Be safe when cleaning after flooding

Residents in Northeastern Iowa  have been ravaged by flooding that has caused millions of dollars in damage.  With the ramifications of this destructive flooding still ahead, Mayo Clinic Health System Physicians at Winneshiek Medical Center Decorah Clinic have several health-related tips people should be keep in mind when safeguarding their homes and families.

Floodwater may be contaminated, but it's unlikely that simple skin contact will make you sick, even if raw sewage is visible.  However, swallowing floodwater or anything that's been contaminated could make you sick.  Please check with a physician or with your local public health office if you show signs of illness (fatigue, nausea, swelling, fever, etc.).

In order to keep children safe, don't allow them to play in or near floodwater or in areas recently flooded.  Also:

• Make sure your child's hands are washed frequently, especially before meals
• Disinfect toys that may be contaminated by washing them with a solution of two ounces of bleach in one gallon of water.
• Discard any soft toys that may be contaminated.  Young children may put these items into their mouths.
Regarding food supplies, try to keep refrigerators close to 41 degrees Fahrenheit.  If your power is lost, a refrigerator will keep food cool for four to six hours if left unopened.  Also:
• Keep frozen food from thawing.  Without power, your freezer will keep food frozen for one day if the freezer is half full and up to two days if the freezer is full and left unopened.
• Commercially canned foods in good condition are safe if you remove the labels.  Wash sealed can with warm water and detergent, and then disinfect them using a solution of one tablespoon of bleach to one gallon of clean water.  Re-label the cans so you know what is inside.  
• Destroy canned goods if the can surface is badly rusted or pitted, swollen or leaking, or badly creased or dented at the rims and seals.