Your Home After the Flood: Inspecting Utilities In A Damaged Home

Check For Gas Leaks

If you smell gas or hear 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.

Look For Electrical System Damage

If you see sparks or broken or frayed wires, or if you smell hot 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 for advice.

Check For Sewage And Water Lines 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 the water from the tap. You can obtain safe water by melting ice cubes.

Drinking Water

If your well has been flooded, assume the water in your home has been contaminated. Follow the directions on the right side of this page to disinfect your well.

If you are on public water, your local health jurisdiction will let you know, through local media, if your water is not safe to drink.

Bottled water is the best choice. If you can, get commercially bottled water that has been stored for less than 6 months in tightly sealed containers. Plan for one gallon per person per day.

If the water from your tap is clear:

• Boil it for 3 minutes to disinfect. This kills disease-causing bacteria and parasites, or
  
• Add 1/8 teaspoon household bleach per gallon of water. Let it sit for 1/2 hour.
  

If water is cloudy:

• Filter it by pouring it thru a coffee filter and then boil it for 3 minutes.
  
• If you can't boil it, filter it and add 1/4 teaspoon of household bleach per gallon of water. Let it sit for 1 hour.

Clean-Up/Hygiene

• Wash your hands often using soap and disinfected water.
  
• Make sure hands are washed:
• when preparing or eating food.
• after using the toilet
• during and after handling contaminated items in flood cleanup activities.
  
• Wear gloves and boots. Do not touch anything with bare hands. Be careful not to step on glass.

Toilet

Until sewage disposal systems are back to normal, use any large container lined with a plastic bag and covered with a tight-fitting lid, as a temporary toilet.

Add: 1/4 cup of unscented chlorine bleach or disinfectant after each use to kills germs and stop odor.

Animals

Do not trap or corner wild animals. Sick or injured animals may be dangerous.

Food

• Throw out fresh or frozen food that has come into contact with flood water.
  
• Throw out food that has not been properly refrigerated-
  
• "If in doubt...throw it out!"

Undamaged canned goods are o.k. but before opening disinfect cans in a dilute bleach solution.

Building Cleanup

Wear waterproof boots and gloves. Open all doors and windows. Use fans if possible to air out the building.

• First: clean walls, hard surfaced floors and household surfaces with soap and water. Make sure dirt and mud are gone.
  
• Then, wipe everything down with solution of one cup household bleach to disinfect. Wash all clothes and linens in hot water. Throw away mattresses and stuffed furniture. It cannot be adequately cleaned, even with steam.