Subject:  Viridian Note 00007:  Floods 2

Key concepts:  Floods; unnatural disasters; safety
checklists; recovery procedures;  literary criticism

Attention Conservation Notice:  A continuation of Note
00006; grimly accurate; bureaucratically thorough;
contains tedious, gritty minutiae about one of life's
worst experiences

Sources:   University of Minnesota Extension Service Home
Page

Links:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/Documents/K/A/afterflood.html

(((My comments are in triple parentheses == bruces)))

Safety Rules and Recovery Procedures After a Natural
Disaster

  1. See that your family is safe from flood crests, fire,
or falling  buildings.

  2. Cooperate fully with local authorities, rescue squads,
and local Red Cross chapters.

  3. Help locate shelter, food, clothing, transportation,
medical supplies, and medical help for victims.

  4. Obey health regulations for personal and community
protection against disease epidemics. Report any
violations.

(((The  problem of looters rarely receives mention, even though
looters are omnipresent in post-disaster situations.  (The most
eager and immediate looters are children.)  It is simply
*assumed* that all citizens are cooperative, fully socialized,
responsible Samaritans.  Until #4 that is, when they are suddenly
urged to become vigilant informants against health  violators.
Such is life when authority breaks down ==  full of upbeat
pretense.)))

 5. If premises have been flooded, flush plumbing fixtures
with buckets of water to be sure they are open. Have
health authorities inspect sanitary disposal systems.
Water may have backed up into the septic tank, which in
turn backs up into the plumbing system. This could be a
health hazard.

(((The gush of one's own sewage is one of many small humiliations;
but fail to deal with this, and you risk dysentery or worse.)))

  6. Do not use water from private supply until health
authorities have tested it. Boil drinking water 10 minutes
or chlorinate by adding 1 teaspoon chlorine bleach per
gallon of water.

  7. Do not use food that has come in to contact with flood
waters. Some foods can be salvaged if properly packaged.
Consult local health officials if in doubt.

(((Good advice.   Now imagine yourself in a situation
where these "health authorities" and "local health
officials" are corrupt, absent, drowned, or simply
nonexistent.  Though CO2 is mostly an industrial G7
emanation, the effects are worst in areas where the world
remains most nearly natural.)))

  8. Sanitize dishes, cooking utensils, and food
preparation areas before using them.  (((A Belle
Epoque sees no difficulty in *finding* food after
a disaster.)))

 9.  When entering damaged buildings, use flashlights only,
not matches, torches, or any open flame. Watch for nails,
splinters, holes in walls or floors, wet or falling
plaster, undermined foundations, and gas leaks.

 10. Do not use electrical system until it has been checked
by an electrician.  (((Presumably electricians are thick
on the ground in your area.)))

 11. Wait until any flood waters are below basement level
before trying to drain or pump the basement.  (((Health
hazards, bad water and personal ruination don't make
people any brighter.)))

 12. Start clean-up as soon as possible. Thoroughly dry and
clean house before trying to live in it. Delay permanent
repairs until buildings are thoroughly dry.  ((("Demand
the Impossible" == Situationist International)))

 13. Control rodents and insects.  (((Before they control
you.)))

 14. Remove sediment from heaters, flues, and motors before
using  them. To speed drying, start stoves and furnaces as
soon as they have been checked for safety.   (((Removing
sediment from a motor must be an interesting process,
especially in a design world where more and more big-
ticket items are impossible to open or service.)))

 15. Take all furniture and rugs outdoors to dry.  ((( A handy
practice for those nonexistent looters.)))

 16. Dry and air bedding, clothing, and rugs as soon as
possible to prevent mildew.

 17. Set priorities. Accomplish most important tasks first,
and avoid physical over-exertion.  (((It's very human to
"set priorities" as task number 17, when you're already
worn out from labor.)))

 18. Be sure children are safe and are being cared for at
all times. Never leave young children alone or allow than
to play in  damaged buildings or areas that might be
unsafe.  (((The rain falls on young and old alike, but
surely the author of this superior injunction has never
taken charge of young children.  A wrecked house is the very
definition of attractive nuisance, and there's no better
time to escape your parents than when they're losing
everything they own.)))

 19. Give special attention to cleaning children's toys,
cribs, playpens, and play equipment. Boil any items, for
10 minutes, that a toddler or baby might put in his mouth.
Discard stuffed toys, plastic toys, waterlogged toys, and
non-cleanable toys.  (((A plethora of Freudian trauma here
as parents ritually destroy the child's most prized
possessions.)))

 20. Keep chemicals used for disinfecting, and poisons used
for insect and rodent control, out of the reach of
children.  (((You may be in a major disaster, but that
doesn't make you bulletproof to life's many other smaller
hazards.  In fact, you are worse off now, because you have no
attention to spare.)))

 21. Wear protective clothing on legs, arms, feet, and
hands while cleaning up debris. Wear rubber gloves while
scrubbing flood-damaged interiors and furniture.  (((And
since we'll be spending weeks on end in garb like this,
it's time for the Viridian couturier to make post-disaster
clothing that *looks and feels better.*)))

Bruce Sterling (bruces@well.com)