturdy shoes. The most common injury
following a disaster is cut feet.
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Use battery-powered lanterns or flashlights
when examining buildings. Battery-powered
lighting is the safest and easiest, preventing
fire hazard for the user, occupants, and building.
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Examine walls, floors, doors, staircases,
and windows to make sure that the building is
not in danger of collapsing.
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Inspect foundations for cracks or other
damage. Cracks and damage to a foundation
can render a building uninhabitable.
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Look for fire hazards. There may be
broken or leaking gas lines, flooded electrical
circuits, or submerged furnaces or electrical
appliances. Flammable or explosive materials
may travel from upstream. Fire is the most frequent
hazard following floods.
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Check for gas leaks. If you smell gas
or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window
and quickly leave the building. Turn off the
gas at the outside main valve if you can and
call the gas company from a neighbor's home.
If you turn off the gas for any reason, it must
be turned back on by a professional.
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Look for electrical system damage. If
you see sparks or broken or frayed wires, or
if you smell burning insulation, turn off the
electricity at the main fuse box or circuit
breaker. If you have to step in water to get
to the fuse box or circuit breaker, call an
electrician first for advice. Electrical equipment
should be checked and dried before being returned
to service.
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Check for sewage and waterline damage.
If you suspect sewage lines are damaged, avoid
using the toilets and call a plumber. If water
pipes are damaged, contact the water company
and avoid using water from the tap. You can
obtain safe water from undamaged water heaters
or by melting ice cubes.
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Watch out for animals, especially poisonous
snakes, that may have come into buildings with
the flood waters. Use a stick to poke through
debris. Flood waters flush snakes and many
animals out of their homes.
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Watch for loose plaster, drywall, and ceilings
that could fall.
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Take pictures of the damage, both of the
building and its contents, for insurance claims.
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After returning home:
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Throw away food that has come in contact
with flood waters. Some canned foods may
be salvageable. If the cans are dented or damaged,
throw them away. Food contaminated by flood
waters can cause severe infections.
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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. If
in doubt, call your local public health authority.
Ill health effects often occur when people drink
water contaminated with bacteria and germs.
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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.
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Service damaged septic tanks, cesspools,
pits, and leaching systems as soon as possible.
Damaged sewage systems are health hazards
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