After the Storm: Post-Hurricane Safety Tips for Getting Back to Normal
You’ve successfully weathered yet another hurricane in South Florida. Yet there are still hurricane safety tips to consider.
Know where to get help
If during the storm’s aftermath you need medical attention or to refill a prescription when your doctor isn’t available, seek help at your nearest UHealth Clinic at Walgreens or at a walk-in clinic or urgent care center located near you.
“Emergency room visits should be reserved for true emergencies,” said Dr. Tanira Ferreira, chief medical officer at the University of Miami Health System. “Your local clinic should be able to address concerns like the onset of vomiting or diarrhea and minor injuries. But be sure to tell clinic staff and doctors if you may have consumed or been in contact with contaminated water, mold or spoiled food.”
“The best post-hurricane safety tip is to stay informed and take precautions to protect yourself and your family from avoidable illness, infection and injury.”
Stay informed
It’s essential to know if your tap water is safe to drink, bathe, and clean with. Contaminated tap water and standing flood waters can spread infectious diseases, breed mosquitoes and parasites and lead to diarrhea, dehydration and respiratory illness.
Stay informed of hurricane safety tips and water safety announcements from local authorities on Florida’s public radio, local government websites and their social media outlets and local newspapers. You can also call your public water provider to hear recorded updates or speak with a representative.
When in doubt, throw [the food] out
If your refrigerator lost power during or after the storm, be aware of food safety concerns. After your power returns following an extended outage, food and beverages left in the fridge and freezer will get cold again, but that doesn’t mean they are safe to consume.
- Foods or beverages that have come in contact with water that isn’t safe for drinking, including those closed with screw caps, snap lids, crimped caps (soda bottles), twist-off caps, flip tops, snap-open and home canned foods (because these lids can’t be sanitized).
- Perishable foods and beverages that have been in your fridge (kept closed) without power for more than four hours.
- Thawed foods that have been left in your freezer (kept closed) without power for 24 hours (if freezer is half full) or up to 48 hours (if your freezer is full).
- Food with an unusual odor, color or texture.
- Canned foods that are bulging, opened or damaged.
- Wooden cutting boards that have come in contact with water that isn’t safe for drinking (because they can’t be sanitized effectively).
Hurricane safety tips for cleaning up without messing up
You may be eager to get outside to assess any damage to your property or neighborhood. Having been cooped up inside, children are excited to run and play outdoors. But many hurricane-related injuries happen in the days following the storm.
Outside your home:
Sharp objects and debris may have come loose or been moved by heavy winds. Such hazards can be hidden under the surface of standing water, sticking out of walls or camouflaged by grass and bushes. As you assess your property and pick up debris, protect your skin and eyes with work gloves, long sleeves and pants, waterproof boots and goggles.
Flooding causes more deaths each year than any other thunderstorm-related hazard. Most of these deaths are the result of drivers attempting to pass through standing water. Avoid driving through flooded streets and areas, even if the water appears shallow. Just six inches of water can cause you to lose control of your vehicle or get stuck.
Thanks to downed powerlines that reach flood waters, it may still be highly dangerous to drive or walk through standing water.
Standing water may contain sewage or dangerous chemicals, so avoid walking or standing in flood waters.
Inside your home:
If you’re using a power generator, be sure it’s operating outside and at a safe distance from your home. Carbon monoxide fumes are odorless yet deadly if they enter your home or garage.
Sanitize all surfaces that come in contact with food.
- Wash with soap and warm, clean water.
- Rinse with clean water.
- Make a sanitizing solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach (5.25 percent, unscented) per gallon of clean water. Immerse items for one minute.
- Allow items to air dry.
Wash all fabrics (e.g., towels, sheets and clothing) that came in contact with flood waters. Add bleach or white vinegar to the wash to disinfect these materials.
Drain then sanitize or dispose of any items in your home that collected rain or flood water.
Tags: food safety, hurricane, storm recovery, storm safety, Tania Ferreira
