After the Hurricane

After a hurricane has passed you will need to take safety precautions. You will encounter difficulties with telephone communications, dangers from downed power lines, and potential hazards from contaminated water and spoiled food. Once a hurricane has passed, it may still be unsafe to go outdoors. Stay tuned to your local television and radio stations to hear the official "all clear" from the Government.

At Home

• Check for structural damage.
• Turn off any outside gas lines and let house air for several minutes to remove escaping gas.
• Don't use an open flame as a light source. Use a battery operated flashlight.
• Make sure children are safe. Don't let them play in damaged buildings or near piles of debris.
• If your home has sustained severe structural damage, do not move back in until it is checked by local officials.

Telephone Communications

• Do not use the telephone unless absolutely necessary so that people with emergencies have access to the system. The system is usually jammed with calls during and after a hurricane.
• Do not call 911 except for life-threatening situations.
• Do not report individual interruptions in electric, gas, water or telephone service. Utility companies have plans to restore services as quickly as possible after the storm clears the area. Call utility companies for individual interruption only after service has been restored in your neighborhood.
• Do call police or utility companies immediately to report hazards such as downed power lines, broken gas or water mains, or overturned gas tanks.

Water

• Water supplies may be contaminated during a hurricane. Until checked and cleaned, use only your pre-stored water for drinking, cooking, bathing, brushing teeth, and washing cooking utensils, kitchen and bathroom surfaces. (Note: pre-stored tap water will only be good for a week.)

Recipe for Pure Water

If you do not have enough pre-stored water, use the following recipe to ensure that your water is safe to drink:

1. Strain the water through a paper towel or several layers of thick cloth to remove dirt before purifying; or let water settle in a container for 24 hours so that particles sink to the bottom.

2. Use one of the following methods to purify the water:

• boil water for ten minutes; or
• add four water purification tablets (available in pharmacies) per gallon; or
• add 20 drops of two percent tincture of iodine per gallon of water; or
• add eight drops of chlorine bleach (without soap, lemon or other additives) per gallon of water.

3. Stir and let stand for 30 minutes.

4. To improve the taste of purified water, put oxygen back into it by pouring it back and forth between two containers.

Food

• Before using any food from the refrigerator, be sure to check it for spoilage. When in doubt, throw it out!
• Open your refrigerator only when necessary. Before opening the door, try to figure out exactly what you need and where it is. Do this as quickly as you can to conserve cold air.
• Throw out all foods that have touched flood waters except those in sealed airtight cans or airtight glass jars.
• Use gas or charcoal grills only outside the home. The fumes can be deadly.

Pets

• Take care of your pets as you would yourself. Keep a close eye on them so they don't come in contact with power lines.
• Consider placing them in a kennel until it is safe for them at home.
• Check their food and water before they eat or drink it. Just like you, pets can become ill from contaminated food and water.

Electrical Hazards

• After a hurricane, you may encounter electrical hazards both around your home and neighborhood. Electricity from downed power lines can be fatal.
• Do not touch any low-hanging or fallen power lines, because they may be crossed with a live power wire. Treat every power line you see as deadly.
• Stay away from puddles with wires in them. Do not touch or cut tree limbs near power lines.
• Keep a close watch on children and make sure they do not come close to power lines or utility work crews.
• Do not pile debris near or on top of power line equipment such as poles, transformers or downed electrical wiring. This will delay the work crews' efforts to restore power.
• Inside the home, don't stand in water while operating switches. plugging in or unplugging appliances such as stereos and TV's that have been exposed to water unless they have been checked by a technician.
• When installing a CB, TV or satellite antenna, check in all directions to make certain that no power lines are nearby. Contact with a power line could be deadly.