•  Add approximately one gallon of liquid household bleach (5.25% Calcium Hypochlorite) to the well through a suitable casing vent or tap.
• Surge the well by turning the pump on and off three or four times.
• Flush the lines at each inside and outside outlet until a chlorine odor is noticeable.
• Allow the chlorinated water to remain in the entire system for at least four hours and preferably 24 hours.
• After the waiting period, flush the entire system at all outlets until the chlorinated water has been removed from the system.
• Take a water sample in a sterile sample bottle supplied by the health department and submit the sample for bacteriological examination.

Please call the Environmental and Consumer Health Division at (409) 938-2411 with any questions you might have regarding water well disinfection or sampling.

Frozen and Refrigerated Foods
 If your refrigerator or freezer may be without power for a long period:

• Divide your frozen foods among friends' freezers if they have electricity;
• Seek freezer space in a store, church, school, or commercial freezer that has electrical service; or
• Use dry ice - 25 pounds of dry ice will keep a 10 cubic foot freezer below freezing for 3 - 4 days. (Exercise care when handling dry ice, because it freezes everything it touches. wear dry, heavy gloves to avoid injury.)

Your refrigerator will keep foods cool for about 4 hours without power if it is unopened. Add block or dry ice to your refrigerator if the electricity will be off longer than 4 hours.

• before preparing or eating food;
• after toilet use
• after participating in flood cleanup activities; and
• after handling articles contaminated with flood water or sewage.

In addition, parents need to help children avoid waterborne illness. Do not allow children to play in flood water areas, wash children's hands frequently (always before meals), and do not allow children to play with flood-water contaminated toys that have not been disinfected. You can disinfect toys using a solution of one cup of bleach to 5 gallons of water.

Your electrical system may also be damaged. If you see frayed wiring or sparks, or if there is an odor of something burning but no visible fire, you should immediately shut off the electrical system at the circuit breaker.

Avoid any downed power lines, particularly those in water. Avoid wading in standing water, which also may contain glass or metal fragments.

You should consult your utility company about using electrical equipment, including power generators. Be aware that it is against the law and a violation of electrical codes to connect generators to your home's electrical circuits without the approved, automatic-interrupt devices. If a generator is on line when electrical service is restored, it can become a major fire hazard. In addition, the improper connection of a generator to your home's electrical circuits may endanger line workers helping to restore power in your area. All electrical equipment and appliances must be completely dry before returning them to service. It is advisable to have a certified electrician check these items if there is any questions. Also, remember not to operate any gas-powered equipment indoors.

Specific recommendations for vaccinations should be made on a case-by-case basis, or as determined by local and state health departments.

Due to a shortage of the tetanus vaccination, the Galveston County Health District has implemented the following guidelines for prioritizing available Td doses:

• Persons traveling to a country where the risk for diphtheria is high.
• Persons requiring tetanus vaccination for prophylaxis in wound management.
• Persons who have received fewer than 3 doses of vaccine containing Td.
• Pregnant women and persons at occupational risk for tetanus prone injuries who have not been vaccinated with Td within the preceding 10 years.
• Adolescents who have not been vaccinated with Td within the preceding 10 years.
• Adults who have not been vaccinated with Td within the preceding 10 years.

To protect yourself from mosquitoes, use screens on dwellings, and wear long-sleeved and long-legged clothing. Insect repellents containing DEET are very effective. Be sure to read all instructions before using DEET. Care must be taken when using DEET on small children. Products containing DEET are available from retail outlets and through local and state health departments.

To control mosquito populations, drain all standing water left in containers around your home.

Rats may be a problem during and after a flood. Take care to secure all food supplies, and remove any animal carcasses in the vicinity by contacting your local animal control authorities.

If you are bitten by any animal, seek immediate medical attention. If you are bitten by a snake, first try to accurately identify the type of snake so that, if poisonous, the correct anti-venom may be administered.

If any propane tanks (whether 20 lb. tanks from a gas grill or household propane tanks) are discovered, do not attempt to move them yourself. These represent a very real danger of fire or explosion, and if they are found, police of fire departments or your State Fire Marshal's office should be contacted immediately.

Car batteries, even those in flood water, may still contain an electrical charge and should be removed with extreme caution by using insulated gloves. Avoid coming in contact with any acid that may have spilled from a damaged car battery.

When using gasoline and diesel generators to supply power to a building, switch the main breaker or fuse on the service panel to the "off" position prior to starting the generator. This will prevent inadvertent energization of power lines from backfeed electrical energy from the generators, and help to protect utility line workers from possible electrocution.

If clearing or other work must be performed near a downed power line, contact the utility company to discuss de-energizing and grounding or shielding of power lines to avoid inadvertent contact.

