Press Release
AUGUST 20th, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
|
CONTACT: DOH
Communications
Office
PHONE:(850) 245-4111
|
TALLAHASSEE, FL – After
a 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, contact a 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
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