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Returning Home
The end of a hurricane can be the beginning of a new phase of survival. The same care that enabled you to survive the storm is needed when it's time to return home.
Guidelines
- Do not return to the emergency site until authorities say it is safe. Local authorities may not allow you into the area and may require proof of residency.
- Continue listening to the radio for information and instructions.
- Use extreme caution when entering building -- structures may have been damaged or weakened. Beware of poisonous snakes in flooded structures and debris.
- Use only battery operated flashlights for light.
- Check food and water supplies for contamination and spoilage before using them.
- After the emergency has passed, contact family and friends to tell them you are safe.
Damaged Buildings
- Before entering a damaged building, be sure that it is not about to collapse. If there is a gas buildup inside, a spark can cause a fatal explosion. Turn off the gas -- at the meter outside if possible; tools might be needed. Usually, one cannot ventilate a building without entering it. To dissipate escaping gas (or other foul odors), let the house air for several minutes -- as long as odor is present. Do not smoke or use open flame until you are sure that it is safe to do so.
- Do not turn on an electrical system; it may have become short-circuited. After dark, use a flashlight to avoid igniting escaped gas.
- Flooding may have swollen doors tight. When entrance must be forced because of swollen doors, accumulated mud or bulged floors, enter by a window or other opening. Lift the pins from door hinges with a screwdriver and hammer. Be sure the door is unlocked and then carefully push it in from the outside to avoid further damage.
- Watch for holes in the floor or loose boards with exposed nails.
- Loose, wet ceiling plaster is heavy and dangerous. Knock down hanging plaster before moving around in the building and watch for loose plaster as the structure dries out.
- Use even greater caution if damage resulted solely from high winds. Tornadoes may demolish some buildings and move others almost intact some distance from their foundations.
- Before entering or cleaning a tornado-damaged building be sure that walls, ceiling and roof are in place and that the structure rests firmly on the foundation.
- Look out for broken glass and broken power lines.
Contaminated Food
- All contaminated food should be discarded, except for undamaged hermetically sealed cans or packages. Any bulging cans should be discarded. Salvageable cans should be washed thoroughly and then disinfected by dipping them in a strong chlorine solution.
- This solution can be made by adding 1 tablespoon of household bleach to 1 gallon of water. Local health officials can offer further guidance.
Disinfecting Water
- There are two general methods for disinfecting small quantities of water -- boiling and chemical treatment. Boiling is the most positive way to make water bacterially safe. Certain chemicals, if applied with care, will free most waters of harmful or pathogenic organisms.
- The effectiveness of the disinfectant method is reduced in turbid or discolored water. First, filter such water through clean cloths or allow it to settle; draw off the clear water to be disinfected and store it in clean, tightly covered, noncorrodible containers.
- A 10-minute boiling will kill any disease-causing bacteria present. The flat taste of boiled water can be improved by pouring it back and forth from one container to another, by allowing it to stand for a few hours, or by adding a small pinch of salt for each quart of water boiled.
- The Environmental Protection Agency Publication EPA-570/982-004, "Manual of Individual Water Supply Systems" (available from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D.C. 20402), is a good source of information.
One Final Warning
- Do not turn on lights or appliances until an electrician has checked the house. Wear rubber-soled shoes or boots and rubber gloves. Turn off main switch at each building or at the yard pole while standing on a dry board.
- Use a piece of rubber, plastic or dry wood when touching metal handle of switch box. Water in circuits or connection boxes and exposed wires can cause short circuits or fires. There is a danger of electrocution.
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