“Most of the indirect deaths from hurricanes are largely preventable, that’s the message to get out,” said Nelson.
“Don’t put the generators in your garage to power your house.
The generator needs to be outside the house way far away from anything that can suck carbon monoxide into your house.” Nelson even advised against putting the generator near an open window.
All were related to incorrect use of generators and the majority were the result of generators placed outside the home, according to a health department news release.
Food Safety The Orange County health department offers the following tips: Don’t eat any food that may have come into contact with contaminated water from floods or tidal surges.
Flood Waters If you’ve been stocking up on water bottles, make use of them after the hurricane, because flood waters can be dangerous to your health.
The Orange County health department recommends the following precautions to prevent possible illness from flood waters: Wash your hands with soap and water that has been boiled or disinfected before preparing or eating food, after toilet use, after participating in flood cleanup activities, and after handling articles contaminated with flood water or sewage.
If you do, bathe and put on clean clothes as soon as possible.
If you have any open cuts or sores and cannot avoid contact with flood waters, keep them as clean as possible by washing well with soap to control infection.
If your plumbing is functioning slowly or sluggishly, you should: Conserve water as much as possible; the less water used, the less sewage the septic tank must process or a sewer line needs to handle.