Health and safety measures should be maintained not only before and during a hurricane, but should be extended to several days, even weeks afterwards.
Besides the damage that a hurricane causes to buildings and infrastructure (electricity, telephone, water supply, gas lines) in the affected region there are many health concerns that arise as a direct result of a hurricane. Many of these could lead to severe ill health and even death. health and safety can be threatened by water quality, the manner in which food is handled, basic hygienic practices, outbreaks of communicable diseases, chemical hazards, increase in the number of mosquitoes in the environment, and stress and trauma that occur as a result of the crisis. The following information, adopted from the Center for Disease Control, seeks to assist residents in the islands of The Bahamas in taking the necessary precautions to protect and maintain their health in the after-math of a hurricane.
WATER QUALITY
Hurricanes, especially if accompanied by a tidal surge or flooding, can contaminate the public water supply. Drinking contaminated water may cause illness. You cannot assume that the water in the hurricane-affected area is safe to drink.
In the area hit by a hurricane, water treatment plants may not be operating; even if they are, storm damage and flooding can contaminate water lines. Listen for public announcements about the safety of the municipal water supply. If your well has been flooded, it needs to be tested and disinfected after the storm passes and the flood waters recede. Questions about testing should be directed to the Department of Environmental Health Services, Ministry of Health.
Water for Drinking and Cooking
Safe drinking water includes bottled, boiled, or treated water. Here are some general rules concerning water for drinking and cooking. Remember:
Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, or make ice;
If you use bottled water, know where it came from; otherwise, water should be boiled or treated before use. Drink only bottled, boiled, or treated water until your supply is tested and found safe.
Boiling water kills harmful bacteria and parasites. Bringing water to a rolling boil for 1 minute will kill most organisms.
Water may also be treated with chlorine or iodine tablets. PLEASE NOTE: THIS TREATMENT WILL NOT KILL PARASITIC ORGANISMS SUCH AS WORMS.
Containers for water should be rinsed with a bleach solution before reusing them. Use water storage tanks and other types of containers with caution. For example, fire truck storage tanks, as well as previously used cans or bottles can be contaminated with microbes or chemicals. Do not rely on untested devices for decontaminating water.
Disinfecting Wells
If you suspect that your well may be contaminated, contact the Department of Environmental Health Services for specific advice.
FOOD SAFETY
Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with contaminated floodwater.
Discard any food not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with contaminated floodwater.
Undamaged, commercially canned foods can be saved if you remove the can labels, thoroughly wash the cans, and then disinfect them with a solution consisting of one cup of bleach in five gallons of water.
Re-label your cans, including expiration date, with a marker.
Food containers with screw-caps, snap-lids, crimped caps (soda pop bottles), twist caps, flip tops, snap-open, and home canned foods should be discarded if they have come into contact with floodwater because they cannot be disinfected.
For infants, use only pre-prepared canned baby formula that isn’t condensed and doesn’t require added water.
DO NOT USE POWDERED FORMULAS PREPARED WITH TREATED WATER.
Frozen and Refrigerated Foods
If you were without power for a long period:
Store your frozen foods in the freezers of relatives or friends if they have electricity;
See if freezer space is available in a store, church, school, or commercial freezer that has electrical service; or
Use dry ice, if available. Twenty-five pounds of dry ice will keep a ten-cubic-foot freezer below freezing for 3-4 days. Use care when handling dry ice, and wear dry, heavy gloves to avoid injury.
Your refrigerator will keep foods cool for about four hours without power if it is unopened. Add block or dry ice to your refrigerator if the electricity is off longer than four hours.
Thawed food can usually be eaten if it is still “refrigerator cold,” or refrozen if it still contains ice crystals. To be safe, remember, “WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT.” Discard any food that has been at room temperature (41 ﾖ 140 o F) for two hours or more, and any food that has an unusual odor, color, or texture.
SANITATION AND HYGIENE
It is critical for you to remember to practice basic hygiene during the emergency period. Always wash your hands with soap and water that has been boiled or disinfected:
Before preparing or eating food;
After toilet use;
After participating in cleanup activities; and
After handling articles contaminated with floodwater or sewage.
If there is flooding along with a hurricane, the waters may contain fecal material from overflowing sewage systems and agricultural and industrial waste. Although skin contact with floodwater does not, by itself, pose a serious health risk, there is risk of disease from eating or drinking anything contaminated with floodwater. If you have any open cuts or sores that will be exposed to floodwater, keep them as clean as possible by washing them with soap and applying an antibiotic ointment to discourage infection. If a wound develops redness, swelling, or drainage, seek immediate medical attention.
DO NOT ALLOW CHILDREN TO PLAY IN FLOODWATER AREAS. Wash children’s hands frequently (always before meals), and do not allow children to play with floodwater-contaminated toys that have not been disinfected. You can disinfect toys using a solution of one cup of bleach in five gallons of water.
IMMUNIZATIONS
Outbreaks of communicable diseases after hurricanes are unusual. However, the rates of diseases that were present before a hurricane may increase because of a lack of sanitation or overcrowding in shelters. Increases in infectious diseases that were not present before the hurricane are not a problem; so mass vaccination programs are unnecessary.
If you are injured (scratched, bruised or cut ﾖ in any way before or during a hurricane) you should be evaluated (seen by a doctor or nurse) for a tetanus immunization, just as you would at any other time of injury. If you receive a puncture wound or a wound contaminated with feces, soil, or saliva, have a doctor or professional from the health department determine whether a tetanus booster is necessary which will be based on your personal record.
Specific recommendations for vaccinations will be made on a case-by-case basis, or as determined by local health departments of the Ministry of Health.
MOSQUITOES
Rain and flooding in a hurricane area may lead to an increase in mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are most active at sunrise and sunset. In most cases, the mosquitoes will be pests but will not carry communicable diseases. It is unlikely that diseases, which were not present in the area prior to the hurricane, would be of concern. The Department of ﾠPublic Health and Environmental Health Authorities will be actively working to control the spread of any mosquito-borne diseases.
Protect yourself from mosquitoes, by keeping screens on dwellings secure, and wear clothes with long sleeves and long pants. To control mosquito populations, drain all standing water left in open containers outside your home.
MENTAL HEALTH
The days and weeks after a hurricane are going to be rough. In addition to your physical health, you need to take some time to consider your mental health as well. Remember that some sleeplessness, anxiety, anger, hyperactivity, mild depression, or lethargy are normal, and may go away with time. If you feel any of these symptoms acutely, seek counseling. Remember that children need extra care and attention before, during, and after the storm. Be sure to locate a favorite toy or game for your child before the storm arrives to help maintain his/her sense of security. Your local health departments will help you find the resources, including hospitals or health care providers that you may need.
Ivoine Ingraham, The Bahama Journal
For more information on health and safety measures after a Hurricane, please contact the Health Education Division of the Ministry of Health at telephone numbers ﾖ 502-4836, 502-4839 or 502-4899 or by email at hedu@batelnet.bs or at The Department of Environmental Health at telephone numbers 326-3457, 322-2576 or 322-4934.
