Santa Rosa County has issued to avoid a number of tips and safety information, including a summary of the risks to cleaning and repairing homes.

Work in flooded areas

  • Protect yourself. Against mosquitoes, especially at dusk and dawn Wear long sleeves and pants when you need outside at the time, and with repellent. Get to free yourself from any standing water that may be because that is where mosquitoes lay their eggs. Santa Rosa back at full steam training program on Monday.
  • Survive snakes, insects and other animals movement as water levels change. Beware of snakes that can swim to a higher range or hidden under the debris field. If you see a snake, back away slowly and do not touch.
  • Flood can hide hazards of wastes, chemicals, pesticides and organic waste septic flooding.
  • Stay out of the river water, and a shower immediately in contact with him.
  • If you work in high water, wear protective clothing such as gloves and boots to avoid direct contact with contaminated water.
  • Any person involved in the cleanup should ensure that their tetanus shots are up to date.
  • It is especially important to wash your hands with soap or sanitizer before eating or drinking.

Food and kitchen cleaning after a flood

  • Discard any food that has been touched by flood - including home-canned foods. Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers. There is no way to clean them when they come in contact with contaminated flood. Thoroughly wash metal pans, ceramic dishes and utensils with hot soapy water and sanitize by boiling in clean water or by them for 15 minutes in a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine per liter of water immersed.
  • If you live in the disaster area, you should assume that all wells, cisterns and other delivery systems is dangerous because it is not tested. Use bottled water until you are sure that the water is safe.
  • Keep a three-day supply of water - or at least three liters of water per person - at your fingertips during the hurricane season.

Electrical Safety

  • Do not use electrical appliances that have been wet. Water can damage the motors in furnaces, freezers, refrigerators, washers and dryers. Get a repair to dry up.
  • On damaged electrical appliances not rotate because the parts can be grounded and cause a risk of electric shock or overheating and fire.
  • Prior to flip a switch or plugging an appliance, an electrician check the house wiring and the device to ensure that it is safe.
  • Non connections from the power cord wet.

House cleaning and waste water after storm

  • Flooding can cause sewage to back up into homes can and contaminated materials can cause health risks.
  • Remove as soon as possible the water in your home because the water drains contain germs overflow.
  • If sewage has backed up to your house, wear rubber boots and waterproof gloves during cleanup.
  • Items that can not be washed or dry cleaned, such as mattresses and upholstered furniture should be discarded or dried air in the sun and sprayed thoroughly with a disinfectant. Remove and discard contaminated household materials that can not be disinfected as wall coverings, fabrics, carpets and drywall. In general, anything that can not be washed, disinfected and dry air should be discarded.
  • Walls, floors, cabinets, shelves and their contents, and any other flooded parts of your home to be cleaned and disinfected with a solution of one cup of bleach to five gallons of water depth.
  • Completely disinfect surfaces and objects that come into contact with food and playgrounds for children.
  • In hot water, or dry wash all bedding and clothing.
  • Steam clean all carpets.
  • Fiberboard must have been exchanged fibrous insulation and disposable filters in your heating and cooling in contact with flood or sewage.
  • Beware of mixing household cleaners and disinfectants, as combining certain types of products can produce toxic fumes and causing personal injury or death.
  • It can be difficult to throw objects in a home, particularly those with sentimental value. However, the record of items that were soaked by sewage or flood unhealthy. In general, materials that can not be thoroughly cleaned and dried within 24-48 hours discarded.

Cleaning forms

  • Pure form from hard surfaces with detergent and water and dry.
  • Absorbent or porous materials such as ceiling tiles and carpet, may be rejected if it moldy. Mold can grow on or fill in the empty spaces and crevices of these materials, so the mold may be difficult or impossible to completely remove it.
  • Do not paint or caulk moldy surfaces. Pure form and the surfaces to dry before painting. The is applied to areas of mold paint probably peel.
  • If you are not sure how to mold must be removed from an article, or if the item is expensive or of sentimental value, you may want to consult a specialist. Look for specialists who are affiliated with professional organizations.
  • To limit your exposure to mold, you can use a N-95 respirator to use at many hardware stores. These respirators are $ 15 to $ 25. Some N-95 respirators resemble a paper dust mask with a nozzle on the front, and others are made primarily of plastic or rubber and have removable cartridges that trap most of the mold spores from entering. To be effective, the respirator or mask must fit properly, so be sure to instructions supplied with the respirator instructions.
  • Touch mold or moldy items with your hands and wear gloves. Long gloves that are in the middle of the forearm are recommended. When working with water and a mild detergent ordinary household rubber gloves may be used. If you are using a disinfectant, a biocide such as chlorine or a strong cleaning solution, you should use natural rubber gloves, neoprene, nitrile, polyurethane, or PVC.