- Mosquito born illnesses – Dengue Fever, Zika, Malaria, Rocky Mountain Fever
Whether you experienced a wind damaging hurricane or a storm surge hurricane; all hurricanes bring water and flooding. In the aftermath of a hurricane there is so much to do and so many risks that it is difficult to access all the potential dangers.
If you live in an area where there has been a past outbreak of either Dengue Fever, Zika virus or Rocky Mountain Fever it is crucial in the days after the hurricane that your neighbors and out lying community work together to minimize the risks of any mosquito borne illnesses.
Dengue Fever is also known as the “bone breaker” virus. It is as bad as it sounds. People that have had the misfortune of being bitten by a mosquito that carries this virus have described the following symptoms:
Deep pain in the bones – as though all the bones were breaking.
Fever and chills as the patient alternates between sweating and chills.
Extreme headaches including impaired eyesight, including excruciating pain when moving one’s eyes from side to side.
Lack of appetite for several days to several weeks. A neighbor described trying to eat chicken soup saying even his teeth hurt trying to chew shredded chicken.
Complete flu like symptoms including dizziness, confusion, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea lasting several days to several weeks. Dengue fever patients are bed ridden for several weeks due to severe symptoms. It is crucial to keep the patient hydrated as they are likely not to want to eat or drink.
Swollen and red hands and feet. Many Dengue Fever sufferers describe a numbing, tingling sensation in both their hands and feet. Loss of grip in the hands even several months later.
No matter whether it is Rocky Mountain Fever, Dengue Fever or the Zika Virus many of the symptoms are the same. None of these mosquito borne illnesses are anything you would want to deal with on any occasion and certainly not in the aftermath of a hurricane.
Here’s what you can do to protect your family and community from mosquito borne viruses:
Being prepared for all known and unknown possibilities. Gather your community and spread the word to neighbors, relatives and any one else that could be effected by the hurricane to look for standing water that may have accumulated after the hurricane:
Do a perimeter check around your home and inside the home for any water and immediately discard it outdoors. Mosquitoes can lay eggs in as little as 1/8″ of water. That means even the rim of an overturn bucket can be the perfect hatchery. Be sure to check outdoor shed, garages or bodegas for leaks that may have caused water to accumulate inside sweep any standing water outdoors.
After a hurricane there will be fallen trees, palm fronds, tiles from your neighbors, ripped apart roofs and glass everywhere. Under all this debris will be puddles of water which are also a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. After our hurricane we had over 100 palm fronds from coconut and Washingtonian palm trees on our property. We had to line up the palms in the sun and sweep the standing water from our patio to prevent mosquitos from breeding.
The next threat for mosquito hatcheries will be neighbors that have pools. It is common if the aftermath of a hurricane that there will be a power outage for several weeks and in some instances several months. A power outage means that your neighbors’ pools will not have their pool pumps operational. This represents a huge mosquito risk for the entire community. If it is not feasible to drain the pool the following steps should be taken to prevent mosquito hatcheries from forming:
Depending on the size of the pool dump several bottles of chlorine into the pool.
Drain the pool as soon as possible, even if you’ve treated it with Clorox.
Contact the CDC or other local health agency that may be providing mosquito prevention chemicals to reduce the risks. In our case the local health agency was giving pool treatments chemicals for free. Dengue fever had been severe the previous year and authorities were prepared prior to the hurricane to treat pools.
Last but certainly not least, be vigilant in protecting yourself and family members by using mosquito spray several times a days. You will need to reapply the mosquito repellant several times a day, especially after excessive sweating.
2. Civil Unrest
In the immediate days after a hurricane, earthquake or other anticipated or unexpected natural disaster it is likely to have some civil unrest. Civil unrest often includes looting of stores for food, water and supplies. Civil unrest can quickly escalate to full blown mass lootings, including stealing of merchandise such as generators, electronics and anything a thief would deem valuable and salvageable. Under extreme circumstances, civil unrest can escalate to assaults, home invasions, generator theft, car theft, and even some automatic bank machine robberies.
It does not matter the city, state or country, there are always people living paycheck to paycheck. Often times community members simply do not have enough resources to prepare adequately for a short term or long term power outage and the subsequent loss of paycheck. Some people can become desperate in this situation. Civil unrest can start with a small number of people but can swell to enormous crowds that can pillage stores. Paired with the fact that resources are diminished after a natural disaster and help takes time to organize. It can take up to a week before any help arrives and in the worst case help arrives several weeks later. In the interim people who have little to no food and water will panic. As human beings our most basic instinct is our survival instinct. Not knowing where your next meal is coming from is extremely unsettling and in these desperate times people can panic and do desperate things.
