What to do if your house is hit by flood waters

The flood waters brought by tropical Storm "Ondoy" last Saturday reached epic proportions, displacing thousands of families across Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and the Calabarzon region and leaving about a hundred people dead. With thousands still reeling from the devastation wreaked by the storm, GMANews.TV recommends the following safety and preventive measures against floods, as listed by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (The CDC is an "online source for credible information." View its full articles on flood emergency preparedness and response here and here.) When you first re-enter your home

• Turn off your main power supply if there is still standing water in your home. Do this only if the switch is on a dry location. "If you must enter standing water to access the main power switch, then call an electrician to turn it off."
• CDC warns that you should never tinker with the power switch or use an electric tool or appliance while standing in water.
• Ask an electrician to check your house’s electrical system before switching on your power supply.
• "If the house has been closed for several days, enter briefly to open doors and windows to let the house air out for a while" for at least 30 minutes.
• CDC says that if your house has been flooded and closed for several days, it may be contaminated with mold or sewage.

• Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves, and goggles when cleaning up your home. Make sure that children and pets are away from the affected area.
• Throw items that cannot be washed and disinfected, such as mattresses, carpets, rugs, sofa sets, cosmetics, stuffed toys, pilloys, books, wall coverings, paper products.
• "Remove and discard drywall and insulation that has been contaminated with sewage or flood waters."
• With hot water and detergent, clean hard surfaces like floors, walls, wood and metal furniture, countertops, appliances, sinks, and other plumbing fixtures.
• After the clean-up, wash your hands with soap and warm water that has been boiled for a minute then cooled down after. You may use disinfected water, too.
• With hot water and detergent, wash clothes you’ve worn during the clean-up or those contaminated by flood water or sewage water.
• Outside your home, have your onsite waste-water system professionally inspected and serviced if you suspect damage.
• "Seek immediate medical attention if you become injured or ill."

• If an electrician says your power supply is safe to turn on, CDC advises you to use a “wet-dry" shop vacuum to remove standing flood water. You may also use an electric-powered water transfer pump or a sump pump.
• Make sure you wear rubber boots.
• If you do not have electricity yet – or if you have, but it is still unsafe to turn your power supply on – use a portable generator to power equipment to suck standing flood water.
• CDC adds: “If you must use a gasoline-powered pump, generator, pressure washer, or any other gasoline-powered tool to clean your home, never operate the gasoline engine inside a home, basement garage, carport, porch or other enclosed or partially enclosed structures, even if windows and doors are open. Such improper use can create dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide and can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Open windows and doors of the house if the weather allows. You may use dehumidifiers and fans to remove excess moisture.
• Before turning on an air-conditioning unit or heating/ventilating system, have a maintenance or service professional check for possible mold contamination. "Professional cleaning will kill the mold and prevent later mold growth."