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FLOOD CLEANUP: What you need to know
Health
•Question: I'm concerned about my exposure to tetanus; what can I do?
•Answer: If you have had a tetanus shot in the past 10 years, you should be OK. If you can't remember when your last tetanus shot was and have been walking through floodwater or cleaning up flood debris and have some scrapes and/or cuts, you should get a tetanus shot as soon as possible.
•Q: If I was in floodwater, am I at risk for getting Hepatitis A?
•A: No.
•Q: How do I know if my food was contaminated?
•A: Any food that was in contact with floodwaters should be discarded. Fresh produce that has been contaminated should be thrown out. Canned foods should have labels (which can hold dirt and germs) removed and be washed in a bleach solution of 1 tablespoon bleach to 1 gallon water. All utensils and cookware should be sanitized in a bleach solution or boiled in water for 10 minutes. Allow cans and utensils to air-dry for at least one hour before opening or storing.
•Q: How can I make sure my home is clean once the floodwaters recede?
•A: Use a general disinfectant or even a bleach/water solution to wipe down all surfaces that were covered with floodwater. Wash all the clothing that was exposed to floodwater or mud and dry on high heat. Carpeted floors need to be cleaned and dried within 24 to 48 hours or, if the flooding was more severe, removed and discarded.
•Q: Can I bathe in water that might be contaminated?
•A: Yes, unless you have an open wound. Your risk of getting sick from contaminated water is greatest if you take the water into your mouth.
•Q: How should I clean something that has been contaminated, such as toys?
•A: Mix a solution of 1 cup bleach to 5 gallons water to disinfect toys and other solid surfaces such as concrete or decking. Pets that might have been in contaminated areas should be bathed with soap or shampoo.
•Q: Whom can I contact for more information?
•A: Contact your medical provider if you are having any kind of symptoms, wounds or rashes that you need to have examined. Contact the Lewis County Public Health Department at 360-740-1222 if you have questions or concerns about the tetanus immunization, your water or septic system, or exposure to contamination.
Returning home
Some possible dangers you might encounter during cleanup:
•Electrocution: If water has been anywhere near electrical circuits and electrical equipment, turn off the power at the main breaker or fuse on the service panel. Do not turn the power back on until electrical equipment has been inspected by an electrician.
•Carbon monoxide exposure: Flood cleanup might involve the use of gasoline- or diesel-powered pumps, generators and pressure washers. Because those devices release carbon monoxide, a deadly, colorless, odorless gas, operate all gasoline-powered devices outdoors.
•Injuries: Use teams of two or more to move bulky objects and avoid lifting any material that weighs more than 50 pounds (per person).
•Exposure to fire, heat or cold: Standing or working in water that is colder than 75 degrees will suck away body heat more rapidly than it can be replaced, resulting in hypothermia. Wear high rubber boots, ensure that clothing and boots have adequate insulation, don't work alone, take frequent breaks out of the water and change into dry clothing when possible.
•Unstable buildings or bridges: Rushing floodwaters might have damaged submerged buildings, parking lots, roads and other structures. Don't work in or around any flood-damaged building until it has been examined and certified by a registered professional engineer or architect.
Source: Lewis County Health Department
Mobile office
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has opened a mobile disaster-aid office in Lewis County.
People in Lewis and Grays Harbor counties have been encouraged to call FEMA's toll-free claim line if they are seeking direct assistance or to file claims or requests for aid online. But for those having trouble getting through by phone or needing help with paperwork, the mobile unit is available.
The mobile office is open for business in the Yardbirds Mall parking lot, 2100 N. National Ave., between Chehalis and Centralia, FEMA spokesman Charlie Henderson said Wednesday. Two or three additional sites are being considered for other mobile aid offices in the flood-hit areas, Henderson said.
The Olympian
Damage assessments on fast track to build a case for county relief
By Brad Shannon | The Olympian
Federal and state disaster workers opened a mobile aid office in Lewis County on Wednesday for face-to-face meetings with the hundreds of people displaced by last week's flooding.
Meanwhile, agencies under the arm of Gov. Chris Gregoire and local emergency management crews hustled to gather damage data that could qualify Thurston, Mason and other counties for the same kind of federal cash and rent aid that people in Grays Harbor and Lewis counties have begun to receive. "She, state and local officials are doing everything they can at this point to gather the information they need to relay that on to FEMA and get a declaration that would provide individual assistance," Gregoire spokesman Steve Pierce said Wednesday.
"In the meantime, any folks affected by the flood need to report to their local emergency management offices, because that information becomes part of the overall emergency assessments," he added.
So far, 2,384 registrations have been filed at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Mark Clemens of the state's Emergency Management Division. He said ongoing estimates show 500 homes damaged by the storm and floods, but no accurate estimate is available for the number of people unable to return home.
Emergency Management expects to wrap up its damage assessments "by Friday," spokeswoman Robin Dildine-Gwin said. "We're trying to assist our citizens as quickly as possible."
Sen. Karen Fraser, D-Thurston County, is among those urging Gregoire to hurry the assessment — especially after a public meeting Tuesday night in Rochester that drew 150 people, many with concerns about aid.
"They should as soon as they can get at least the flood-area portion of Thurston County included in the declaration," Fraser said after leaving a message for the governor that urged action. "It really isn't right to exclude a portion of the flood area just because of political boundaries that were drawn in the 1800s. That is when the Thurston-Lewis border was drawn."
FEMA field spokesman Charlie Henderson said there is no damage amount threshold for Thurston County to meet — only a showing that the damage is beyond the capacity of the state and local governments to handle.
"We're getting a lot of anecdotal (stories) … I'm sure they are true, and FEMA is concerned. We need to turn these anecdotal stories into quantitative numbers," Henderson said.
No trailers
FEMA has no plans to bring mobile homes or trailers into the area to serve people displaced from their homes.
Instead, they are working to set up rental quarters for people in hotels, motels, apartments and rental homes, and the housing assistance can run up to 18 months, Henderson said.
"As long as we have a place to put people that is safe, secure and functional, we'll put people there first," Henderson said.
The presidential declaration over the weekend came relatively quickly, according to FEMA. President Bush's declarations made aid available to governments in six counties and cash aid, including rent checks, available to displaced people in Lewis and Grays Harbor counties.
Mike Howard, FEMA's Region X spokesman in Bothell, said the federal response to the storm was "one of the quickest that I remember in my region. Nisqually Earthquake was a little quicker, but earthquakes are a little different. With floods, you have to wait for floodwaters to recede before you can get an estimate of the extent of damage."
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