After heavy rains, storms, or emergencies, safe water and good hygiene habits are important in helping prevent sickness and protect our families. These simple actions help keep you, your family, and our community safe — keeping our island safe starts with simple daily habits.

Safe Water

• Drink clean, safe water only
• If unsure, boil water before drinking
• Store water in clean, covered containers
• Use safe water for cooking, brushing teeth, and washing food

Clean & Safe Sanitation

• Always use a toilet or proper restroom
• Keep toilets and surroundings clean
• Dispose of waste properly, don’t dump near water sources
• Keep garbage covered to prevent pests

Good Hygiene Habits

• Wash hands often with soap and water, especially:
  • Before eating or preparing food
  • After using the toilet
  • After cleaning or handling waste
• Keep your body, clothes, and home clean

Prevent Illness

• Poor water, sanitation, and hygiene can spread diseases like diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, and infections
• Protect your family by:
  • Avoiding stagnant water (mosquito breeding)
  • Keeping food covered and clean
  • Practicing daily hygiene habits

Small daily actions can help keep you, your family, and our community safe.

Take Care of Your Mental Health

• It’s okay to feel stressed, sad, or overwhelmed. Talk with people like family, friends, shelter staff, or other shelter residents about how you’re feeling
• Do gentle exercises, like walking or stretching, to help relax and feel better
• Ask for help when needed. Small steps to care for yourself make a big difference

• Behavioral Health Crisis: 988
• Mental Health Services: (670) 287-4063
• Addictions Services Unit: (670) 788-0114

By following these tips, you can improve your mental and physical health. Taking care of yourself will help you handle the challenges and better cope with the emergency in your community.

Floodwater and standing water can be dangerous and can make you vulnerable to infectious diseases, chemical hazards, and injuries. Know how to protect yourself and your loved ones from the risks brought by floodwater.

Don’t Drive in Flooded Areas

• Always follow warnings about flooded roads
• Don’t drive in flooded areas — cars or other vehicles won’t protect you from floodwaters. They can be swept away or may stall in moving water

We Don’t Know Exactly What Is in Floodwater

Floodwater can contain:

• Downed power lines
• Human and livestock waste
• Household, medical, and industrial hazardous waste (chemical, biological, and radiological)
• Coal ash waste that can contain carcinogenic compounds such as arsenic, chromium, and mercury
• Other germs and contaminants that can lead to illness
• Physical objects such as lumber, vehicles, and debris
• Wild or stray animals such as rodents

Exposure to Contaminated Floodwater Can Cause

• Wound infections
• Skin rash
• Gastrointestinal illness
• Tetanus
• Leptospirosis

The best way to protect yourself is to stay out of the water.

Prevent Injuries

• Floodwater may contain sharp objects, such as glass or metal fragments, that can cause injury and lead to infection. Prompt first aid can help heal small wounds and prevent infection
• If you receive a puncture wound or a wound contaminated with feces, soil, or saliva, have a health care professional determine whether a tetanus booster is necessary based on individual records

If You Come in Contact with Floodwater

• Wash the area with soap and clean water as soon as possible. If you don’t have soap or water, use alcohol-based wipes or sanitizer
• Take care of wounds and seek medical attention if necessary
• Wash clothes contaminated with flood or sewage water in hot water and detergent before reusing them
• If you must enter floodwater, wear rubber boots and rubber gloves

Eat Safe Food After a Power Outage

Refrigerated or frozen foods may not be safe to eat after the loss of power. Find out what you can do to keep food safe during a power outage, and when you need to throw away food that could make you sick. Follow these steps to keep your family safe.

Before a Power Outage

Keep appliance thermometers in your refrigerator and freezer.

• The refrigerator should be at 40°F or below
• The freezer should be at 0°F or below
• Freeze containers of water and gel packs to help keep your food at 40°F or below
• Have a cooler handy
• Buy dry ice or block ice to keep food cold in the refrigerator if the power might be out for a long time

During a Power Outage

Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Food will stay safe for:

• 4 hours in a refrigerator
• 48 hours in a full freezer
• 24 hours in a half full freezer

After 4 hours without power, put refrigerated perishable foods in a cooler. Add ice or another cold source to keep them at 40°F or below.

After a Power Outage

Never taste food to determine if it is safe to eat. When in doubt, throw it out.

• Throw out perishable food in your refrigerator (meat, fish, cut fruits and vegetables, eggs, milk, and leftovers) after 4 hours without power or a cold source.
• Throw out any food with an unusual odor, color, or texture.
• Check temperatures of food kept in coolers or your refrigerator with a cold source.
• Throw out food above 40°F. If you have an appliance thermometer in your freezer, check to see if it is still at 40°F or below.
• You can safely refreeze or cook thawed frozen food that still contains ice crystals or is at 40°F or below.

Resource: CDC Natural Disasters Communication Resources

8 TIPS TO CLEAN UP MOLD

• Protect yourself. Put on personal protective equipment (gloves, mask, goggles) to protect your eyes, nose, mouth, and skin.
• Dry it up. Dry your home and everything in it as quickly as possible — within 24 to 48 hours if you can.
• Air it out. Open all doors and windows when you are working, and leave as many open as you safely can when you leave.
• Circulate. When electricity is safe to use, use fans and dehumidifiers to remove moisture.
• Scrub surfaces. Clean with water and a detergent. Remove all mold you can see. Dry right away.
• Don’t mix cleaners. Do not mix cleaning products together. DO NOT mix bleach and ammonia — it can create toxic vapors.
• Don’t cover it, remove it. Painting or caulking over mold will not prevent mold from growing. Fix the water problem completely and clean up all the mold before you paint or caulk.
• Toss! Take it out! Anything that was wet with flood water and can’t be cleaned and dried completely within 24 to 48 hours should be taken outside. Take photos of discarded items for filing insurance claims.

Resource: CDC Mold Cleanup Guidelines

Signs & Symptoms

• Tingling sensation of something moving in the hair
• Itching
• Irritability and difficulty sleeping
• Sores on the scalp caused by lots of scratching

Prevention

• Avoid contact with other people’s hair or head
• Do not share any:
  • Clothing, combs, or towels
• Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes if it has been used by someone with lice
• Wash bedding, clothing, and accessories using hot water and dry them at a high temperature in the dryer
  • If you do not have access to a dryer, store items in a sealed bag for two weeks
• Clean the floor and furniture

Take Care of Your Mental Health

By following these tips, you can improve your mental and physical health. Taking care of yourself will help you handle the challenges and better cope with the emergency in your community.

• It’s okay to feel stressed, sad, or overwhelmed. Talk with people like family, friends, shelter staff, or other shelter residents about how you’re feeling.
• Do gentle exercises, like walking or stretching, to help relax and feel better.
• Ask for help when needed. Small steps to care for yourself make a big difference.

Crisis & Behavioral Health Contact Numbers

• 988 — For any behavioral health crisis
• (670) 788-0114 — Addictions Services Unit
• (670) 287-4063 — Transitional Living Center