THOSE PEOPLE GET HELP.
WE APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS.
>> JOINING US ON THE PHONE IS
THE HOUSTON HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
THIS STORM HAS JUST BROUGHT ON
SO MANY DIFFERENT ISSUES.
ONE OF THO ISSUES, OF COURSE,
IS THE HEALTH AND THE CONDITION
OF THE WATER.
TALK TO US FROM YOUR STANDPOINT
ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO D TO
MAKE SURE THEY'RE STAYING
HEALTHY AND NOT BEING FURTHER
HARMED BY THIS WATER IN ANY KIND
OF WAY.
>> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT
ANY ONE CAN DO IF THEY COME IN
CONTACT WITH THE FLOODWATERS IS
JUST GOOD HYGIENE, HAND WASHING
IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY.
AND ALSO DON'T FORGET TO WASH
YOUR CHILDREN'S HANDS,
ESPECIALLY AFTER MEALS.
AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO JUST GOOD HYGIENE, WASH YOUR
HANDS OFTEN.
ALSO, DO NOT EAT ANY FOOD THAT
WAS CONTAMINATED BY THE
FLOODWATERS.
IF THEY HAD CONTACT WITH THE
FOOD, JUST THROW IT OUT.
NOW, IF THE FOOD WAS IN
CONTAINERS THAT YOU PREPARED
BEFORE THE HURRICANE AND BOUGHT
CANNED GOODS YOU -- WHAT YOU CAN
DO IS PREPARE SOLUTION OF ONE
CUP HOUSEHOLD LIQUID BLEACH PER
FIVE GALLONS OF WATER.
DO THE MIXTURE AND JUST GET A
REAGAN START CLEANING IT AND
DUMPING IT IN THAT WATER, JUST
CLEAN IT OFF.
JUST USE A RAG WITH THAT
SOLUTION OF ONE CUP BLEACH AND
FIVE COUNTS PER WATER, AND CLEAN
IT OUT.
THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
>> YOU WERE QUOTED IN "THE NEW
YORK TIMES" AS SAYING THERE IS
NO NEED TO TEST THE WATER
BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT IS
CONTAMINATED.
TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT MIGHT BE LURKING IN THE
WATER THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED
ABOUT.
>> YEAH.
LET ME FIRST OFF SAY THAT IN THE
UNITED STATES, WHEN WE HAVE
FLOODING INCIDENTS, THERE IS
NEVER SIGNIFICANT OUTBREAKS OF
DISEASE.
LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
HIRE IN THE U.S. UNLIKE OTHER
COUNTRIES THERE IS NEVER -- WE
DON'T EXPERIENCE THAT MASS
OUTBREAK OF DISEASE.
HAVING SAID THAT, IT'S STILL
REALLY IMPORTANT TO AVOID THE
FLOODWATERS.
YOU DON'T WANT TO GO IN OF
COURSE.
IT IS CONTAMINATED.
THERE IS NO NEED TO TEST THE
WATER.
WE KNOW THERE IS -- YOU KNOW,
GERMS IN THE SOIL, HOMES THAT
WERE FLOODED.
IN THE HOME YOU HAVE OILS,
LIQUID, DETERGENTS, YOU HAVE
CARS.
ANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE KEEP
IN OUR HOMES AND THAT MAY --
THAT MAY CONTAMINATE THE WATER,
AND THE SOIL YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW,
GERMS, YOU HAVE E. COLI, THINGS
THAT MAKE US SICK.
SO YOU GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF
YOU DO COME IN CONTACT GOOD
HYGIENE AS WE MENTIONED, JUST
SHOWER, GO TO A SHELTER TO
SHOWER IF YOU'RE NOT -- IF
YOU -- IF YOUR HOME IS FLOODED
AND JUST WASH YOURSELF AND GET A
GOOD SHOWER.
USE LOTS OF SOAP.
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE,
FOR EXAMPLE, WHO HAD PUNCTURE
WOUNDS OR HAVE CUTS, THAT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT.
>> AND NOT JUST GOOD HYGIENE,
THAT'S OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT, BUT
ALSO OFTENTIMES IT GETS SO
FRUSTRATING WHEN WE HAVE ANY
KIND OF FLOODING WE CAN OFTEN
SEE IMAGES OF PEOPLE ALLOWING
THEIR KIDS TO PLAY IN THE WATER.