Here are some things to keep in mind in the event of civil unrest:
Have no “normal expectations”. There is no normal after natural disasters!
Your local and regional police, fire, power and water repair workers are likely to be suffering home and property damage themselves. During our hurricane aftermath, we were told no one was coming for at least 6 days. Even emergency service members and their families will be affected in your city. We were told that back up workers were being called in from another state. In the short term it will be every man and woman for themselves.
Keep in mind that down trees, storm surge, flooding, and down power lines will prevent emergency services from getting to you quickly. Don’t assume help is on the way immediately. It could be days or weeks before help arrives.
Have a community safety plan ready in case of civil unrest. A community that protects its members, that is organized and on alert is less likely to become the victims of break-ins, robberies and physical assaults. Depending on where you live and the laws in your area, every community plan will be different and we will discuss civil unrest and martial law at length in another blog post.
Situational awareness is key to your survival and not becoming a victim. Keep your head up always assessing your surroundings. Make eye contact with people so that you don’t look like a victim ready to be pounced. Trust your gut instincts, know when to leave an area if a crowd is getting sketchy. Have a buddy system and don’t venture out alone if possible. Keep your vehicle locked at all times when traveling. Have a means of self defense such as a knife, pepper spray or other weapon you are familiar with wielding.
3. Heat Stroke Risk
3. Heat Stroke – Nearly everyone is at risk for heat stroke or heat exhaustion after a hurricane. For most of the population water will be in short supply and in high demand. Even with plenty of water your body will require more than the average amount of water as the temperature after a hurricane will likely be average about 90 degrees or more and the humidity will be extremely high. Heat stroke or heat exhaustion occurs when the body’s internal temperature regulation fails to cool the body quickly enough to keep up with the outdoor temps. First signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion are fainting, dizziness, confusion, red, hot and dry skin, lack of sweating, nausea and vomit. Often by the time the symptoms occur the patient is already in trouble. Heat stroke should always be taken seriously as the body’s cannot regulate and not enough oxygen is getting to the brain. The patient may go into organ failure and die before getting to a hospital. Drinking more than enough water and wearing a sun hat and sunscreen that offers excellent sun protection at all times during your vacation while out in direct sun.
Nearly everyone is at risk for heat stroke or heat exhaustion after a hurricane. For most of the population, water will be in short supply and in high demand. Even with plenty of water your body will require more than the average amount of water as the temperature after a hurricane will likely be average about 90 degrees or more and the humidity will be extremely high. Heat stroke or heat exhaustion occurs when the body’s internal temperature regulation fails to cool the body quickly enough to keep up with the outdoor temps. First signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion are fainting, dizziness, confusion, red, hot and dry skin, lack of sweating, nausea and vomiting. Often by the time the symptoms occur the patient is already in trouble. Heat stroke should always be taken seriously as the body’s temperature can no longer self regulate and not enough oxygen is getting to the brain. The patient may go into organ failure and die before getting to a hospital. Drinking more than enough water and wearing a sun hat and sunscreen that offers excellent sun protection at all times while out in direct sun. After a hurricane you will be working harder than you ever have in your life. There will be excess debris, fallen trees to breakdown and countless home repairs. Be sure to drink BEFORE you are thirsty. Heat stroke/exhaustion can happen quickly.
If you suspect someone is having heat stroke you can help them by do the following:
Move the person to a shaded area immediately.
Begin to cool the patient by giving them water to drink, preferably ice water to assist cooling them down as quickly as possible.
Pour water over the head, shoulders and feet. These are the area of the body where heat is stored and therefore should be cooled quickly.
Remove any excess clothing.
Provide an ice pack if possible or get them to an air conditioned space such as a car or building.
Wear UVA/UVB sunscreen and sunglasses at all times.
Always carry at least 1 liter of water preferably with ice at all times.
In the aftermath of a hurricane it is very common for there to be long waiting lines at gas stations. We had neighbors that needed to get gas and they had to wait in the direct sun for over 8 hrs just to get ½ a tank full of gas. In this situation, I would recommend plenty of ice water, hat, sunglasses and even an umbrella to create shade yourself from the direct sun.
Transport the person to the nearest medical clinic or hospital if it is feasible.
