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Floods

Photo of a flooded neighborhood

Looking for Hurricane Information? See CDC’s Tips To Keep You and Your Family Safe.

Improve the capacity of your program to address emergency environmental health threats and improve their emergency preparedness, response, and recovery using the resources below. This topic page contains links to resources produced by CDC’s Environmental Health Services Branch, our grantees, and other partners.

Tools & Guidance

Emergency and Terrorism Preparedness for Environmental Health Practitioners (CDC) – general information on flood issues including cleanup as well as biologic and infectious waste

Guidance on Microbial Contamination in Previously Flooded Outdoor Areas (CDC) – guidance on how to assess the public health risks for using outdoor areas after a flood event

Floods (CDC) – prepare for a flood, stay safe during a flood, and protect your health when you return home after a flood

Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene (WASH)-related Emergencies & Outbreaks (CDC) – guidance related to floods and standing water caused by storms

Storm, Flood, And Hurricane Response (CDC) – recommendations for the cleaning and remediation of flood-contaminated HVAC systems

Training

Environmental Health Training in Emergency Response (CDC) – training on key environmental health issues and challenges for emergency response, such as food safety, water quality, wastewater disposal, shelter assessment/sanitation, vector control/pest management, solid waste/hazardous materials, and environmental health response, and disaster management

Environmental Public Health Online Courses (CDC) – comprehensive online/on-demand package of courses for environmental public health practitioners including a module on wastewater

Publications & Investigations

CDC Looks at Links Between Wastewater and Disease [PDF – 592 KB] (Small Flows Quarterly) – article announcing the formation of the Environmental Health Services Branch

Flooding and Communicable Diseases Fact Sheet (World Health Organization) – information about risk assessment and preventive measures

General Information & Other Useful Links

Creating A Healthy Home: A Field Guide for Clean-up of Flooded Homes [PDF – 2.7 MB] (National Center for Healthy Housing) – guidance on cleaning up after a flood

Groundwater Protection Council – national association of state groundwater agencies

Natural Disasters & Severe Weather (CDC)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

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