Flooding is devastating in every aspect: from property and infrastructure damage to loss of life and wider health impact. The health impact of disasters like flooding are complex and cascading, and can impact any one person or population simultaneously.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), flooding or “baha” can increase the prevalence of communicable diseases which can be water or vector-borne.
WHO explains that water-borne diseases such as typhoid fever, cholera, and leptospirosis are brought by water contamination, the major risk factor associated with flooding. The incidents of vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and yellow fever, on the other hand, increases due to standing water that serves as breeding sites for mosquitoes.
• ↓Flooding increases the risk of these diseases and potential outbreaks in populations because it can cause sewage overflow as well as damage to water supply and sanitation facilities.
• ↓Contamination of drinking water can lead to typhoid fever, cholera and hepatitis A.
• ↓In areas at risk of coastal flooding, there’s also the possibility of salt-water intrusion to drinking water as well as hypertension and eclampsia.
• ↓Once floodwaters have receded, stagnant water left behind in gardens, parts of the home or even farming lands can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and lead to diseases like dengue or malaria.
What to do AFTER Flooding with your Food
Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood or stormwater. Discard:
• ↓Food with an unusual odour, colour, or texture.
• ↓Food in packages that are not waterproof.
• ↓Food in cardboard containers, including juice/milk/baby formula boxes.
• ↓Food containers with screw-caps, snap-lids, crimped caps, twist caps, flip tops, and snap tops.
• ↓Home-canned foods because they cannot be disinfected.
• ↓Canned foods or food containers that are bulging, opened, or damaged. Throw out cans or food containers that spurt liquid or foam when you open them or contain food that is discoloured, mouldy, or smells bad. When it doubt, throw it out!
Mental health affected
Mental health problems, which can occur later, are often overlooked and not as well studied relative to the immediate health impacts caused by flooding. So far, it is known that the experience of surviving a flooding disaster can impact people after the event and sometimes for many years down the line.
The process of clean-up, recovery and rebuilding is a considerable source of stress. Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, psychosis and insomnia are some of the common mental health problems that come up in the aftermath of a flooding disaster.
In the UK, flood victims were between 4 to 8.7 times at risk of long-term mental health problems compared to people who did not experience flooding. In one case, rain became a trigger for a woman’s PTSD after experiencing flooding.
What is Leptospirosis?
Cases of leptospirosis can increase after floods when people may have to wade through contaminated water or use it for drinking or bathing. It is a bacterial disease that occurs worldwide and can cause serious illnesses such as kidney or liver failure, meningitis, difficulty breathing, and bleeding.
How do people get leptospirosis?
People can get leptospirosis when they have contact with water or soil containing urine or other body fluids from infected animals, if they directly touch the urine from an infected animal or if they consume food or water contaminated by urine.
The bacteria can survive for months in urine-contaminated water and soil. A variety of animals can spread leptospirosis, including rodents, dogs, livestock, and wildlife.
During heavy rain, animal urine in the soil or on other surfaces can run into water sources contaminating it. Streams and other natural water sources can also be contaminated.
How is leptospirosis treated?
If you have symptoms of leptospirosis, contact a doctor right away. If your doctor thinks you have leptospirosis, they will likely give you antibiotics. Treatment is most effective when started as soon as possible.
Let’s Be PREPARED for a Disaster or Emergency
Prepare an Emergency Food Supply
A disaster can disrupt the food supply, so plan to have at least a 3-day supply of food on hand. Keep foods that:
• Have a long storage life
• ↓Require little or no cooking, water, or refrigeration, in case utilities are disrupted
• ↓Meet the needs of infants or other family members who are on special diets
• Meet pets’ needs
• ↓Are not very salty or spicy, as these foods increase the need for drinking water, which may be in short supply
For a list of suggested emergency food supplies visit https://www.ready.gov/food.
How To Store an Emergency Food Supply
When storing food:
• ↓Check the expiration dates on canned foods and dry mixes. Home-canned food usually needs to be thrown out after a year.
• ↓Use and replace food before its expiration date.
• ↓Certain storage conditions can enhance the shelf life of canned or dried foods. The ideal location is a cool, dry, dark place. The best temperature is 40° to 70°F.
• ↓Store foods away from ranges or refrigerator exhausts. Heat causes many foods to spoil more quickly.
• ↓Store food away from petroleum products, such as gasoline, oil, paints, and solvents. Some food products absorb their smell.
• ↓Protect food from rodents and insects. Items stored in boxes or in paper cartons will keep longer if they are heavily wrapped or stored in waterproof, airtight containers.
• ↓Store food on shelves that will be safely out of the way of floodwaters.
Prepare an Emergency Water Supply
• Store at least 1 gallon of water per day for each person and each pet. Consider storing more water than this for hot climates, for pregnant women, and for people who are sick.
• ↓Store at least a 3-day supply of water for each person and each pet.
• ↓Make sure to store your emergency water supply where it will be as safe as possible from flooding.
• ↓If your bottled water has an odour, do not drink or use it. Instead, dispose of it, or if applicable, call your bottled water provider to get a replacement.
• ↓Observe the expiration date for store-bought water; replace other stored water every 6 months.
• ↓Store a bottle of unscented liquid household chlorine bleach to disinfect your water and to use for general cleaning and sanitizing. Try to store bleach in an area where the average temperature stays around 70°F (21°C). Because the amount of active chlorine in bleach decreases over time, consider replacing the bottle each year.