Captain Tropic's
Disaster Health Hazards
When a hurricane has left an area devastated, there are a number of health hazards you need to be aware of. As a mater of fact, in the United States more people are killed after a storm then where killed during the storm. Accidents are just waiting to happen, from electrocution by downed power lines, to broken glass, exposed nails, chainsaw accidents and other mishaps related to digging out and cleaning up. Not only that but illness lurks in the form of water contamination, and food spoilage. Illness also occurs because of toilets that don't flush and, garbage that piles up. Emergency medical personnel will set up shop quickly to help the general public cope with the health hazards that a hurricane brings. If you decide to weather out the storm plan on being on your own for at least 3 days and in the worst situation as long as 2 weeks. Once the government has established emergency medical centers find out where they are and don't hesitate to seek their help if you need it.
Food
Food spoilage and water contamination are two of the biggest concerns. You can guard against food spoilage by using only dry or canned foods. Please be aware of the fact that if floodwater comes in contact with the packaging of dry or canned foods you should consider the food inside contaminated. This is because there is no way to get the container clean enough to make it safe again. As soon as your can opener penetrates the can the food inside gets contaminated and so does the can opener. The best situation is to protect your food stores so that they never get contaminated in the first place. There are many plastic containers on the market that can protect your emergency food supplies. Investing in these containers is a good idea. Plastic containers that are water tight and stackable are best idea. They also need to be strong and possess good handles. Your food stores can get heavy so when you have to move them strong handles like be helpful.
Milk, chicken, hamburger, fish and pork will spoil rapidly and should be discarded if they've been without refrigeration for more than a couple of hours. So temperature is the key; if you don't have a reliable way of keeping track of your refrigerated foods temperature you really have no way of knowing if the food is truly safe. There are many different models of thermometers on the market that that can give you a very good idea of your food's temperature. Analog thermometers have been around for a long time and are pretty reliable, but some need to be calibrated. Recently digital thermometers have dropped in price and are very accurate.
One company i found is Tech Instrumentation and they have been providing quality temperature instrumentation to their customer's nation-wide since 1990. Tech Instrumentation offers an extensive variety of temperature measuring instrumentation from inexpensive bi-metallic and glass thermometers to rugged, precise industrial thermometers. They sell to the public on-line and carry excellent products. They can be found at:
http://www.techinstrument.com
There page on refrigerator thermometers can be found at:
http://www.techinstrument.com/acatalog/Refrigirator___Freezer_Thermometers.html
The temperature in your refrigerator should be from about 38 degrees to 40 degrees and the temperature in your freezer should be below 0 degrees and as low as -10 degrees. This is not the time to trust your sense of smell. When in doubt, throw it out.
Water
Normally the local authorities will let you know if the water supply is contaminated. Until the danger of contamination has passed, don't drink or prepare any food with tap water that hasn't been boiled. Don't let your pets drink tap water either. They are no more immune than you are and in some cases they are at great risk. As for brushing teeth, you'll need disinfected water. Don't wash your dishes with tap water unless you are prepared to rinse them in extra-chlorinated water (15 drops of chlorine bleach to the quart will do the trick.) Contact lens wearers should use disinfected water to clean their hands before handling them. Washing them with tap water will lead to eye infection. The popularity of bottled water has reduced the overall price and you will find it very handy. Now you know why everybody runs out and stocks up, it doesn't take long for the bottled water to fly off the shelves at your local store. Cost is everything; through out the year you need to build up your stock of emergency supplies. Spreading out the cost over a year is much less painful to your budget than trying to pay for it all at once.
Sewage
The frequent flushing of toilets in some cases may be impossible or ill advised because it can overload already weakened sewer systems. So you may need to find or make a portable toilet until you get the "all clear" from your local government. In any kind of urban setting, human waste left outside, even in treated latrines, contain bacteria that can taint water supplies and pose health risks. One of the age-old ways to most effectively avoid the spread of disease is one of the most critical after a hurricane, washing your hands after using the toilet or before handling food. Diarrhea is nothing to be taken lightly in the aftermath of a hurricane. Children are especially at risk of dehydration when diarrhea strikes. If it does, seek medical advice at once.
