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To volunteer: (507) 457-8882
For more information contact:
Winona County Emergency Operations Center (507) 457-8858
For housing assistance, call Winona County Housing Hotline at (507) 454-3665.
FEMA Hotline to register for aid: (800) 621-3362
Mental health line (800) 657-6777
Mold issues information (800) 657-3903
Volunteer match line (507) 208-0545
Winona County Environmental Health at (507) 457-6405.
Flood answer line (University of Minnesota) (800) 525-8636
Farm Information Line (University of Minnesota Extension) (800) 232-9077
University of Minnesota Extension Service AnswerLine (800)854-1678
Clean-up
Wear protective clothing on legs, arms, feet, and hands while cleaning up debris. Wear rubber gloves while scrubbing flood-damaged interiors and furniture.
Before purchasing cleaners and disinfectants take inventory of what needs to be cleaned -walls, floors, appliances, etc. Buy only cleaning products for type of work to be done.
Take photos of flood damage for insurance claims and tax deductions. Keep record of all ex-penses. Assemble a "bare essentials" first aid kit for minor injuries that may occur while cleaning. Exam-ine building structure. Check foundations for settling, cracking, or undermining. Examine walls, floors, and windows to determine what repairs are necessary. You may want to repair only temporarily until extensive work can be done
Chemicals
NOTE: READ ALL LABELS AND USE PRECAUTIONS NOTED.
All purpose detergents ( for example, Tide, Wisk, Cheer) or soap can be used on moderate or heavily soiled washable, color-fast textiles; on furniture and appliance surfaces; painted walls and wood-work and wallpaper; Floors, rugs and carpets. Do not use on wool, silk or fabric containing these fiber blends. Rinse well to remove suds.
Enzyme products (for example, Biz, Axion) are helpful on tough stains, ground-in dirt and grass stains, restoring whiteness to fabrics. The use of chlorine bleach will inactivate enzymatic action when both products are used.
Liquid household cleaners (like Top Job, Ajax, Janitor in a Drum) or powdered household clean-ers (like Ajax, Comet, Bon Ami) removes mud, silt and greasy deposits from hard surfaces such as painted walls, floors, woodwork, porcelain. Dilute with water as directed on container for specific uses.
For household ammonia use on hard surfaces: windows, walls, woodwork, floors, tile, porcelain. Dilute in water. Do not get in eyes. May irritate skin. Do not combine with chlorine bleach.
Tri-sodium phosphates (TSP) may be used on wood walls, wood work, floors and comes in pow-der form. Dilute in water. Do not get in eyes. May irritate skin. Do not combine with chlorine bleach. For mildew removal, combine eight to 10 tablespoons tri-sodium phosphate in one gallon water.
Quaternary (brand names like Roccal, Zephrin, Crew, End-Bac) (available in janitorial, dairy and poultry supply houses) is laundry-safe for all fibers. Helpful in removing musty odors on floors and walls. However, it may cause some color change. Add it at beginning of rinse cycle.
Pine oil disinfectants (like Fyne Pine, Texize-O-Pine) is laundry-safe for washable clothing. Do not use on wool or silk. Pine odor will linger on these fabrics. Add before putting clothes in machine, or dilute in one quart water.
Liquid chlorine disinfectants (like Clorox, Purex) Use as rinse on carpets and furniture or in laundry to disinfect or to control mold. Follow instructions for use with colored fabrics. Do not combine with ammonia. Follow instructions. Bleach can ruin many items. Do not use in rinse water. Do not use on aluminum or on linoleum. Add bleach before putting clothes in washer or dilute in one quart water.
Phenolic disinfectants (like PineSol, Al-Pine, Lysol) These are laundry-safe for washables. Bath-rooms, plastic or ceramic tile floor. Do not use on wool or silk. Add in wash or rinse cycle.
Basement clean-up
Wait until any flood waters are below basement level before trying to drain or pump the base-ment. Turn off the electricity, preferably at the meter. Check outside cellar walls for possible cave-ins, evidence of structural damage, or other hazards. Turn off gas or fuel service valves. Open doors and windows, or use blowers to force fresh air into the basement.
Start clean-up as soon as possible. Thoroughly dry and clean house before trying to live in it. De-lay permanent repairs until buildings are thoroughly dry.
