Purdue News
Purdue News
For instance, a homeowner who drains a flooded basement before the surrounding soils dry out could end up bringing the house down, he said.
"Right now the water in the basement is helping to support the basement wall against the added weight of the wet soils around the foundation," Petritz said. "If that water is removed too early or too quickly, the basement walls will collapse."
Petritz said the water should be gradually removed from the basement at a rate of about a foot per day.
He said Indiana county Extension offices have information on food safety, family-coping tips, assessing buildings, restarting flooded machinery and other topics. The Indiana Extension office has been collecting information from Extension service staff in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa on what homeowners need to do when the waters go away. Much of the information was developed in response to the Mississippi River flooding in 1993.
Purdue family resource management specialist Barbara Rowe was loaned to the Illinois Extension Service that year to help rural residents move back into flood-ravaged areas. She said the four main things on those people's minds were health, home, food and clothing.
"The main thing is to take care of yourself. That sounds like your mom talking, but it's true," Rowe said. "I saw a lot of people in Illinois suffering from stress and exhaustion."
Rowe advised returning residents to at least get a tetanus vaccination before attempting any cleanup. Other tips include:
People need to remember elderly neighbors, in particular. "In Illinois we saw older citizens more easily overwhelmed, and they wouldn't ask for help," Rowe said.
Take a picture of damage and high-water marks to help with insurance claims, Rowe said. It's good to have an inventory of possessions written down before you return to the home. "People faced with devastating losses had trouble remembering they owned a refrigerator," Rowe said.
Purdue foods and nutrition specialist April Mason has written an Extension publication, CFS-119, called "Keeping Food Safe During Emergencies." It contains information about decontaminating water, evaluating food stocks and other means of avoiding water- and food-borne illness.
Flood waters may carry silt, raw sewage, oil and chemical waste, and even canned goods may harbor bacteria on the surface metal and within paper labels, according to Mason. Containers must be scrubbed in a strong detergent and disinfected before opening.
Copies of CFS-119 and other flood-related information resources are available from county Extension offices in southern Indiana. Residents also can contact the Media Distribution Center at 1-888-EXT-INFO and ask the operator for the "Flood Packet." The handling fee has been waived for residents of flooded counties. Flood-related information also is available on the World Wide Web (https://anr.ces.purdue.edu) with links to Purdue, other land-grant universities and the Red Cross.
Another flood-related problem -- invasion of homes and barns by flood-displaced rats and mice -- is more of a concern for those who stay at home than for those who are flooded out, said U.S. Department of Agriculture wildlife damage specialist Judy Loven.
"You'll need to be prepared for it and expect to see animals you haven't seen before," Loven said. "Monitor your surroundings. If you see some of the larger animals such as deer or raccoons moving through, you can be sure the smaller ones aren't far behind. If you see evidence of their presence, such as droppings in the garage or barn, you'll need to take measures to prevent an infestation."
Loven recommended getting firewood, bricks or stocks of lumber up off the ground and making sure garbage and birdseed are in animal-proof containers. Keeping things neat and organized also will help residents spot rodents signs that much sooner. "The more you can do to make your home less appealing to rats and mice, the less likely they are to set up housekeeping," Loven said. That includes closing up any holes or entry points to the building.
If you do have an infestation, Loven said, you should try to determine what type of animal you're dealing with so you can buy the appropriate trap or poison. "There are a lot of good inexpensive commercial control products on the market now, so there's no need for home-made concoctions," Loven said.
ACS code/970303 Ag Petritz.flood/9703f4
