Hurricanes are nothing new for those of us that live in Florida. They leave a path of destruction in their wake and once the storm has subsided, it is often difficult to carry on. It is important to make sure you have your basic needs met when you are faced with a hurricane though. Having the food and water you need are two of the bare essentials to our survival. AAA Water Team is here to talk about food and water safety once a hurricane has hit.

Food Safety After Severe Flood

When hurricanes hit, there is often a certain amount of time that you can plan to experience a power outage afterwards. Sometimes I could be days and sometimes it could be weeks. When you don’t have power, many people don’t have any way to keep their food cold or frozen. Meats, poultry and other perishable items that aren’t kept cold shouldn’t be consumed. If you have any food that has come in contact with flood water, you should discard it and avoid eating it. It is wise to store your food in waterproof containers once you know that a hurricane is on its way to help to preserve some of your food for later even if it does come in contact with flood water. If you have lost power, your food will last much longer if you don’t open your refrigerator or freezer. Every time you open them, the cold air will rush out and your food will end up spoiling. If you have a generator that you can plug your refrigerator or freezer into, you can avoid losing all of that food during a hurricane.

Water Contamination Precautions After a Flood

While you may still be able to get water out of your tap once the hurricane has subsided, this doesn’t mean that the water is safe to drink. You need to know that when flooding happens, water supplies are easily contaminated. It is important to listen to and know any public announcements made by local water authorities on the health of your water supply. If tap water isn’t the safest form of water for you, you can follow these steps to ensure what you are drinking is safe:
– Boil the water vigorously for at least 1-3 minutes. The higher the altitude, the longer you should boil it. If you live somewhere that has an elevation of over 1 mile, you should boil your water the full three minutes.
– If you can’t boil the water, add 8 drops of new liquid bleach to the water. Let it stand for 30 minutes before drinking.
– Water purifying tablets are also a safe way to drink contaminated water.

Water Filtration Systems & More in Golden Gate Estates, Naples, Cape Coral, Fort Myers & Lehigh Acres, Florida

At AAA Water Team, we offer a number of water filtration systems that will ensure the water you are drinking is as safe as possible. Call us today!