PULLMAN, Wash. – Record snow falls followed by ice storms followed by warming temperatures creates an environment perfect for flooding. With almost 1 million Washington residents without power, Washington State University Extension experts have advice for keeping people and animals safe, as well as resources for recovering from disaster. WSU Extension has posted storm survival information at http://ext.wsu.edu/ and http://cahnrsarchive.news.wsu.edu, which can be found in the Spotlight Section under “Flood and Power Outage Information.”
Both sites provide information on the following topics:
Food safety during flood conditions.
Food safety after power outages.
Livestock and animal care in flood conditions.
Food safety after power outages.
Livestock and animal care in flood conditions.
Information from WSU Extension disaster recovery experts.
Links to more information.
Especially during floods and power outages, the opportunity for germs to grow multiplies. The FDA states that many food products must be destroyed after exposure to floodwaters. Floodwaters can contain foodborne pathogens, sewage, petroleum products and heavy metals and other contaminants, which often can’t be removed using standard sanitation practices or proper cooking procedures.