The weather this past week has literally been raining on everyone’s parade! We’ve all seen what torrential rain can do: from flooded houses to road accidents, we should all be proactive in ensuring that we stay as safe as possible during such weather conditions.
Here’s what you can do to maintain some level of safety:
- It is not uncommon for power lines to fall over in such strong winds. However, this may put you and others at risk for electrocution when walking or driving through flooded areas where downed power lines are present. If you see downed power lines near your home, do not walk near or through floodwater. Instead, get to a safe place and call local authorities to alert them of the situation.
- Chemicals and sewage tanks tend to overflow and can contaminate floodwaters and cause multiple health issues such as infections, rashes and other illnesses. Unless you are absolutely sure that your water source has not been contaminated, you should avoid bathing, drinking or cooking with your home’s water supply until it’s been determined that it’s safe for use.
- It is not uncommon for mosquito populations to increase following a flooding since they require water for breeding, causing a rise in the number of mosquito spread diseases. Get rid of standing water as soon as possible by draining or emptying standing water that may have collected in buckets, gutters, pools or other containers.
A lot of precautionary measures are just common sense, like driving with your headlights on when there is poor visibility or avoiding going on the road when there is bad weather. It is just a matter of assessing the situation and choosing the safest course of action. Remember to always put safety first!
