Disaster Sanitation

“He who conceals his disease cannot expect to be cured” - Ethiopian Proverb

After a disaster, act as if everything is covered with some really nasty germs.

Following a flood, tornado, earthquake or hurricane, sources of water that are normally safe can instantly become contaminated. Septic tanks, sewer systems and
water reclamation ponds overflow and contaminate wells, lakes, ponds and creeks. Refuse and animal carcasses add to this contamination. People do not dispose of human waste correctly. Waste disposal sites, fuel and oil from submerged vehicles all contribute to the contamination. Survivors end up, sometimes literally, wading through this toxic soup. – David Hardin, Ezine

• Be super-careful with food and water by boiling water and discarding any food that got wet or damaged.
• Wash your hands frequently but only in clean (i.e. boiled then cooled) water! You wouldn’t wash your hands in mud would you? If you use a bar of soap, give it a dip in boiling water too. Anything and everything may be germy including the towel you’re about to dry your clean hands with.
• Likewise, it’s important to keep food equipment clean. Don’t drink from unwashed cups and bottles and always wash soda cans & water bottles before drinking from them. They could be contaminated on the outside. Make sure the water you wash dishes with is clean & safe. Otherwise you’re just moving germs around.
• Treat any injury immediately no matter how minor. Scrapes and cuts that you would usually ignore become openings into your body for post-disaster germs. If a scratch or cuts becomes red and puffy, seek medication attention ASAP. You could lose a limb or life from infection.

Bottom Line

Sanitation is very important but often overlooked. According to the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF), an average of about 1.5 million children in the world die every year due to inadequate sanitation and polluted water.

Keep a close eye on children after a disaster. They won’t understand that blanky is NOT safe or that they could get sick chewing on their toys or by splashing in dirty water.
You can disinfect toys using a solution of one cup of bleach in 5 gallons of water.

Also keep a look-out for cuts and scrapes on children and the elderly.

http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/floods/sanitation.asp

Emergency alternatives to flush toilets:
http://www.co.polk.or.us/PDFs/Sheriff/EMS/Disaster_Sanitation.pdf