Garbage and Trash
Garbage and trash pick-up, like everything else, will probably be slow or non existent immediately after a bad storm. Health care officials suggest double-bagging all garbage in plastic bags, and keeping the bags in covered containers if at all possible rather than letting it pile up on the roadside. After a hurricane, be alert for rats and other rodents. They are often driven from their habitats by higher water and a garbage pile is like a rat super market.
Heatstroke
The rain and wind of a hurricane may be followed by days of hot and humid weather. It can be an almost unbearable adversary if you do not take some steps to try and keep yourself cool. Protect yourself from heat exhaustion and heatstroke, here's what you can do to stay cool while rebuilding under the blazing sun.
*Wear loose, light colored clothing and a hat. A large straw hat may look stupid, but who cares?
*Dampen yourself and your clothing as the water evaporates it will cool your skin.
*Drink plenty of liquids and eat smaller, lighter meals.
*Avoid alcoholic drinks. They will raise your body temperature and tend to dehydrate you.
*Always wear a strong sunscreen, with a high SPF.
Downed Power lines
If power lines are lying on the ground or dangling near the ground, do not touch or approach the lines. Notify your utility company as soon as possible that the lines have been damaged, or that the power lines are down. Do not attempt to move or repair the power lines. Do not drive through standing water if downed power lines are in the water. If a power line falls across your car while you are driving, continue to drive away from the line. If the engine stalls, do not turn off the ignition, don't touch anything metal inside the car. Stay in your car and wait for emergency personnel. You will be safe in your car. Do not allow anyone other than emergency personnel to approach your vehicle.
Animals
Wild or stray domestic animals can pose a danger during or after the passage of a hurricane. Remember most animals are disoriented and displaced as well. Do not corner an animal. If an animal must be removed, contact your local animal control authorities. If any animal bites you, seek immediate medical attention. If a snake bites you, first try to accurately identify the type of snake so that, if poisonous, the correct anti-venom can be administered. Do not cut the wound or attempt to suck the venom out.
Certain animals may carry rabies. Although the virus is rare, care should be taken to avoid contact with stray animals and rodents. Health departments can provide information on the types of animals that carry rabies in your area. Rats may also be a problem after a hurricane. Take care to secure all food supplies, also remove any animal carcasses in the vicinity by contacting your local animal control authorities.
Drowning
Although hurricane winds can cause an enormous amount of damage, wind is not the biggest killer in such a storm. Nine out of every ten hurricane related fatalities are drowning associated with swiftly moving waters. People who enter moving water with their cars, or who get on boats on lakes or bays when a hurricane strikes the area are at grave risk of drowning, regardless of their ability to swim. Even very shallow water that is moving swiftly can be deadly. Cars or other vehicles do not provide adequate protection. Never enter moving water of any kind with your vehicle. Cars can be swept away or may break down in moving water. Be alert and follow hazard warnings on roadways or those broadcast by the media. Police and public works departments should be contacted for up to date information regarding safe roadways.
Chemical Hazards
Be aware of potential chemical hazards you may encounter in the aftermath of a storm. If your home is near an industrial park try to find out what kinds of chemicals they normally have on hand. My home is about 3 miles from a small industrial park, and the small stream that runs behind my property originates in that area. I took a short drive through that industrial park and found there is a chemical company located back there. They are a very well known company that manufactures photo-developing fluids. If their building suffers a roof failure during a big storm all of their chemicals are going to flow through my back yard. This is good information to know.
Floodwaters and high winds may have moved or damaged hazardous chemical containers of solvents or other industrial chemicals. Contact your local fire department about inspecting and removing hazardous chemical containers. Avoid inhaling any chemical vapors. Never "sniff" any container to see if you can identify the contents, one sniff of some chemicals and kill you. If any propane tanks (whether 20-lb. tanks from a gas grill or household propane tanks) are discovered, do not attempt to move them yourself. These represent a very real danger of fire or explosion, and if any are found, the fire department, police, or your State Fire Marshal's office should be contacted immediately. If they are not immediately available barricade or cordon off the area around the danger and keep everyone away.
Car batteries contain sulfuric acid, which is very caustic. Removal of automotive batteries from your property can be accomplished safely, but they should be removed with extreme caution. It is best to use "chemical" gloves and other safety equipment. Avoid coming in contact with any acid that may have spilled from a damaged car battery. Use can baking soda to neutralize any acid spillage and then use large amounts of water to wash it away.
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