Flood Health and Safety Tips

Public Health Sauk County and Sauk County Emergency Management would like to remind residents of the following Flood Health and Safety Tips:

Do not swim or bathe in rivers, streams, creeks, or lakes in flooded areas. Flood waters may contain sewage, fertilizer, gasoline, pesticides, hazardous materials, and large chunks of debris such as fallen tree limbs, boulders, metal objects, sharp objects like fence posts and nails, etc. 

Stay out of the water- you never know what could be lurking there!

(Photo credit by Jason Mackie)

Wounds

If you are injured while performing clean up activities contact your health care provider for treatment as soon as possible. Injuries such as cuts, lacerations or puncture wounds will need treatment and you may need a tetanus vaccination. Your health care provider can also instruct you in the signs and symptoms of infection you need to be on the look out for.

To avoid injury and prevent infection during flood cleanup, follow these steps:

• Wash often with soap and water
• Wear protective clothing such as hard-soled shoes, long pants, long-sleeved shirts and heavy work gloves
• Take Care of any wounds right away by washing hands first, cleaning wound with soap and water, patting dry, and applying a clean, dry dressing
• See your healthcare provider to determine if you need a tetanus shot

Water Safety

WHEN IN DOUBT DO NOT DRINK!

• If your drinking water is CLOUDY, ODOROUS, COLORED – DO NOT DRINK THE WATER! Also do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, or to make ice.
• People with city or village water can get water quality results from their local water department. If you have a well water, test kits can be obtained from the health department (for families with small children and pregnant women), and Extension Sauk County works with UW Stevens Point Water and Environmental Analysis Lab to offer well water testing in Sauk County.  Please call 608-355-3250 to find out more about how to test your well or visit the above link to learn more and request a test to be sent to you online. During flood events, the health department might have free water test kits. Please call (608) 355-3290 for more information. 
• The currents in flooded waterways can be unpredictable due to the large amount of water. People should keep themselves and their children out of fast moving water; it is easy to end up in the water and be swept downstream.
• Assume all flood water is contaminated and KEEP CHILDREN AND ANIMALS OUT OF THE WATER. Do not swim or bathe in rivers, streams, creeks or lakes in flooded areas!

Food Safety

• When in doubt, do not eat suspicious food.
• Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water.
• For infants, until you are sure of your water quality, use only canned formula that requires no added water.
• If your refrigerator of freezer has been without power for a period of time, all stored items should be checked carefully. Perishable food at room temperature for more that 2 hours should be discarded. Frozen food that has thawed should be discarded if not consumed immediately.

Garbage precautions

• Place household garbage including food waste in water proof containers. Garbage can attract animals and disease-bearing insects. If possible store in a firm container.

Injury prevention

Electrical Safety –

• Do not attempt to restore or work on power sources without first contacting your utility company. Avoid all downed power lines, especially those in water.
• Emergency generators must be used in well ventilated areas

Physical Hazards –

• Avoid wading in water without proper foot protection. Broken glass, metal fragments, and other debris may be submerged in the flooded area.
• Wear proper eyewear, gloves and other protective equipment when cleaning up an area.
• Boats should be used with cautions. Submerged items such as signs, fences, etc. may not be visible and can result in serious injury.
• Make sure your tetanus shot is up to date before starting clean up activities. If you need an update call you health care provider or local health department.

Insects –

• Wear DEET containing (unless instructed otherwise by your health care provider) insect repellant when out of doors performing clean up activities and as a regular habit. Mosquitoes and other insects may transmit disease. Check with your health care provider before using DEET products on infants and children.
• Remove any standing water from places such as boats, tires, wading pools, ditches, buckets, cans or building materials. Keep tarps and pool covers tight to prevent the accumulation of water.

Animals –

• Beware of wild animals such as raccoons and skunks that may have been flooded out of their burrow.
• Also avoid cats and dogs you don’t know. If bitten by any animal contact your physician, the local police or sheriff’s department, or the local health department as soon as possible.
• Animals may have sheltered in vacant homes, garages, or other buildings. Carefully inspect your buildings before reoccupying.

If you have any questions regarding health and safety tips with flooding please call Public Health Sauk County Health Department at (608) 355-3290 or Sauk County's emergency management director at (608) 355-3200.