What's Lurking in the Flood Water

7/16/2019 (Permalink)

When more than a couple inches of rain falls, sometimes the sewers cannot keep up. The result is large areas of water building up. A lot of times you will see people walking/wading through this deep water. There are many dangerous reasons why you should not walk through the water.

One reason flood water is dangerous is because it is a mixture of sewage water and chemicals. The water picks up everything and anything a long the way. This can include human or animal fecal matter, gasoline, oil, and other substances that can cause serious illness, rashes, or chemical burns on your skin.

Another hidden damage can be the contents in the water. The water can easily pick up small items like rusty nails, broken glass, or sharp branches. Since the water is typically dark and dirty looking, you cannot see what is lurking under the surface. By walking through the water, you are more likely to have a sharp object cut you and then the dirty water can enter the wound which can result in serious illness or infection.

One danger that happens more often than you think are downed power lines. These lines have live wires just sitting in the water surging electricity through it. The water is a perfect conduit of the electricity without out any signs of danger. Once a person touches the water, then the electricity will pass to you.

If there is ever a large amount of standing water. Please stay away from it and allow profession first responders take care of the situation. There is no reason to risk you wellbeing!