Photo from jekert gwapo

Yesterday, floods in the Philippines killed dozens of people, and left even more without homes, food or water. Now that the storm has gone, disease prevention is of utmost importance- here are some tips for food and water safety after such a disaster:

Drink bottled water. Do not drink from the tap or other sources.

If you don’t have bottled water, boil water. Make sure you filter the water as much as you can, then boil it vigorously for ten minutes. The water will taste flat, but you can make it taste better by aerating it: pour it back and forth from one container to another.

If you can’t boil water, treat it chemically. See this chart on how to use household bleach to sanitize water.

Sanitize all pans, dishes and utensils that came into contact with flood water. Boil them in clean water.

Throw out food that came in contact with flood water. This includes foods packed in cardboard, foil, cellophane, fabric, or paper and canned foods as well. Cans that didn’t come into contact with flood waters are safe to keep.

Throw out all wooden spoons, chopping boards, and plastic utensils or bowls.

After a power outage, keep in mind that your refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about four hours unopened (24 hours for a freezer).