Illness during times of a disaster or emergency can be extremely difficult to treat. Best practices in sanitation and hygiene can help to prevent the illnesses that are most common in disaster situations. Many of these illnesses cause acute diarrhea that can lead to dehydration, immunity weakness and even death.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing hands with sanitary water after the following activities for proper hygiene after a disaster:

• Before, during and after preparing and eating food

• After using the restroom

• Before and after caring for the ill or children

• After handling animals or animal waste

• Before and after caring for a wound or sore

• After touching any waste material

To be able to wash hands as recommended, you will need a source of clean water. This may not come easy to find if you are not prepared in advance. There may be natural sources of water such as springs and lakes near your home. The water gathered will need to be boiled before use. Water inside the home that can be used for hygiene can be found in a water heater tank and melted ice cubes.

Limited water can greatly affect the amount of times an individual chooses to wash their hands during the day. But, without necessary hygiene, illness can occur creating a more severe emergency survival situation. Clean water storage, knowledge of how to decontaminate dirty water and the proper survival kit, including food storage, soap and sanitizers are necessary for proper hygiene and health preservation in case of natural disasters and emergency situations.

—Breanna Legler—