FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 29, 2005
CONTACT: Doc Kokol (850) 245-4111
**HURRICANE KATRINA INFORMATION SHEET **
Home Clean-up After the Storm
TALLAHASSEE – After a tropical storm or
hurricane has passed, failure to remove contaminated
materials can cause health risks. If there is flooding
along with a hurricane, water must be removed as quickly
as possible since it may contain material from
overflowing sewage systems.
If there has been a backflow of sewage into the
house, the following measures should be taken to ensure
proper clean-up:
- Walls, hard-surfaced floors and many other
household surfaces must be cleaned with soap and
water and disinfected with a solution of 1 cup of
bleach to five gallons of water.
- Thoroughly
disinfect surfaces that come in contact with food
and children’s play areas.
- Wash all linens and
clothing in hot water or dry-clean.
- Items that
cannot be washed or dry-cleaned, such as mattresses
and upholstered furniture, must be air dried in the
sun and sprayed thoroughly with a disinfectant.
-
Steam-clean all carpeting.
- Fiberboard, fibrous
insulation and disposable filters that have
contacted floodwater or sewage should be replaced in
your heating and air conditioning system.
- Wear
rubber boots and waterproof gloves during clean-up.
Be careful about mixing household cleaners and
disinfectants, as combining certain types of products
can produce toxic fumes and result in injury or death.
It can be difficult to throw away items in a home,
particularly those with sentimental value. However,
keeping certain items soaked by sewage or floodwaters
may be unhealthy. In general, materials that cannot be
thoroughly cleaned and dried within 24-48 hours should
be discarded. For further information, please contact
your local county health department or visit
www.doh.state.fl.us or
www.Floridadisaster.org.
The Florida Emergency Information Line:
1-800-342-3557
Public Information Emergency Support Function:
850-921-0384
# # #
|
2012 State of Florida