Published: June 02, 2009 11:19 am      

FEMA official offers advice for flood cleanup

Nearly 1,000 residents in Raleigh and Wyoming counties have applied for Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster grants in the wake of May 9 flooding that left those and three other counties declared as disaster areas.

FEMA Public Affairs Officer Mike Sweet offered the following advice for those who are cleaning up their properties after the recent flooding:

• Don’t wait on a FEMA inspection to begin cleaning. Flood waters may carry many contaminants, parasites and bacteria that can lead to illness, he said.

“These guys that do the inspections are experienced in this,” he said, adding they’ve worked hurricane cases where the homes were virtually gone. “They inspect around so that even if you’ve cleaned up and repaired, that’s not going to affect what kind of grants you get.”

• Document everything that’s been thrown away. Sweet recommends taking pictures. If a camera is not available, he said, the information should be written down with as many details as possible.

• The living area should be cleaned as soon as possible. Sweet said that using a bucket with a gallon of water and a cup of bleach is an effective way to clean flood sites.

• Wear dish gloves, work boots or protective shoes, respiratory protection masks and eye protection while cleaning. Sweet said those with respiratory problems should wear a paint mask.

• Keep the area well-ventilated.

• Remove portions of walls that have been damaged by flood water.

“If the water hit the inside of the drywall, you could have a problem there,” he said. “Start poking your finger in there. Where it’s soft, you know you have water that may or may not have penetrated through the dry wall.”

The dry wall should be cut out 6 inches above the flood line and the insulation should also be thrown away, he said.

“Scrub all that down with the bleach water solution,” Sweet added.

• When cleaning debris during the day, take frequent breaks and drink lots of water to avoid dehydration.

• Lift with the legs, not the back. Get help with heavy objects. “Listen to your body and do as much as you can for that day,” Sweet said.

• Use thick work gloves while removing debris.

• Pull debris to the curb to be picked up by the National Guard. By law, the National Guard may not enter private property to remove items.