How to Stay Safe After The Storm

Tips for checking your drinking water, avoiding risks from mosquitoes and available health care resources.

Even after a hurricane has passed, there still are lingering health and safety concerns. Here are some important points to remember.

Healthcare

Many medical facilities and hospitals are operating on a limited basis. A mobile health unit may be available to provide services to residents with cuts, scrapes, bruises and mild illnesses. Here is what we know about the major healthcare centers:

NAMI Collier County

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, tasteless and odorless poison that can be easily avoided. Do not burn charcoal, gas grills or gas-powered generators inside houses, garages, vehicles or tents. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include fatigue, weakness, chest pains, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, headaches, confusion, lack of coordination and impaired vision.

Food Safety

Food that has not been refrigerated for two hours or more, has an unusual odor, color or texture and is no longer cool to the touch is unsafe. Throw it out.

Drinking Water

Never assume that public water in hurricane-affected areas is safe to drink. Use bottled water for cooking, eating and drinking until there are public announcements about water safety. If bottled water is not available, boil tap water vigorously for at least one minute. Per the Center for Disease Control, if you don’t have safe bottled water and if boiling is not possible, you can make small quantities of water safer to drink by using a chemical disinfectant, such as unscented household chlorine bleach, iodine, or chlorine dioxide tablets.

*Currently: Lee, Collier and Charlotte Counties are all under a boil water notice until further notice.

Hand Washing and Sanitization

Wash hands often with soap and clean water. If you’re unsure about the water source, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to decrease the risk of illness, infection or contact with disease-causing bacteria.

Mosquitos

Heavy rains and flooding lead to an increase in the mosquitos. Public health authorities recommend following the “five D’s of prevention” to avoid mosquito bites.

  • Dusk and Dawn–avoid the outdoors from sunset to sunrise.
  • Dress–wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks.
  • DEET–use repellents with DEET, usually 30 percent solutions. Do not use DEET on children younger than 2 months old.
  • Drainage–check your home and neighborhood, and dump standing water where mosquitoes can lay their eggs.