First and foremost, life safety issues such as avoiding electrical shock and carbon monoxide poisoning must be considered before any cleanup or response is initiated.

General guidance on some of these hazards for the home and business owner is provided in the resources identified below. However, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) strongly recommends that cleanup of hazardous materials be performed or overseen by professionals knowledgeable about the hazards and methods to protect occupants and the environment. AIHA members are health and safety professionals dedicated to protecting worker and public health. A consultant list is available to reach out to AIHA safety and health consultants for professional assistance beyond these guidelines.

An AIHA guidance document, "Health and Safety Issues in Natural Disasters" (PDF), provides consumers and industrial hygienists a list of resources for addressing potential hazards during and after floods, tornados, and wildfires. The document is intended to enable recovery efforts while minimizing potential exposures to hazardous materials and conditions. 

Before Entering Your Home

Hazards in and around flooded buildings include the risk of structural collapse, electrical hazards, sewage contamination, trip, fall injury hazards, fire and explosion hazards where natural gas or bottled gas are present, loose or broken gas piping and gas leaks, and other hazards. Guidance for preparing to enter and entering your home may be found at these resources:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Health Canada

InspectAPedia

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Services

  • Protecting Yourself While Removing Post-Disaster Debris from your Home or Business (PDF)

Hazardous Materials

Hazardous materials and conditions may be present due to damaged building materials containing lead or asbestos, sewage-contaminated items, or chemicals and cleaning products present in floodwater. In many cases, these building materials are damaged and dislodged during a natural disaster, resulting in the potential for airborne exposure to fibers and particles. Building owners should be aware of this potential, and they should take extra precautions when encountering these materials.

For building owners, here are some useful resources to recognize and address these kinds of hazards:

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Mold and Other Microbial Growth

Rain or flooding is often associated with a natural disaster. If possible, wet building materials and contents should be dried as soon as possible (preferably within 24-48 hours) to prevent mold growth. When a flood event occurs as part of a widespread natural disaster, the electrical power service and professional services necessary to actually begin cleaning, disinfecting, and drying of building materials are not normally available in the 24-48 hours following the event, and can take up to several weeks before roads are cleared, power is on, and equipment and people are available. This means that mold and bacterial contamination should be expected after a flooding event.

Guidance for small-scale cleanup includes:

  • If the overall amount of impacted materials is less than about 10 square feet, the CDC has guidance for homeowners and renters for entry and cleanup.
  • The EPA has guidance on how to address mold clean-up on your own.

American Industrial Hygiene Association

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Federal Emergency Management Agency

  • Dealing with Mold & Mildew in Your Flood-Damaged Home (PDF)

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration

  • Fungi Hazards and Flood Cleanup (PDF)

Food and Drinking Water

Guidelines for food and drinking water are available on these websites:

 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

  • Planning for an Emergency: Drinking Water Supply (PDF)

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Illinois Department of Public Health

  • After the Flood (PDF)

Personal Protective Equipment

If you choose to perform cleanup activities on your own, protect yourself during the process and wear appropriate protective equipment. You can find guidelines for protective equipment at the following sites:

Eye Protection: People responding to natural disasters should select eye protection based on the hazards present. These can include dust and particles, projectiles, UV radiation (e.g., sunlight), and chemicals. Eye protection can include safety glasses, goggles, face shields, etc. Eye protection should meet the ANSI standard and be marked with “Z87” or “Z87+” on the frame.

Clothing: When possible, use clothing that provides protection from potential hazards, including long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and work boots. Select clothing that is appropriate for the temperature and humidity.

Gloves: After a natural disaster, hands can be exposed to hazards from broken glass, metal fragments, limbs and branches, and other sharp objects. Cuts and abrasions can be routes of exposure to biological hazards from contaminated flood waters. Select gloves that will protect from the hazards of the conditions.

Hearing Protection: Heavy equipment, chain saws, and power tools used in disaster response work can result in loud noises. Wear hearing protection, such as disposable earplugs or reusable earmuffs, when working with or near heavy equipment, chainsaws, and power tools.

Respiratory Protection: Caution should be taken when wearing a respirator to perform any cleanup activity. While EPA and CDC both recommend the use of a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) certified N95 filtering facepiece respirator instead of a dust mask or surgical mask for mold cleanup, it is important to understand the limitations and additional risk of wearing a respirator. 

N95 filtering facepiece respirators will not protect against chemicals or gases in the air, such as carbon monoxide or airborne vapors of chemical disinfectants. The respirator will not work if air leaks from where the respirator touches the face, so the manufacturer provides fitting procedures that must be followed, and the correct size of respirator must be worn. Beards or other facial hair may prevent the respirator from fitting properly. People with chronic heart or lung conditions (such as congestive heart disease, asthma, and other conditions) should consult their health care provider before using a respirator. OSHA requires that employers provide training, fit testing of tight-fitting respirators to ensure the correct respirator size, and a medical evaluation prior to fit testing and use of the respirator. For additional information, be sure to thoroughly read the information presented in these resources before purchasing or using a respirator:

General Disaster Relief Information

General disaster relief assistance information is available on these websites: