8 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Let Your Kids Play in Flood Water

FLOOD WATER IS DANGEROUS, DISGUSTING AND FILTHY DIRTY. IT CAN BE RIDDLED WITH POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING HAZARDS!

There are tons of social media posts, videos and pics on the internet showing the devastation of floods. Unfortunately, you can also find the same for people using flood water for recreational fun and as a virtual playground.  Entire families, or worse teens and young children, are rafting, canoeing, kayaking, playing with inflatables, running through the water in their bare feet, splashing, jumping, and even swimming in potentially toxic, hazardous water.

HERE ARE 8 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID CONTACT WITH FLOOD WATER AND SHOULDN'T LET YOUR KIDS PLAY IN FLOOD WATER: 

 1    RAW SEWAGE

Raw sewage is germ infested containing disease-causing micro-organisms like E Coli, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Hepatitis A, Cholera and more. Open cuts and wounds can become severely infected by contaminated water. Raw sewage can contain the following:

• Urine & Feces (poop)
• Feminine sanitary products like tampons
• Toilet paper
• Cleaning products
• Laundry products
• Personal hygiene products like shampoo and soap
• Whatever has been flushed down the toilet or down the drain is raw sewage!

Early symptoms from exposure to contaminated flood water may include upset stomach, intestinal problems, headache and other flu-like symptoms; for open wounds watch for redness, oozing pus, swelling and soreness.  You should seek medical attention if you suspect illness or infections.

 2    MOSQUITOES

Flooding can create little ponds which become natural breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which can carry the West Nile virus.

 3    HAZARDOUS WASTE

Flood water can contain hundreds of different chemicals that are harmful for the body.

• Vehicle fluids like oil, gas, anti-freeze
• Dead & decaying animals
• Decaying & rotting vegetation
• In suburban areas: runoff from Industrial and Manufacturing facilities can contain toxic chemicals.
• In rural areas: runoff from farms and pastures can contain pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and animal waste.

 4    SHARP AND DANGEROUS OBJECTS

Flood water picks up everything in its path and is generally murky and muddy. Sharp and dangerous objects pose potential risks as they are hidden from sight and can puncture the skin.  These objects could cause tetanus, E. Coli, and staphylococcus (staph infections) and/or could cause you to fall and get tangled or severely injured.

• Broken glass
• Barbed Wire
• Metal fragments
• Trees & branches
• Syringes from garbage
• Dumpsters and garbage cans
• Bicycles & Skateboards, etc.
• Open cuts and wounds can become severely infected by contaminated water.

 5    HIDDEN ROCKS, DITCHES AND POTHOLES

Hidden rocks, ditches and potholes may cause children (and adults) to lose their footing and strain a muscle or turn an ankle or worse they could be knocked unconscious and drown.

 6    STORM DRAINS, STORM PIPES AND MANHOLES

During a flood, as water recedes, storm drains, storm pipes and manholes become powerful suction devices that can sweep away a child or adult in an instant. They can be hidden just below the surface of shallow water. Children can be sucked into the mouths of hidden drainage pipes and drown; being carried long distances underwater, with their body washing up in a lake or river miles away and days or even weeks later.

 7    SINK HOLES

Sink holes can occur suddenly and with great violence during a flood.  They can break water mains and pipes, cable & electrical conduits, gas pipes, and cause neighboring structures to become unstable. Unfortunately, teens, children, and even adults are curious becoming “looky-loos” and put themselves in danger.

• Instruct your child to inform you if they see a sink hole
• Tell them to stay away
• There is no way to determine a safe proximity to take a look at a sinkhole.
• The ground surrounding a sinkhole could be unstable and give way at any time.

 8    MUNICIPAL AND PRIVATE WELL WATER CONTAMINATION

Water may not be safe to drink, cook or clean with after a flood. During and after flooding, water can become contaminated with microorganisms such as bacteria, sewage, heating oil, agricultural or industrial waste, chemicals and other substances that can cause serious illness.  Always assume that your water is contaminated until the authorities tell you otherwise.  If you have a private well you should have your water tested before resuming with consumption. Be sure to inform your children about the following.

• Don’t drink from drinking fountains
• Don’t drink from the hose
• Don’t drink water from your tap
• Don’t cook with tap water
• Don’t wash dishes or bathe with your tap water
• Don’t brush your teeth with tap water
• Don’t make juice with tap water
• Don’t make ice with tap water
• Don’t wash fruits or vegetables with tap water

The irony is, during a flood, there are massive amounts of water, but none of it, including your tap water may be potable for drinking, bathing, cooking, or cleaning.

During emergencies and disaster situations, like floods, potable drinking water is always a number one concern. Bottled water is one of the first things to disappear rapidly from store shelves.

Contaminated water can be boiled to kill most disease-causing micro-organisms by bringing the water to a rapid boil for a minimum of 3 minutes.  Unfortunately, boiling water cannot remove hazardous chemicals and heavy metals, and in the case of microcystins from green algae, boiling actually increases this toxin.

As a precautionary measure, it's a great idea to invest in the combination of a portable water purifier and a portable water filtration device to kill water-borne pathogens, remove hazardous chemicals, and to remove dirt, fine particles, and other harmful contaminants.

Be safe, be prepared!