Carbon Monoxide
Flood cleanup activities may involve the use of gasoline or diesel powered pumps, generators, and pressure washers. Because these devices release carbon monoxide, a deadly, colorless, odorless gas, operate all gasoline-powered devices outdoors and never bring them indoors. It is virtually impossible to assess adequate ventilation.

Musculoskeletal Hazards
Cleanup workers are at risk for developing serious musculoskeletal injuries to the hands, back, knees, and shoulders. Special attention is needed to avoid back injuries associated with manual lifting and handling of debris and building materials. To help prevent injury, use teams of two or more to move bulky objects, avoid lifting any material that weighs more than 50 pounds (per person), and use proper automated-assist lifting devices.

Thermal Stresses

• Heat

Cleanup workers are at serious risk for developing heat stress. Excessive exposure to hot environments can cause a variety of heat-related problems, including heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and fainting. To reduce the potential for heat stress, drink a glass of fluid every 15 - 20 minutes and wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. Additionally, incorporate work-rest cycles into work routines, work during the cooler hours of the day, when possible, or distribute the workload evenly throughout the day. When air conditioning is unavailable, open windows and use fans.

• Cold

Standing or working in water which is cooler than 75° F (24° C) will remove body heat more rapidly than it can be replaced, resulting in hypothermia. To reduce the risk of hypothermia, wear high rubber boots, ensuring that clothing and boots have adequate insulation, avoid working alone, take frequent breaks out of the water, and change into dry clothing when possible.

Structural Instability
Flood waters can rearrange and damage natural walkways, as well as sidewalks, parking lots, roads, buildings, and open fields. Never assume that water-damaged structures or ground are stable. Buildings that have been submerged or have withstood rushing flood waters may have suffered structural damage and could be dangerous. Don't work in or around any flood-damaged building until it has been examined and certified as safe for work by a registered professional engineer or architect. Assume all stairs, floors, and roofs are unsafe until they are inspected. Leave immediately if shifting or unusual noises signal a possible collapse.

Hazardous Materials
Flood waters can dislodge tanks, drums, pipes, and equipment, which may contain hazardous materials such as pesticides or propane. Do not attempt to move unidentified dislodged containers without first contacting the local fire department or hazardous material team. If working potentially contaminated areas, avoid skin contact or inhalation of vapors by wearing appropriate protective clothing and respirators. Frequently and thoroughly wash skin areas that may have been exposed to pesticides and other hazardous chemicals.

Fire
Fire can pose a major threat to an already damaged flood area for several reasons:

• inoperative fire protection systems
• hampered fire department response
• inoperable firefighting water supplies
• flood-damaged fire protection systems.

Drowning
When entering moving water, you are at risk for drowning, regardless of your ability to swim. Because those in vehicles are at greatest risk of drowning, it is important to comply with all hazard warnings on roadways and to avoid driving vehicles or heavy equipment into water of an unknown depth. Avoid working alone and wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket when working in or near flood waters.

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES:
First Aid
First aid, even for minor cuts and burns is extremely important when exposure to waters potentially contaminated with human, animal, or toxic wastes exists. Immediately clean out all open wounds and cuts with soap and clean water. Most cuts, except minor scratches, sustained during flood cleanup activities will warrant treatment to prevent tetanus. If you are injured, contact a physician to determine the necessary type of treatment.

Protective Equipment
For most work in flooded areas, you will need the following personal protective equipment:

• hard hats,
• goggles,
• heavy work gloves, and
• watertight boots with steel toe and insole (not just steel shank).

Working in Confined Spaces
If you are required to work in a boiler, furnace, pipeline, pit, pumping station, septic tank, sewage digester, storage tank, utility vault, well, or similar enclosure, you should be aware of the hazards of working in confined spaces. A confined space has one or more of the following characteristics:

1. limited openings for entry or exit;
2. unfavorable natural ventilation; or
3. is not designed for continuous worker occupancy

Stress, Long Hours, and Fatigue May Increase the Risks for Injury and Illness
Continued long hours of work, combined with emotional and physical exhaustion and losses from damaged homes and temporary job layoffs can create a highly stressful situation for flood cleanup workers. Workers exposed to these stressful conditions have an increased risk of injury and emotional crisis, and are more vulnerable to stress-induced illness.

Emotional support from family members, neighbors, and local mental health professionals can help to prevent more serious stress-related problems in the difficult months ahead.

People working in all phases of flood cleanup can reduce their risks of injury and illness in several ways:

• Set priorities for cleanup tasks and pace the work over several days (or weeks). Avoid physical exhaustion.
• Resume a normal sleep schedule as quickly as possible. Get plenty of rest and take frequent rest breaks BEFORE exhaustion builds up.
• Take advantage of disaster relief programs and services in your community.
• Be alert to emotional exhaustion or strain. When family members and neighbors are unavailable for emotional support, consult professionals at community health and mental health centers.