References are identified after answers.
Q) What are common personal reactions to a disaster?
Stemming from these events, you may find that you are:
- Feeling hopeless about the future & detached or unconcerned about others
- Having trouble concentrating
- Jumpy & startle easily at sudden noise
- On guard and constantly alert
- Having disturbing dreams/memories
- You may also experience more physical reactions such as:
- Stomach upset, trouble eating
- Trouble sleeping & exhaustion
- Pounding heart, rapid breathing
- Severe headache if thinking of the event, sweating
- Failure to engage in exercise, diet, safe sex, regular health care
- Excess smoking, alcohol, drugs, food
- Worsening of chronic medical problems
- Or have more emotional troubles such as:
- Feeling nervous, helpless, fearful, sad
- Feeling numb, unable to experience love or joy
- Avoiding people, places, and things related to the event
- Being irritable or outbursts of anger
- Becoming easily upset or agitated
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
“PTSD is a condition that can develop after someone has experienced a life-threatening situation. People with PTSD often can’t stop thinking about what happened to them. They may try to avoid people and places that remind them of the disaster and may work hard to push thoughts of the even out of their head. Feeling numb is another common reactions. Finally, people find that they have trouble relaxing. They startle easily and are often on guard.” (EDEN)
Q) When can I return to my home after a flood?
Don't return home until authorities have indicated it is safe.
Q) What should I look for when I re-enter a building?
When entering buildings, use extreme caution and be cautious of hazards include gas leaks, electrical problems including electrocution, structural problems and contaminated food and water.
Q) What are the concerns with possible gas leaks?
Leave your home immediately and call 911 and the gas company if you smell the putrid odor of leaking gas. Lanterns, torches, electrical sparks and cigarettes could cause an explosive fire if there is a leak. Do not turn on any light switches. (UWE, HSEM)
Q) What should I do to report a petroleum or hazardous materials spill?
Contact the Minnesota Duty Officer at 800-422-0798; backup 651-296-2233 and TDD 651-215-6952.
When making notifications of spills/incidents, state:
- Materials and quantity involved in incident
- Incident location - (physical address, nearest cross streets, sec./range, etc.)
- Responsible party of incident - (trucking firm name, property/business owner name, etc.)
- Telephone number of responsible party
- Any surface waters or sewers impacted
- What has happened or what is happening
The purpose of the 24-hour Minnesota Duty Officer program is to provide a single point of contact for both public and private sector entities to call. This includes single family homes.
All calls require, the name of the caller (you can remain anonymous), telephone number for call-backs at the scene or facility, date, time and location of the incident. (HSEM)
Q) What are the concerns with possible electrical problems including electrocution?
Wear rubber gloves and rubber-soled shoes to avoid electrocution. Do not turn on any lights or appliances if the house has been flooded. Turn off the electricity when checking electrical circuits and equipment or when checking a flooded basement.
Q) What are the concerns with possible structural problems?
Watch for falling debris and the possibility of collapsing ceilings and basement walls.
Q) What are the concerns with possible contaminated food and water?
Do not use water or eat food that has come in contact with floodwaters. (UWE)
Q) How do I get the moisture out of my home?
The best way is to use outside air to dry your home so open windows and doors. Help this by using exhaust fans to remove moist air from the house. (MDOH)
Q) What is a moisture meter and where can I get one?
They measure moisture in wood, and can be purchased online or from many hardware stores from $50- $500. Use a moisture meter to measure wood moisture content for furniture, wood floor work, wood items and building inspections.
Q) Can I use a home de-humidifier?
Yes, run a de-humidifier in the dampest area and empty it often. (MDOH)
Q) What about moisture on the walls and ceilings?
- Cavities in walls and ceilings must be opened, cleaned, decontaminated, and thoroughly dried.
- Walls must be allowed to dry from the inside out.
- Remove moisture and debris from all surfaces and get surface materials dry within 24-48 hours.
- Release any water or mud that has been trapped in walls, ceilings, or floor cavities.
- Remove all interior wall finishing materials and insulation.
- Throw out any wet insulation.
- Most plaster, wallboard and paneling will have to be thrown away.
- If you think you may have materials containing asbestos in your home, call the Minnesota Department of Health at 651/201-4620.
- Wear a mask to prevent inhaling contaminated dust, especially if you have allergies. Consult with your physician if you have questions.
(MDOH)
Q) What should I do with wet carpeting?
- Pull up waterlogged carpet immediately, to prevent further floor damage.
- Carpet pads cannot be saved. They must be removed and thrown away.
- Attempt to save carpets or throw rugs only if they would be very expensive to replace.
- Clean and dry your floors thoroughly before re-carpeting.
(MDOH)
Q) What should I do with wet furniture?