Curiosity/Damage Assessment
For most folks the aftermath of any natural disaster brings out the curiosity in all of us. It may be your first instinct to go exploring after the hurricane or another natural disaster has moved past your town or city. This would be best left to an experienced friend or neighbor that is accustomed to navigating the possible dangers of the roads and highways. I’d also recommend that a friend or neighbor with a 4 wheel drive vehicle is the ideal person to be the one driving and
exploring. There is a possibility that driving over downed telephone poles or other large debris. You will likely encounter rushing water, storm surge and thick mud. An inexperienced or panicked driver may trap his/her vehicle and then you are stuck in the middle or the side of the road without water in the hot sun with no form of communication. This would cause panic among family members and neighbors. In our community after the hurricane a few neighbors organized to caravan together to ensure if anyone got stuck or trapped no one would be left behind.
Additional risks while out exploring your community after a hurricane are:
*** Always heed the instructions of local law enforcement and rescue operations ***
Here are just some of the risks you may encounter:
Car accidents from navigating fallen trees and other debris such as highway overhead signs.
Drivers rubber necking from being looky lous at all the hurricane damage, people driving and trying to take photos and videos when they should have their eyes on the road.
Road damage – it is likely you will encounter pot holes and even sink holes on the highway, and side streets. Just as in any irregular weather conditions, you should drive slowly and proceed with extreme caution.
Flooding – Whether it is a tropical storm or a hurricane both bring wind damage and rain, usually a hurricane that brings a significant wind damage will have little rain. A flooding storm will result in some wind damage but the danger in this situation is navigating the streets and highways if they are even drivable. Last year a tropical storm caused extensive flooding damage to bridges, roads, homes and whole communities were trapped. Several vehicles unprepared to drive in flood conditions were swept away along with their occupants who were unable to escape.
Civil Unrest – Encountering some level of civil unrest is likely. Do you really want to be caught up in dozens or hundreds of people looting and robbing stores? Irrational and desperate behavior can lead to panic and possible assault. If you live in a natural disaster zone such as hurricane country you should be experienced enough to know that roaming the streets is probably not the best idea. Stay close to home, protect your family and property because nothing is worth risking your life. There will be plenty of neighbors and friends that will update you on the damage in the surrounding areas.
5. Displaced poisonous snakes, roaming wildlife and scorpions
Simple science says many animals (especially dogs) can detect shifting weather conditions. Particularly outdoor dogs who are grounded can sense the barometric pressure dropping and changes in our electric field. Our female Boxer is our best indicator to lightning, thunderstorms and other weather changes. She starts to panic, lunges to get inside and usually within 30 minutes there is thunder and lightning or rain. Of course we are always watching the National Hurricane Center and Weatherunderground for local weather but there are those quick weather changes that are not always forecasted. Animals can sense the barometric changes in the days and hours prior to a volcano, hurricane, earthquake or tsunami. In the aftermath of the 2004 earthquake that lead to the devastating subsequent tsunami that took the lives of over 250,000 in India, Thailand, and Indonesia, locals noticed that large groups of animals were charging uphill just prior to the tsunami. There is often a displacement of wildlife as well as domesticated pets during and after a natural disaster.
You may encounter the following after a natural disaster:
Loose pets such a cats and dogs (I opened my patio door to encounter the biggest German Shepherd I ever laid my eyes on). He was collared so I knew he most likely belonged to a neighbor, what I didn’t know was if he was friendly and approachable. After a hurricane when all senses are on high alert, I didn’t want to risk getting bitten or attacked, we also have 3 medium sized dogs and this strange dog was on their territory. With emergency services down (including vets) I wasn’t about to risk a terrible dog fight. I figured he had probably ran from home in a panic or was let out to do his business and he ventured a little to far from home. I closed the door immediately and within 15 minutes he was gone. Don’t assume anything and approach pets and wildlife with caution. Just like humans, animals can panic after outrunning and surviving a natural disaster.
Snakes – All wildlife will be displaced to some extent after a natural disaster. In years past Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael both storm surge hurricane survivors encountered water moccasins aka cottonmouth snake (America’s only venomous sea snake) while wading through the storm waters. While such an encounter is rare, it is important to note that such risks do exist. On our 5th day our Boxer began frantically barking just outside the dog gate. I observed her gaze near our concrete shed and I saw what she was hyper focused on – a small, foot and a half long baby rattlesnake. I secured our Boxer in a nedroom so she wouldn’t startle the snake. I was able to wave to my neighbor (a seasoned snake rangler) for help to capture the snake.
While not deadly, Scorpions could be a risk if you live in Mexico. Scorpions will be out looking for food and shelter. They generally sting only when startled so shake out your clothes before getting dressed. Check your shoes before slipping them on and be observant. A mild scorpion sting will result in a burning sensation at the site. A severe sting can cause prolonged pain, fever and muscle aches lasting several days which may require medical treatment. There are scorpions in the United states but they are likely to be in desert areas which are less likely to be hurricane county.
