Post-Hurricane Safety Tips

We at the Pediatric After Hours Care clinic send our thoughts and prayers to all of you who have experienced difficulties or loss due to Hurricane Florence. In this stressful time we thought it would be a good idea to support our community with information that may be helpful as we work to clean up and move forward.

Please read the following information and visit the attached websites for helpful tips to make clean-up safe.

POST-HURRICANE SAFETY TIPS

MAKE SURE YOUR FOOD IS SAFE

Foods are safe if your refrigerator is without power for 4 hours or less. If you lose power do your best to keep the refrigerator door closed; open it only when absolutely necessary. You will need to discard  any perishable food items (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers) that have been above 40 C for over 2 hours. You can’t rely on appearance or odor to determine whether food is safe!

For more information visit www.foodsafety.gov

CHECK YOUR AIR QUALITY

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a deadly gas that has no smell; it is dangerous because it can rapidly lead to incapacitation and death.  Higher levels of carbon monoxide can be found in homes where people use generators once they lose power. Generators should NEVER be used indoors! You can avoid CO poisoning by installing carbon monoxide monitors or alarms. Ideally, these will be battery powered to insure they work during a power outage.

If you use a generator, follow these guidelines for maximum safety and lowest chance of CO poisoning:

  • NEVER use a generator inside a home, garage, basement, crawlspace, or any partially enclosed area

  • Keep generators outdoors, away from doors, windows and vents that could allow carbon monoxide to come indoors

  • Opening door and closing windows will NOT prevent CO buildup in the home.

  • If you start to feel sick, dizzy, or weak while using a generator, get to fresh air RIGHT AWAY!

  • Install CO alarms in central locations on every level of your home and outside sleeping areas

  • If you think you or anyone in your home has been exposed to CO call 911

For more information visit www.redcross.org

MAKE SURE YOUR DRINKING WATER IS SAFE

After an emergency (hurricane), drinking water may not be available or safe to drink. If you suspect or have been told your water is unsafe, do NOT use it to: brush teeth, wash dishes, wash and prepare foods, make ice, or make baby formula. In flooded areas water can become contaminated with livestock waste, human sewage, chemicals, and other contaminants. You can often make water safe by boiling it, adding disinfectants, or filtering.  Contaminated drinking water may cause diarrheal illness.

  • Since floodwater can be contaminated, you should NOT swim or wade in that water.

  • Drink bottled water as much as possible until local government agencies tell you the drinking water is safe.

For more information on how to make contaminated water safe visit www.cdc.gov

TAKE SAFETY MEASURES WHEN CLEANING UP DEBRIS

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommends you get the right safety gear, use teams to move heavy/bulky objects, pace yourself, use caution when operating power tools such as chain saws or lawn equipment. Make sure your tetanus shot is up to date!

 Proper safety gear includes:

  • Hard hats

  • Goggles

  • N95 or respirator masks (needed for chemical clean up or toxins)

  • Waterproof boots with steel toes and steel insoles

  • Earplugs or protective headphones if working with noisy equipment

Remember to research proper ways to clean up mold and know how to sanitize toys to avoid the spread of toxins and possible disease (use bleach solution and then soap/water).  ALWAYS wash your hands!

For more information visit www.cdc.gov

WATCH OUT FOR WILDLIFE

Keep in mind that wildlife is often displaced during a natural disaster. Be on the lookout for fire ants, rodents, small marsupials, and…snakes! Stay away from any wildlife and call animal control for help if you need it.

QUESTIONS? Feel free to contact us at pediatricafterhoursfay@gmail.com

ABOUT US

Pediatric After Hours Care of Fayetteville, NC, provides prompt pediatric care without an appointment or high ER co-pays. Led by Dr. Ana Hodges, PAHC is open evenings and weekends to support most pediatric urgent care needs. Most insurance plans accepted. Contact us to learn more.

Image courtesy of Annie Spratt at Unsplash