Disinfectants and cleaners
Cleaning Supplies:
Enzyme products
Detergents
Bleaches
Disinfectants
Ammonia
Scouring powder
Rubber gloves
Strong boots or heavy-soled shoes
Equipment for Small Jobs:
Buckets
Tools (crowbar, hammer, screwdriver)
Sponges and cloths
Scrub brushes
Scoops
Throw-away containers for garbage
Container to carry water to street
Water hose
Equipment for Large Jobs:
Buckets
Tools
Brooms
Shovels
Hoes
Sponge mop or mop that is easily squeezed out
Water hose
Wheelbarrow
Dolly
Bushel baskets
Wash tubs (for soaking objects)
Cleaners, disinfectants, and household cleaners help remove dirt. Disinfectants help stop the growth of disease-causing microorganisms carried in floodwater.
Powdered or liquid cleaners and disinfectants are more practical and much less expensive than aerosol products, since large areas will probably need to be cleaned.
Buy cleaners and disinfectants in the largest sizes available to reduce their cost. Farm supply, hardware, wallpaper, and paint stores often have these products in gallon or pound containers.
All products are not suited for all uses. Before using any cleaner or disinfectant, refer to its label for specific directions or precautions. Make sure the product will do the job you want it to do.
Many household cleaners and disinfectants are harsh on hands and may burn the eyes. Protect your hands with waterproof gloves. Avoid contact with eyes. If you splash or spill any product on your skin, wash it off immediately.
Electrical Information
Wear rubber gloves and rubber soled boots for all work with electrical circuits, rubber is an insulator, and will help protect you from shocks.
Do not turn on lights or appliances until the whole electrical system has been checked by an electrician for short circuits
Furniture
Take all furniture and rugs outdoors to dry. Dry and air bedding, clothing, and rugs as soon as possible to prevent mildew.
Farm information
The Farm Information line (phone number 1-800-232-9077) is staffed by extension personnel Mon-day through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., is a resource for questions about water, crops, horticul-ture and climatology issues. Questions at other times of the day can be left on voice mail and will be returned during staffed hours. In addition, question can be e-mailed to Farm Information Line at fil@umn.edu and a response will be sent back.
Hardwood floors
Badly warped hardwood floors usually can't be repaired. If the floor is obviously beyond repair, take it up and discard it. Allow subflooring to dry for several months before installing another floor over it.
Injuries
Individuals with injuries sustained during clean up and flood response activities may need an up-dated tetanus shot. They should go to their local physician or hospital emergency room. Residents should be aware that the St. Charles Medical Clinic, the Lewiston Clinic are closed. The Rushford Clinic is cur-rently housed in the Family Medicine of Winona building adjacent to Community Memorial Hospital in Winona.
Inner walls
One the first things you should do when re-entering the house after a flood is to open windows to allow air circulation. If fans have been serviced and electricity has been restored, use them to move air through the house and improve drying conditions.
If a home has been flooded, even for a short time, the walls may be damaged. Many wall coverings will appear to have withstood the flood well, at least initially. Surfaces such as sheetrock and paneling that have not been flooded for long periods could weather the flood well. However, where the water remains for several days, sheetrock could carry it, through capillary action, up through the wall, in many instances to the ceiling, far above the level of flooding.
In the case of paneled walls that have been flooded for several days, the layers of paneling may separate. If the panel is made of pressed board, the entire panel may come apart as the water softens the glue. However, on most homes that have not been flooded for a long time, the primary concern will be removal of the wet insulating material from the walls and the drying that needs to take place once it is removed.
Walls must dry from the inside out. The interior framing of walls should be allowed to dry thor-oughly. Sometimes this process takes weeks or even months. To release water and mud from walls, re-move top and bottom strips of siding on the outside of the building. Drill several holes in walls near the inside floor line.
The total drying time will depend partially on the amount of dry air that can circulate through the studding (called "chimney action"). To provide for maximum chimney action, first consider the con-struction of the building.
Insulation
Most types of insulation will be ruined if water soaked. You will probably have to replace flood-soaked insulation.
Loose fill (such as vermiculite) will settle to the bottom of walls. As it dries it can be removed. If not removed, loose fill insulation will create odors and eventually cause decay of the studding.
