2023 Winter Storm/Atmospheric River - Flood Safety, Preparedness and Response

Click here to access the Environmental Health Bureau's Flood Information Page

When the seemingly endless rain tapers off and the flood waters recede, you will continue to face a number of hazards associated with cleanup activities. Workers and volunteers involved with flood cleanup should be aware of the potential dangers involved and the proper safety precautions.

Electrical Hazards

Work-related electrocution deaths can follow natural disasters. To prevent electrocutions, those involved in cleanup activities are urged to take the following steps:

• If water has been present anywhere near electrical circuits and electrical equipment, turn off the power at the main breaker or fuse on the service panel. Do not turn the power back on until electrical equipment has been inspected by a qualified electrician. Never enter flooded areas or touch electrical equipment if the ground is wet, unless you are certain that the power is off. NEVER handle a downed power line.
• When using gasoline and diesel generators to supply power to a building, switch the main breaker or fuse on the service panel to the "off" position prior to starting the generator. This will prevent inadvertent energization of power lines from backfeed electrical energy from the generators, and help to protect utility line workers from possible electrocution.
• If clearing or other work must be performed near a downed power line, contact the utility company to discuss de-energizing and grounding or shielding of power lines. Extreme caution is necessary when moving ladders and other equipment near overhead power lines to avoid inadvertent contact. If you are working on or near power lines, refer to the additional recommendations provided in that section below.

Carbon Monoxide

Flood cleanup activities may involve the use of gasoline or diesel powered pumps, generators, and pressure washers. Because these devices release carbon monoxide, a deadly, colorless, odorless gas, operate all gasoline-powered devices outdoors and NEVER bring them indoors. It is virtually impossible to assess adequate ventilation. Several carbon monoxide poisoning deaths have been related to the use of gasoline-powered engines indoors or in confined spaces. Test carbon monoxide alarms within the employee housing site to ensure they are all in good working order and have not been damaged due to the storm.

Structural Instability

Flood waters can rearrange and damage natural walkways, as well as sidewalks, parking lots, roads, buildings, and open fields. Never assume that water-damaged structures or ground are stable. Buildings that have been submerged or have withstood rushing flood waters may have suffered structural damage and could be dangerous. Don't work in or around any flood-damaged building until it has been examined and certified as safe for work by a registered professional engineer or architect. Assume all stairs, floors, and roofs are unsafe until they are inspected. Leave immediately if shifting or unusual noises signal a possible collapse.

Hazardous Materials

Flood waters can dislodge tanks, drums, pipes, and equipment, which may contain hazardous materials such as pesticides or propane. Do not attempt to move unidentified dislodged containers without first contacting the local fire department or hazardous materials team. If working in potentially contaminated areas, avoid skin contact or inhalation of vapors by wearing appropriate protective clothing and respirators. Frequently and thoroughly wash skin areas that may have been exposed to pesticides and other hazardous chemicals.

Fire

Fire can pose a major threat to an already badly damaged flood area for several reasons: inoperative fire protection systems, hampered fire department response, inoperable firefighting water supplies, and flood-damaged fire protection systems. Workers and employers must therefore take extra precautions. At least two fire extinguishers, each with a UL rating of at least 10A, should be provided at every cleanup job.

Drowning

When entering moving water, you are at risk for drowning, regardless of your ability to swim. Because those in vehicles are at greatest risk of drowning, it is important to comply with all hazard warnings on roadways and to avoid driving vehicles or heavy equipment into water of an unknown depth.

Protective Equipment

For most work in flooded areas, you will need the following personal protective equipment:

• hard hats
• goggles
• heavy work gloves
• watertight boots with steel toe and insole, not just steel shank (where available)

Floodwater

Floodwater often contains infectious organisms, including intestinal bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Shigella; Hepatitis A Virus; and agents of typhoid, paratyphoid and tetanus. Before working in flooded areas, be sure that your tetanus shot is current (given within the last 10 years). Wounds that are associated with a flood should be evaluated for risk; a physician may recommend a tetanus immunization. The signs and symptoms experienced by the victims of waterborne microorganisms are similar, even though they are caused by different pathogens.

These symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, muscle aches, and fever. Most cases of sickness associated with flood conditions are brought about by ingesting

contaminated food or water. Tetanus, however, can be acquired from contaminated soil or water entering broken areas of the skin, such as cuts, abrasions, or puncture wounds. Tetanus is an infectious disease that affects the nervous system and causes severe muscle spasms, known as lockjaw. The symptoms may appear weeks after exposure and may begin as a headache, but later develop into difficulty swallowing or opening the jaw.

Floodwaters also may be contaminated by agricultural or industrial chemicals or by hazardous agents present at flooded hazardous waste sites. Flood cleanup crew members who must work near flooded industrial sites also may be exposed to chemically contaminated floodwater. Although different chemicals cause different health effects, the signs and symptoms most frequently associated with chemical poisoning are headaches, skin rashes, dizziness, nausea, excitability, weakness, and fatigue.

Pools of standing or stagnant water become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, increasing the risk of encephalitis, West Nile virus or other mosquito-borne diseases. The presence of wild animals in populated areas increases the risk of diseases caused by animal bites (e.g., rabies) as well as diseases carried by fleas and ticks.

Protect Yourself

After a major flood, it is often difficult to maintain good hygiene during cleanup operations. To avoid waterborne disease, it is important to wash your hands with soap and clean, running water, especially before work breaks, meal breaks, and at the end of the work shift. Employees should assume that any water in flooded or surrounding areas is not safe unless the local or state authorities have specifically declared it to be safe. If no safe water supply is available for washing, use bottled water, water that has been boiled for at least 10 minutes or chemically disinfected water. (To disinfect water, use 5 drops of liquid household bleach to each gallon of water and let it sit for at least 30 minutes for disinfection to be completed.)

Water storage containers should be rinsed periodically with a household bleach solution. If water is suspected of being contaminated with hazardous chemicals, cleanup workers may need to wear special chemical resistant outer clothing and protective goggles. Before entering a contaminated area that has been flooded, you should don plastic or rubber gloves, boots, and other protective clothing needed to avoid contact with floodwater.

Decrease the risk of mosquito and other insect bites by wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and by using insect repellants. Wash your hands with soap and water that has been boiled or disinfected before preparing or eating foods, after using the bathroom, after participating in flood cleanup activities, and after handling articles contaminated by floodwater. In addition, children should not be allowed to play in floodwater or with toys that have been in contact with floodwater. Toys should be disinfected.

Tips to Remember

• Consider all water unsafe until local authorities announce that the public water supply is safe.
• Do not use contaminated water to wash and prepare food, brush your teeth, wash dishes, or make ice.
• Keep an adequate supply of safe water available for washing and potable water for drinking.
• Be alert for chemically contaminated floodwater at industrial sites.
• Use extreme caution with potential chemical and electric hazards, which have great potential for fires and explosions. Floods have the strength to move and/or bury hazardous waste and chemical containers far from their normal storage places, creating a risk for those who come into contact with them. Any chemical hazards, such as a propane tank, should be handled by the fire department or police.
• If the safety of a food or beverage is questionable, throw it out.
• Seek immediate medical care for all animal bites.
• Be mindful of road conditions
• Heed road closure signs
• Don't attempt to cross any roads with water
• Avoid driving on muddy farm roads

If you have any questions call the Environmental Health office at (831) 755-4505. If you would like to submit a complaint about facilities that are found to be operating If you would like to submit a complaint about facilities that are found to be operating outside of these restrictions, you can call our office or submit a complaint online.

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