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<br />Section 4 <br /> <br />Before Entering a Flood Area <br /> <br />If possible, wait until authorities have declared the area safe before <br />entering a flood zone. Before entering your house, wait until it has <br />been checked for safety and water has been pumped out II this <br />would not resu~ in undue delay. <br />Wear high leak-proof rubber boots (or at least rubber-soled shoes) <br />and, if available, thick rubber or dry leather gloves, and a hard hat <br />when you are in a flood zone. <br />When you are going into an isolated area tell someone who will <br />notify the proper authorities if you do not report back. <br />Check with the electric power and gas companies to determine <br />whether the power and gas were shut off and whether they are still <br />off. If you are served by a central water supply, find out II the water <br />is contaminated. If your water comes from a private well. determine <br />whether the well was flooded. If so, it can be considered <br />contaminated. <br /> <br />After Entering the Flood Area <br /> <br />Indoors or out, under flooded or damaged conditions, treat every <br />electrical item with the greatest respect. EVERY SOURCE OF <br />ELECTRICITY CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS UNDER <br />FLOOD CONDITIONS. See pages 4-8 through 4-11 for electrical <br />safety ruies. <br />If traveiing on foot through a flood zone, observe overhead <br />electrical lines for broken wires or evidence of arcing. Avoid the <br />vicinity of power lines II possible, and cross under them only at <br />midlength between supporting poles, if you must cross them. <br /> <br />An energized electrical utility wire or a utility pole partially or totally <br />submerged in water - whether metal or wet wood - can create an <br />electrical field in the water that will cause a serious electrical shock <br />hazard. If water remains on the ground, heed the following satety <br />precautions. <br /> <br />If utility wires are underwater, maintain a maximum distance from <br />both utility poles and wires. In no case approach closer than 20 <br />feet; and for high.voitage transmission or feeder lines, no closer <br />than 50 feet. If the utility wires are not broken or under water, stay at <br />least 10 feet away from the poles. <br /> <br />If you are in a metal boat, keep a similar distance from utility wires <br />and poies. If you are in a wooden or fiberglass boat, do not touch <br />the water or metallic parts of the motor when near utility wires or <br />poles. Utility wires laying in the water will normally be dead, due to <br />blown circuit breakers. tt is safer, however, to consider any <br />grounded wire as being dangerous. <br /> <br />Keep the boat away from guy wires. Metal of the boat or its engine <br />touching a metal guy wire on a utility pole can arc causing a spark <br />that may ignite any oil or gasoline on the water's surlace. <br /> <br />Ground the outboard motor to the metai hull of the boat by running <br />a wire from the grounded battery post to a bolt in the hull. This <br />grounds the battery to the boat, avoids possible ignition of gasoline <br />in the boat, and eliml! I.:::tes an electrical shock hazard to those in the <br />boat. <br /> <br />Do not smoke. Flammable liquids may have contaminated the <br />water. <br /> <br />Clean up and Repair <br /> <br />If you must enter your home before it is inspected for safety by <br />either local or Federal authorities, walk around its perimeter and, <br />starting from the bottom, inspect it for signs of undermining, cave- <br />ins, shifting, or collapse. If the building appears sound, enter it <br />carefully. tf tnere is evidence of significant undermining or settling, <br />do not enter the home until it has been inspected by local or Federal <br />authorities. <br /> <br />Foundation/Basement <br /> <br />If the house or a porch rests on exposed foundations with <br />accumulated debris undemeath, be careful upon removal of the <br />debris that the foundation's support is not thereby undermined. <br /> <br />If material supporting Ihe foundation is washed away but the <br />foundation is not damaged, the underlying material can be replaced <br />with well compacted crushed rock or gravel, a concrete footing, and <br />a masonry or concrete wall to support the foundation. <br />If parts of the fooling or foundation have settled or cracked, those <br />parts may have to be reinforced or replaced. Foundation settling or <br />cracking may resuh in uneven floors or misalignment of door and <br />window frames. Use only concrete, masonry, or both to reinforce or <br />replace settled or cracked foundations, never earth, gravel, or <br />crushed rock. <br />If part of the foundation has collapsed, it can be temporarily <br />supported with timber shoring and jacks as shown in Figure 4-1 and <br />4-2(a) and (b). <br /> <br /> <br />Figure 4-1 <br />Temporary Support <br /> <br />4-1 <br />