What to do before and after the flood & bull; hello healthy

Flood is an event of overflowing water that inundates the land surface, but its height exceeds normal limits. Floods can be caused by heavy rainfall, storms, tidal waves, or other natural events. Floods can also be caused by human behavior, such as reduced water catchment areas due to deforestation and settlement development, poor handling of waste and water channels, and so on.

Floods that cannot be handled can cause losses and casualties. Flood disasters are often followed by various health problems, such as skin diseases, diarrhea, dengue fever, leptospirosis, and others. Diseases that arise are caused by an unhealthy way of life, including consuming unclean water.

Do you remember the Jakarta floods in 2007? On February 1, 2007, nearly 60% of the DKI Jakarta area was inundated. According to data from PMI DKI Jakarta, 48 people died and 337,181 people were forced to flee in shelters, such as schools, houses of worship, roads and other public facilities. With so many losses caused by floods, the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) provides various information for all of us to deal with floods.

Preparation for floods

If your residence is a flood-prone area, or an area that has the potential for flooding, then you need to do the following:

• Make a floor plan or map of your house and environment. Mark places that are usually submerged in floods. Safe and hazardous places should also be marked. If you can't do it yourself, invite your family to do it. Look for information from other people around you. When the map is ready, discuss flood mitigation measures.
• Know the early warning systems in your area. For example, calls from loudspeakers for places of worship, bells, bells, sirens, and so on. If your home environment does not have it, report it to the RT / RW head or village head for agreement.
• Understand the signs of flooding and be aware of it when it occurs. For example, there is continuous heavy rain, overflowing gutters, and high water levels in the dam or at the floodgates that exceed normal limits.
• Pay attention to the river conditions around your house. Is it more cloudy than usual? If so, then you have to watch out for flooding, because rain in higher areas can cause flooding in lower areas.
• Keep important documents such as land certificates, diplomas, certificates, report cards, etc. in plastic or in any waterproof bag.

What needs to be done when the flood hits

Sometimes floods have the signs listed above. However, flash floods will be very dangerous and come suddenly without any sign. If the flood happens slowly, you can take the following actions:

• Move items or household furniture to a higher place and out of reach of standing water.
• Immediately turn off electricity and gas at home.
• Monitor important information conveyed via radio, television, or whatever is around you.
• Be prepared for possible evacuation.
• Pay attention to water conditions, whether it continues to increase or not.
• If the rain does not stop and the water does not seem to recede or even increase, immediately evacuate to a safe place or to a place designated by the local government.
• If there is a call to evacuate, do so immediately and remain calm and orderly.
• If you're stuck in the house, try to stay calm. Try to get help by contacting relatives, PMI, government offices, or the police.
• Maintain a clean and healthy lifestyle.
• Try not to sleep in the open.

What needs to be done after the flood

After the flood, you might think about returning home. Therefore, please follow these steps:

• If you evacuate, return home when things are completely safe.
• Don't go straight into the house, look at the situation carefully.
• Check the environment around the house for hidden dangers, such as collapsed parts of the house, live cables, gas leaks, or dangerous animals.
• Always use footwear.
• Start cleaning your house and environment.
• Wash utensils and other items with anti-germ soap.
• Pay attention to cleanliness and personal health and the environment in order to avoid various diseases.

Always remember that after the flood recedes, washed away garbage, mud, and standing water will still be around the house. Various diseases can be infected, mainly caused by dirty water, unhealthy way of life, and animals such as flies, mosquitoes and mice. Common types of diseases include: coughs and colds, respiratory infections (ARI), flu, skin diseases, diarrhea and vomiting, dengue fever, and leptospirosis.