As many Arkansans continue to deal with flooding, the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) wants to remind persons who have experienced flood waters in their homes to be aware of the following safety precautions from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
- When you first re-enter your home, turn off your main power supply if there is still standing water in your home. Do this only if the switch is on a dry location. If you must enter standing water to access the main power switch, then call an electrician to turn it off.
- Ask an electrician to check your house’s electrical system before switching on your power supply.
- If the house has been closed for several days, enter briefly to open doors and windows to let the house air out for at least 30 minutes.
CDC warns that if your house has been flooded and closed for several days, it may be contaminated with mold or sewage. Arkansas residents whose homes have been flooded may find themselves facing the growth of mold and mildew.
Disaster recovery specialists caution that mold and mildew can begin to grow within 24 hours after a flood and occur throughout the house, including the attic, basement and crawl spaces. The health effects can be severe for those with pre-existing health conditions such as allergies and asthma.
All materials are likely to become moldy if they are wet for long enough. The secret to preventing problems is cleaning, drying and disinfecting all wet surfaces as soon as possible.
Specialists offer the following suggestions to ensure safe, effective cleanup:
- Hard Surfaces: Wash items such as metal, glass, solid wood, plastic, and other nonporous materials with a non-ammonia detergent and hot water. Use a stiff brush on rough surface materials such as concrete. Use a Wet-Dry shop vacuum to remove water and clean items such as studs or exposed wood framing.
- Disinfect all cleaned surfaces with a 10 percent bleach solution (1-1/4 cups bleach in one gallon of water). Let the solution stay on the surface for at least 10 minutes before rinsing with clear water or drying. Rinse the skin quickly and thoroughly if accidental contact takes place.
- Porous Materials: This includes upholstered furniture, rugs, bedding, clothing, curtains, books and papers, and furniture made of pressed particle materials. Deciding whether or not to keep a contaminated item? Remember, when in doubt, throw it out. If an item has been wet for less than 48 hours, it may be able to be cleaned and disinfected with a pine-oil cleaner. It should then be completely dried and monitored for several days for any fungal growth and odors – if any mold develops, discard the item.
Have professionals check heating/cooling ducts and wall insulation for mold growth.
- Materials that cannot be cleaned, such as wallboard, fiberglass and insulation, should be discarded. Remember to remove Sheetrock and other porous wallboards at least 12 inches above the visible water line left by the flood. Then, clean wall studs, where wallboard has been removed, and allow the area to dry completely
When drying out your house, if an electrician says your power supply is safe to turn on, CDC advises you to use a “wet-dry” shop vacuum to remove standing flood water. You may also use an electric-powered water transfer pump or a sump pump.
- Make sure you wear rubber boots.
- If you do not have electricity yet – or if you have, but it is still unsafe to turn your power supply on – use a portable generator to power equipment to suck standing flood water.
- CDC adds: “If you must use a gasoline-powered pump, generator, pressure washer, or any other gasoline-powered tool to clean your home, never operate the gasoline engine inside a home, basement garage, carport, porch or other enclosed or partially enclosed structures, even if windows and doors are open. Such improper use can create dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide and can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Open windows and doors of the house if the weather allows. You may use dehumidifiers and fans to remove excess moisture.
- Before turning on an air-conditioning unit or heating/ventilating system, have a maintenance or service professional check for possible mold contamination. “Professional cleaning will kill the mold and prevent later mold growth.”