THIS IS WATER THAT YOU CERTAINLY
DON'T EVEN -- AS YOU SAID, DON'T
EVEN APPROACH, BUT DON'T LET
YOUR KIDS PLAY IN.
>> YOU DON'T WANT TO, BECAUSE
THERE IS -- MIGHT BE ANTS, OTHER
CRITTERS, SNAKES.
YOU JUST WANT TO AVOID THAT.
ALSO, IF YOU'RE IN THE WATER AND
YOU TRIP, YOU HAVE AN ACCIDENT,
YOU MAY -- THERE MAY BE A NAIL.
THERE MAY BE OTHER THINGS THAT
COULD CUT YOU AND SO YOU WANT TO
AVOID THAT.
ACCIDENTS HAPPEN.
YOU FALL.
YOU BREAK A LEG.
AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
BUT JUST STAY OUT OF THE
FLOODWATERS.
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
NOW, YOU GOT TO WASH -- IF YOUR
CHILD HAS PLAYED, MAKE SURE
THAT, YOU KNOW, BRING HIM INTO
THE HOME OR WHEREVER YOU'RE AT,
AND JUST BATHE AND JUST USE
PLENTY OF SOAP AND WATER.
>> I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT
SOMETHING ELSE.
IN THE HOUSTON AREA WE KNOW
THERE IS LARGE AMOUNT OF
INDUSTRY HERE.
WE'RE TALKING CHEMICAL PLANTS.
THEY WERE ADDRESSING SUPERFUND
SIZED, WE HAVE SEEN AN EXAMPLE
OF THIS HAPPENING WHERE THE
ARKEMA PLANT TOOK ON BETWEEN
FOUR TO SIX FEET OF WATER,
ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY'S CEO.
AND THAT IS A SITE THAT HOUSES
CHEMICALS.
CAN YOU ADDRESS THE CONCERN OF
THAT, OF THIS WATER COMING IN
CONTACT WITH NOT JUST HOMES AND
SEWER SYSTEMS BUT WITH INDUSTRY
AND INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS,
PERHAPS?
>> YEAH.
THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT.
WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT'S IN THE
WATER.
WE KNOW THAT IT'S CONTAMINATED.
THERE IS EVERYTHING FROM GERMS
TO CHEMICALS TO ANIMALS THAT
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO -- IF
AT ALL POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, STAY
AWAY, DO NOT GET IN ANY
FLOODWATERS, THAT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT.
AND THAT'S THE BEST THING YOU
CAN DO TO STAY HEALTHY.
LEAVE IF YOUR HOME IS FLOODED,
LEAVE.
IF YOU'RE NEAR SOME KIND OF
INDUSTRY, JUST LEAVE THE AREA.
TO AVOID COMING IN CONTACT WITH
ANY CHEMICAL.
>> ARE YOU COLLECTING ANY DATA
OF POTENTIAL ILLNESSES THAT
PEOPLE MAY CONTRACT AS A RESULT
OF THESE FLOODWATERS?
>> YEAH, WE'RE -- THE HOUSTON
HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS HELPING
WITH THE SHELTERS, AND
SUPPORTING THAT, SO WE ARE
MONITORING FOR ANY ILLNESSES.
WE'RE MONITORING THE
POPULATIONS.
WE'RE ALWAYS IN CONTACT WITH
HOSPITALS, SO WE DO MONITOR
ILLNESSES.
NOW, I HAVE TO REINFORCE THAT
WHEN WE DO HAVE SUCH FLOODING IN
THE UNITED STATES, IT NEVER --
NOWADAYS IT NEVER RESULTS IN --
WE STILL GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT
YOU STAY AWAY, YOU DON'T WANT TO
BE IN FLOODWATERS BECAUSE YOU
CAN HAVE A WOUND THAT GETS
CONTAMINATED AND THEN YOU HAVE
AN INFECTION THAT YOU WANT TO
AVOI THAT.
>> WITH THIS LARGELY COMES DOWN
SOUNDS LIKE JUST GOOD COMMON
SENSE.
>> YEAH, IT IS.
AND IF YOU'RE ABLE TO GO BACK TO
YOUR HOME, SAFELY, YOU KNOW,
START CLEANING AND SANITIZING
YOUR HOME.
YOU KNOW, IF THE WATER OR THE
FLOODWATERS GOT IN YOUR HOME, TO
PREVENT MOLD GROWTH.
