Des Plaines Flooding: Safety Tips

The City of Des Plaines and Cook County Department of Public Health encourage the public to follow these safety tips to protect against disease and hazards that flooding can bring:

• Do not allow children to play in flooded areas.  Drowning is the number one cause of flood deaths.  Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet.
• Before entering an area that has been flooded, turn off the electricity.  Stay away from power lines and electrical wires. Current can travel through water.
• If your electricity is out, use battery powered flashlights or lanterns.  Do not use candles, gas lanterns or torches because gas lines may be broken and an explosion may occur. Wear boots and rubber gloves to reduce contact with contaminated water. Remember to wear mosquito repellant with DEET around standing water. Wash hands with warm soapy water, especially before any activity where there may be hand to mouth contact (eating or preparing food).
• If a puncture wound or cut occurs while working in a flooded area, a tetanus shot should be administered.  Contact your physician or go to your emergency room. Waterborne illness may bring symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, muscle aches and fevers.  Seek medical help.
• If your electricity is off, a fully stocked freezer will keep food frozen for 24 hours if the door remains closed.  Food in the refrigerator will stay cool for four to six hours, depending how warm the kitchen is.  When in doubt, throw it out.
• Check all cans or bottled goods that have been in floodwater.  Cans of food are usually safe if undamaged.  Immerse for ten minutes in a chlorine solution (1/4 cup laundry bleach to one gallon water), then rinse and dry thoroughly.  Throw out any cans with dents or rust spots.
• Containers with cork lined lids or caps, screw tops or pop-tops are nearly impossible to thoroughly clean.  Throw them out.
• Refrigerated foods such as meat, milk, or foods which contain milk or a milk-based products should be discarded if the inside temperature of the refrigerator has risen above 41 degrees Fahrenheit for several hours.
• If you do not have bottled water and have access to a stove, water can be made safe by boiling it for five minutes at a rolling boil. Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, make ice or brush teeth. To test water from your well, or for further information about environmental issues, please call the CCDPH Environmental Health Unit at 708-492-2000.  TDD:  708-492-2002.