Quick Safety Tips - General and After the Storm

Safety Tips

• Gather supplies (bottled water, canned foods, manual can opener, flashlight, batteries, battery-operated radio, prescription medications, cash, important documents, and pet supplies).
• If you lose power, do not put a generator inside your near water.
• When using a generator or barbeque grill, keep it outdoors to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning or a fire.
• Oxygen dependent residents should make sure they have enough of an oxygen supply to last several days.
• When traffic lights are out, treat the intersection as a four-way stop.
• When clearing debris be careful with power tools and be aware of downed power lines.

Safety Precautions When Returning Home

• If your area is under a curfew, allow travel time to and from your home. If your area is under martial law, obey all orders by authorities.
• During a hurricane and during cleanup, injuries occur. To avoid injury, wear proper clothing, including clothes with long sleeves and long pants, and safety shoes or boots.
• Watch for debris on the road while driving;
• Make sure all family members have been accounted for and let others know of your status.
• Make sure the main electrical switch to your home is off before entering the structure; be careful when entering a structure that has been damaged.
• If you suspect a gas leak, leave immediately and notify the gas company.
• Find out if sewage lines are intact before turning on the water or using the toilet.
• Report utility damage to the proper authorities.
• Continue to monitor your radio or television for up-to-date emergency information.

Inspecting the Damage

Upon returning to dwellings evacuated before the hurricane's arrival, be aware of possible structural, electrical, or gas-leak hazards. Electrical power and natural gas or propane tanks should be shut off to avoid fire, electrocution, or explosions. Try to return to your home during the daytime so that you do not have to use any lights. Use battery-powered flashlights and lanterns, rather than candles and gas lanterns.

Gas Leaks

If you smell gas or suspect a leak, turn off the main gas valve, open all windows, and leave the house immediately. Notify the gas company, the police, fire departments, or State Fire Marshal's office, and do not turn on the lights, light matches, smoke, or do anything that could cause a spark. Do not return to the house until you are told it is safe to do so.

Electrical Damage

Your electrical system may have been damaged. If you see frayed wiring or sparks when you restore power, or if there is an odor of something burning but no visible fire, you should immediately shut off the electrical system at the main circuit breaker.

You should consult your utility company about using electrical equipment, including power generators.

Any electrical outlet or device exposed to flood waters needs to have the wires dried.  Replace the electrical outlet and have the system checked by a certified electrician before turning on the circuit breakers.

Cleanup

Once you have established that no structural, electrical, or gas-related hazards exist in your home, dry and disinfect all materials inside the house to prevent the growth of mold and mildew.

Walls, hard-surfaced floors, and many other household surfaces should be cleaned with soap, water and disinfected with a solution of one cup of bleach to five gallons of water. Be particularly careful to thoroughly disinfect surfaces that may come in contact with food.  Wash all linens and clothing in hot water, or dry clean them. For items that cannot be washed or dry cleaned, such as mattresses and upholstered furniture, air dry them in the sun and then spray them thoroughly with a disinfectant. Steam clean all carpeting. If there has been a backflow of sewage into the house, wear protective shoes, clothing and rubber gloves during cleanup. Remove and discard contaminated house hold materials that cannot be disinfected such as wall coverings, cloth, rugs, and drywall.

All carpeting, and all dry wall damaged or wet from the storm needs to be removed to prevent molding

Animals

Wild or stray domestic animals can pose a danger during or after the passage of a hurricane. Do not corner an animal. If an animal must be removed, contact your local animal control authorities.

If you are bitten by any animal, seek immediate medical attention. If you are bitten by a snake, first try to accurately identify the type of snake so that, if it is poisonous the correct anti-venom can be administered.

Certain animals may carry rabies. Although the virus is rare, care should be taken to avoid contact with stray animals and rodents. Health departments can provide information on the types of animals that carry rabies.

Rats may also be a problem during and after a hurricane. Take care to secure all food supplies, and remove any animal carcasses in the vicinity by contacting your local animal control authorities.

Drowning

Although hurricane winds can cause an enormous amount of damage, wind is not the biggest killer. People who enter moving water with their cars, or who get on boats on lakes or bays during a hurricane are at risk of drowning, regardless of their ability to swim. Even very shallow water that is moving swiftly can be deadly. Cars or other vehicles do not provide adequate protection. Cars can be swept away or may stall in moving water. Be alert and follow hazard warnings on roadways.

Chemical Hazards

Be aware of potential chemical hazards you may encounter when returning to your home, especially if the hurricane is accompanied by flooding. Floodwaters and high winds may have moved or buried hazardous chemical containers.

If any propane tanks are discovered, do not attempt to move them yourself. These represent a very real danger of fire or explosion, and if any are found, the fire department should be contacted immediately.

Fire Hazards

Use battery powered lanterns and flashlights, if possible, instead of candles. If you use candles, make sure you put them in safe holders away from curtains, paper, wood, or other flammable items.