Flood Health: Food and Water

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

18 Jun 2008 08:42 AM

In light of flooding in the Midwest, this is a good time to look at how to stay safe and healthy during a flood. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control suggest looking at preventing illness from three different perspectives:

• Preventing illness from food
• Preventing illness from water
• Preventing other illness and injuries

Make safe food and water a priority after a flood.

If the power is out, try to keep fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible to keep the cold air in. If the power will be out for more than four hours, you can add block ice or dry ice (wear gloves) to your refrigerator.

You'll want to throw away perishable foods (like meat, dairy, and leftovers) that have been above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours. Other food to toss out includes: things that have come into contact with flood water, canned foods that are open or damaged, and anything that smells or looks weird. Better safe than sorry, right?

If you do have canned foods that survived the flood intact, take off the labels and wash the cans. You can use a solution of one cup of bleach in five gallons of water to sterilize the cans, then use a marker to relabel. (Or don't relabel the cans and have adventurous mystery meals!)

Safe drinking water is just as important as safe food. Try to listen for public announcements -- they will tell you if tap water is safe for cooking, bathing, and drinking. You may need to treat or boil water to make it safe to use.

Remember to disinfect toys and other belongings that have come into contact with flood water. Use a solution of one cup of bleach in five gallons of water and let the toys air dry. Stuffed animals and teething toys should probably be tossed out.

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