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Reducing Pesticide Risk After a Disaster

Floods, earthquakes, fires, hurricanes, and tornadoes can result in chemical releases and the development of mold in wet building materials.

Consider these options when cleaning up after a disaster:

• Report pesticide spills, hazardous waste, and chemical and oil spills to the National Response Center at 800-424-8802.
• Limit contact with flood waters that may contain hazardous waste.
• Place markers or signs where you know chemicals have been released.
• Contact your local authorities if you know about damaged or unusable pesticides.
• Remove standing water and dry indoor areas to control moisture and mold.
• Disinfect drinking water by boiling it for at least 1 minute. Disinfection removes bacteria, not necessarily chemicals. Read more about options for disinfecting water.
• Decontaminate well water before using it for bathing, cleaning, or drinking.
• Put your community disaster plan in place. Salvaging, reusing, and recycling disaster debris can be one of the most effective ways of clean up.

If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email at npic@ace.orst.edu.

Additional Resources:

• Disaster Recovery Center Locator - Federal Emergency Management Agency
• General Information for Disaster Preparedness and Response - US Environmental Protection Agency
• Guidelines for Cleaning Safely After a Disaster - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Dealing with Debris and Damaged Buildings - US Environmental Protection Agency
• Safety and Health Topics: Mold - Occupational Safety & Health Administration
• Molds and Moisture Information - US Environmental Protection Agency
• Coming Home After a Flood - US Environmental Protection Agency
• Cleaning Up Your Flood-Damaged Home - Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Fact Sheets on Natural Disaster Recovery: Flood Cleanup - Occupational Safety & Health Administration
• Recover after flooding - US Environmental Protection Agency
• Flooded Gardens - Alabama Cooperative Extension
• Disinfecting Wells After an Emergency - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention