Safety Assessment Program Evaluator Student Manual

CA Emergency Mgmt. Agency Safety Assessment Program Evaluator Manual April 2011As seen in Figure 6-10, the water line from flooding can be seen on the exterior of a building,which will indicate how much of the interior was inundated. In this case, the water line is at thetop of the windows. The walls, floors, and contents will be soaked with flood water, and therewill be a great deal of work to be done before the building can be inhabited again. However, ifthere is no other risk such as a hazardous material spill or structural damage, the building can beposted RESTRICTED USE so content removal and repair can begin. If the ceilings have beensoaked, the placard should have a caution that the ceilings were soaked and might fall.Figure 6-11 shows the widespread damage that often results from flooding. The storm surgefrom a hurricane scatters buildings and debris in its wake. In this case, homes are left sitting inthe road, pushed again trees, and half-buried in debris. This photo was taken after the roads werecleared, except for the occasional house still in the road.Photo courtesy Raymond Lui, SEAFigure 6-12 – Mold growth, 2005 Hurricane KatrinaAs stated before, mold should be treated as risky or hazardous, and protection must be wornbefore entering a mold spore laden environment. Figure 6-12 shows a relatively mild case ofmold in an inundated home. (It can be worse!) Naturally, if a person is allergic to mold, enteringa house like this one is not an option!Figure 6-13 shows what needs to be done as part of the repairs: the wallboard, insulation, andelectrical must be stripped out, and even the studs may have to be treated with bleach orfungicide before rebuilding can start.195