- Discard upholstered furniture if it has been exposed to water or contaminated material.
- Clean, rinse, and disinfect wood furniture.
- Place wood furniture outside in a shady area so it will dry slowly.
(MDOH)
Q) What should I do with wet appliances, especially my furnace and hot water heater?
- If your hot water heater became wet due to flooding, it should be discarded. The insulation typically can't be replaced and the burner or heating element may be damaged and could cause an explosion or fire if used. If in doubt, consult a service professional before using.
- If the furnace was flooded, have it inspected and serviced by a professional furnace service before using.
Q) What should I do with wet clothing?
- Line-dry all articles before attempting to clean or treat them.
- After drying, brush off loose dirt and debris.
- Send "Dry Clean Only" items to a professional cleaner.
- Wash clothes several times in cold water only. Add up to a cup of bleach per load of wash if it will not harm the clothing.
- Rinse and dry all items as soon as possible.
(MDOH)
Q) What should I do if my bed/bedding is wet?
- Throw out mattresses and pillows.
- Clean blankets in the same way as clothing.
(MDOH)
Q) What about moisture on the floors?
- Cavities in floors must be opened, cleaned, decontaminated, and thoroughly dried.
- Remove any moisture or debris.
- Scrub floors and woodwork within 48 hours, using a stiff brush, water, detergent, and disinfectant.
- Allow all wood to dry thoroughly.
(MDOH)
Q) What should I do about my personal hygiene as I handle items in flood water?
Washing your hands is the single most important thing you can do to protect your health, especially before you eat or drink anything.
The eight steps of proper hand washing
- Wet with hot (if available) water
- Soap up hands and forearms
- Work up a soapy lather, make sure to get back of hands and between fingers
- Use a nail brush
- Rinse hands
- Use soap and lather up again
- Rinse
- Dry hands with paper towels
(MDOH)
Q) What should I do if the water is off in my home?
Transport and store clean water in clean plastic containers. Get a beverage cooler equipped with a spigot, and keep it filled with clean water for hand washing. (MDOH)
Q) What if the water is on but it is contaminated?
- Do not drink it.
- Transport and store clean water in clean plastic containers.
- You can use contaminated water for washing your hands if you add one tablespoon of bleach to each gallon.
(MDOH)
Q) I think there is mold, how do I know for sure?
If any materials are still wet or moist after 24-48 hours, you should assume they have mold growing on them. See Mold Problems.
Q) Where can I get local assistance and/or additional resources?
- American Red Cross
- County Extension office
- Minnesota Division of Emergency Government
- Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Health
- Department of Natural Resources
- Department of Transportation
- Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
- Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Program
- State Fire Marshal Division
- Office of Pipeline Safety
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- State Patrol
- State Chemical Assessment Teams (CAT)
- State Emergency Response Teams (ERT)
- Fire Chiefs Assistance & Support Teams (FAST)
- State-wideFire and Rescue Mutual Aid Program (FIREMAP)
- American Red Cross (ARC)
- Search and Rescue Dogs
- Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
- National Guard
- Amateur Radio - ARES/RACES
- Minnesota Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (MNVOAD)
Q) What is the scope of the Minnesota Duty Officer in the Department of Homeland Security?
Minnesota Duty Officer: 800-422-0798, Backup 651-296-2233 and TDD: 651-215-6952.
The scope of the Minnesota Duty Officer Program includes, but is not limited to, actual or impending incidents such as the following:
- Hazardous materials incidents
- Pipeline leaks or breaks
- Radiological incidents
- Waste water bypasses
- Air releases
- Requests for National Guard/Civil Air Patrol
- Aircraft accidents/incidents
- Search and rescue assistance
- Bomb Squad information
- Requests for State Fire Marshal Fire Investigators
- Natural disaster (tornado, flood, fire, etc)
- Any incident where assistance is needed from one or more of the following state agencies, or, when one or more of the following state agencies has a reporting requirement:
- Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Health
- Department of Natural Resources
- Department of Transportation
- Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
- Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Program
- State Fire Marshal Division
- Office of Pipeline Safety
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- State Patrol
- Others
Other Resources Available:
- State Chemical Assessment Teams (CAT)
- State Emergency Response Teams (ERT)
- Fire Chiefs Assistance & Support Teams (FAST)
- State-wideFire and Rescue Mutual Aid Program (FIREMAP)
- American Red Cross (ARC)
- Search and Rescue Dogs
- Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
- National Guard
- Amateur Radio - ARES/RACES
- Bomb Squad Teams
- Minnesota Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (MNVOAD)
All calls require:
- Name of the caller (you can remain anonymous)
- Telephone number for call-backs at the scene or facility
- Have local officials been notified? Fire, Police, Sheriff
- Date, time and location of the incident
References
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