Environmental Health Center

California Flood Recovery Scripts

This is an Environminute Disaster Advisory from the National Safety Council and the Governors Office of Emergency Services.

You must inspect food that has come anywhere near flood water very carefully. Even the slightest contact with flood water can lead to contamination. There is a simple, basic rule: all foods that have touched flood water should be thrown away, with only one exception. Food in sealed, air tight, metal cans is entirely safe for use, as long as you carefully clean and disinfect the cans before opening. That means removing labels, washing cans with a scrub brush in a strong detergent solution, soaking them in a bleach solution for two minutes, then rinsing in clear water. Another method is to boil the cans for ten minutes. That's long enough to kill harmful bacteria while preserving the can and its contents.

This Environminute Disaster Advisory was brought to you by the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation.

For information on floods and indoor air issues, visit our Flood Waters Fact Sheet.

For more information on the Flood Recovery Radio PSAs, e-mail hochc@nsc.org.