Rock wool batting insulation will also bunch and settle. If it is absorbent it will create odors and could eventually cause studding decay.
Fiberglass insulation holds water for a very long time. Walls that outwardly appear dry have been opened six months after a flood, and the insulation has contained the same level of water it held when first flooded. This water provides an ideal environment for decay-causing bacteria to develop in the wall. It only take several months or years, but the walls and framing material will decay and severe structural damage may occur. Homes that have wet fiberglass insulation have severe problems with mildew and musty odors as a result of the continuing source of moisture.
Reflective surfaces (such as alumninum foil) will probably lose their reflective ability, thus de-creasing their insulating effectiveness. This material itself should be undamaged.
Mildew
For furniture, plan to reupholster. Throw away all cotton stuffing.
To protect exposed wood, dry in sun short time only. Dry thoroughly. Use fan and indirect heat.
For rugs, consult professional rug cleaner. For those wanting to take care of the problem them-selves, use a sponge with thick suds. Rinse. Dry. Spray with fungicide.
Wood furniture will need to be cleaned while it is still wet. Wash with suds. Wipe with alcohol and water solution. Dry away from direct sun and heat. Rubbing or denatured alcohol will work. Dry in warm place with ventilation. Wait four to six weeks before refinishing.
Floors, woodwork and other woods should be dried with heat and ventilation Wipe off mildew. Scrub with solution of washing soda or tri-sodium phosphate (six tablespoons per gallon of water). May be repainted with mildew-resistant paint. This paint contains fungicide. Do not use on children’s cribs, play-pens, or toys. Rinse. Dry six weeks before repainting.
For books, stand books on end. Spread out pages to dry. Wipe off mildew. After a few hours, stack and press to avoid wrinkling. Alternate opening and stacking until completely dry. Sprinkle talcum powder or cornstarch on pages to absorb moisture. Also use moth crystals (chemical name is parachloro-benzene). Avoid breathing fumes from moth crystals. Books may be frozen until you have time to work with them. Place books in closed container with moth crystals to stop mold growth. A fan or heater may hasten drying. Can apply low heat with electric iron.
For basements sweep up dirt and debris. Scrub with disinfectant solution. If mildew odor per-sists, sprinkle bleaching powder over floor. Leave until floor is dry. Sweep. Disinfectants include Clorox, Purex Bleaching powder, chloride of lime or chlorinated lime found in grocery stores or farm supply stores. Remember that bleaching powder is poisonous. Will cause spots on concrete floor.
Septic Systems
Septic System Performance in Flooded and Soggy Soil Conditions
If you have a septic system, it is important to watch your water use during periods of heavy rain and flooding.
Septic systems rely on the soil’s ability to disperse wastewater. But when the soil is saturated, household plumbing will not drain properly and septic systems will fail. Conserve water:
* Stay at a hotel or with relatives or friends.
* Shower at work, the gym, or a friend’s home.
* Do not launder clothes at home.
* Flush toilets only when necessary.
* Repair leaking pipes or faucets.
* Use paper plates and disposable utensils to avoid washing dishes.
If surface water is present over your lawn, stay away from these areas as much as possible. During floods, surface water can become contaminated from wastewater.
Toys
Give special attention to cleaning children’s toys, cribs, playpens, and play equipment. Boil any items, for 10 minutes, that a toddler or baby might put in his mouth. Discard stuffed toys, plastic toys, waterlogged toys, and non-cleanable toys.
Wood floors
You may prefer to have floors professionally refinished. If you decide to do the work yourself:
Be sure floors are thoroughly dry. Sand the surface until it is clean and smooth. (Heavily planed floors may never look good again, but they can serve as a base for carpeting, tile, or sheet flooring.)
If floor is oak, apply a filler, then apply two coats of a penetrating floor seal or spar varnish. Sand between coats. Apply vanish, following directions on can. Treat fir flooring in the same way, but omit the filler.
Vinyl floors
Vinyl floors with wood subflooring can be replaced. With concrete floors, removal isn’t necessary except to hasten drying of the slab.
Loose tiles may be replaced individually if the floor hasn’t been soaked. If water has seeped under sheet flooring, remove the entire sheet.
While cleaning, wash exposed skin frequently in purified water. Wear rubber gloves for extra protection against contamination.
Open windows and doors and use fans to provide adequate ventilation.