YOU GOT TO DO JUST GET SOME
SOAP AND DETERGENT AND WARM,
CLEAN WATER, AND THEN START
REMOVING DIRT AND DEBRIS.
THE NEXT THING YOU DO IS JUST
SANITIZE SURFACES WITH THE
BLEACH THAT WE TALKED ABOUT
EARLIER.
USE THAT ONE CUP OF BLEACH PER
FIVE GALLONS OF WATER, AND JUST
START CLEANING.
AND THAT WILL PREVENT MOLD
GROWTH.
YOU DON'T WANT TO -- PEOPLE WITH
ALLERGIES, THAT MAY GET
AGGRAVATED, AND THAT'S WHY YOU
DON'T WANT THE MOLD THERE.
IF YOU HAVE DRYWALL OR SHEETROCK
THAT GOT WET, YOU WANT TO CUT AT
LEAST A FOOT ABOVE THE WATER
LINE, AND REMOVE THAT SHEETROCK
AND REMOVE THAT INSULATION THAT
GOT WET, AND GET IT OUT OF YOUR
HOME AND THROW IT.
AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
YOU DON'T WANT MOLD DEVELOPING
IN YOUR HOME.
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
YOU DON'T WANT TO DEVELOP AN
ALLERGY, IRRITATION, SKIN
IRRITATIONS, EYE IRRITATIONS,
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT YOU CAN
DO TO START CLEANING YOUR HOME,
SANITIZING IT, AND STAYING AWAY
FROM THE FLOODWATERS.
THE FLOODING YOU GOT A LOT OF
WORK TO DO IN YOUR HOME.
THROW OUT ANY MATTRESSES,
CARPETING, CARPET PADDING, ANY
RUGS THAT REALLY GOT HIGH -- HAD
CONTACT WITH THE WATER.
FURNITURE THAT IS COSMETICS,
STUFFED ANIMALS, YOU WANT TO
DISINFECT YOUR CHILDREN'S TOYS
WITH THAT SOLUTION OF BLEACH AND
WATER.
>> SO LAST QUESTION WE HAVE TO
LET YOU GO BUT I WANT TO LET --
WE ASKED CITY LEADERS, I WANT
YOUR TAKE, IS IT THE DRINKING
WATER IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON
SAFE TO DRINK?
>> THE WATER IN HOUSTON IS SAFE
TO DRINK.
IT HAS NEVER BEEN UNSAFE.
SO THROUGHOUT THIS THING THERE
WAS ONE GREAT THING.
WE NEVER HAD TO CALL FOR A BOIL
WATER.
IT'S IMPORTANT, IN OTHER
MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES
AROUND US, THERE ARE SOME BOIL
WATER NOTICES AND OTHER PARTS OF
TEXAS THERE WERE -- THAT WERE
IMPACTED, SO THERE YOU HAVE TO
BRING THAT WATER TO A BOIL FOR
AT LEAST ONE MINUTE, GOOD
ROLLING BOIL, AT LEAST A MINUTE
OR TWO, AND THAT WAY YOU -- YOUR
WATER IS SAFE.
RIGHT NOW, THE WATER IN HOUSTON
IS SAFE.
NOW, IF -- THERE IS ABOUT 100 TO
200 WATER WELLS HERE IN HARRIS
COUNTY.
THOSE ARE CONSIDERED
CONTAMINATED IF THERE WAS
FLOODWATER THAT GOT INTO THAT
WELL.
SO WE WILL -- WE CAN TAKE IT TO
BE TESTED, THE HOUSTON HEALTH
DEPARTMENT THE LABORATORIES
IN -- UP AND RUNNING THEN WE CAN
TEST IT.
THE PEOPLE CAN JUST COME AND
COLLECT FROM US A CONTAINER AND
COLLECT THE WATER AND BRING IT.
BUT IT'S A PROCESS WE EXPLAIN TO
THEM ONCE THEY PICK UP THE
CONTAINERS.
AND SO YOU -- THEY CAN GO PICK
UP T CONTAINERS.
GET THE WATER TESTED, BRING US
THE WATER, AND WE'LL TEST IT.
AND GIVE THEM THE RESULTS.
IF THE FLOODWATER BASICALLY GOT
INTO THAT WATER WELL, IT NEEDS
TO BE CONSIDERED CONTAMINATED.
>> OKAY.