Wednesday, 26 October 2005 01:00
Boil Water Advisory
-- COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING BOIL WATER ADVISORIES --
1. What is the proper way to disinfect my water so that it is safe to
drink?
The preferred method of treatment is boiling. Boiling water kills
harmful bacteria and parasites (freezing will not disinfect water).
Bring water to a full rolling boil for at least 1 minute to kill most
infectious organisms (germs). For areas without power, disinfect the
tap water by adding 8 drops, about 1/8 teaspoon, of plain unscented
household beach per gallon of water and allow the water to stand for
30 minutes. If the water is cloudy, repeat the procedure. Use a
container that has a cap or cover for disinfecting and storing water
to be used for drinking. This will prevent contamination. If your
well was flooded, boiling the water is the safest action, since
disinfection does not kill certain parasites.
2. How should I wash my hands during a boil water advisory?
Based on the current conditions of the affected public water
supplies, vigorous hand washing with soap and your tap water is safe
for basic personal hygiene. If you are washing your hands to prepare
food, if at all possible, you should use boiled (then cooled) water,
disinfected or bottled water with hand washing soap.
3. Is potentially contaminated water (where Cryptosporidium is not the
significant contaminant) safe for washing dishes or clothes?
Yes, if you rinse hand-washed dishes for a minute in a bleach
solution (1 tablespoon bleach per gallon of water). Allow dishes to
completely air dry. Most household dishwashers do not reach the
proper temperature to sanitize dishes.
It is safe to wash clothes in tap water.
4. Is potentially contaminated water safe for bathing and shaving?
The water may be used for showering, baths, shaving and washing, so
long as care is taken not to swallow or allow water in eyes or nose
or mouth. Children and disabled individuals should have their bath
supervised to ensure water is not ingested. The time spent bathing
should be minimized. Though the risk of illness is minimal,
individuals who have recent surgical wounds, are immunosuppressed, or
have a chronic illness may want to consider using bottled or boiled
water for cleansing until the advisory is lifted.
5. How should I wash fruit and vegetables and make ice?
Fruits and vegetables should be washed with boiled (then cooled
water) or bottled water or water sanitized with 8 drops (about 1/8
teaspoon) of unscented household bleach per gallon of water. Ice
should be made with boiled water, bottled water or sanitized water.
6. What if I have already consumed potentially contaminated water?
Even if someone has consumed potentially contaminated water from
either a public water system or a private well before they were aware
of the boil water advisory, the likelihood of becoming ill is low.
Anyone experiencing symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting,
abdominal cramps, with or without fever, should seek medical
attention.
7. What infectious organisms might be present in contaminated
water?
Disease transmission from contaminated water occurs principally by
ingesting water. The major organisms of concern are protozoa such as
Giardia and Cryptosporidium, and bacteria, such as Shigella, E. coli
and viruses. These organisms primarily affect the gastrointestinal
system, causing diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting
with or without fever. Most of these illnesses are not usually
serious or life threatening except in the elderly, the very young or
those who are immunocompromised.
1. What is the proper way to disinfect my water so that it is safe to
drink?
The preferred method of treatment is boiling. Boiling water kills
harmful bacteria and parasites (freezing will not disinfect water).
Bring water to a full rolling boil for at least 1 minute to kill most
infectious organisms (germs). For areas without power, disinfect the
tap water by adding 8 drops, about 1/8 teaspoon, of plain unscented
household beach per gallon of water and allow the water to stand for
30 minutes. If the water is cloudy, repeat the procedure. Use a
container that has a cap or cover for disinfecting and storing water
to be used for drinking. This will prevent contamination. If your
well was flooded, boiling the water is the safest action, since
disinfection does not kill certain parasites.
2. How should I wash my hands during a boil water advisory?
Based on the current conditions of the affected public water
supplies, vigorous hand washing with soap and your tap water is safe
for basic personal hygiene. If you are washing your hands to prepare
food, if at all possible, you should use boiled (then cooled) water,
disinfected or bottled water with hand washing soap.
3. Is potentially contaminated water (where Cryptosporidium is not the
significant contaminant) safe for washing dishes or clothes?
Yes, if you rinse hand-washed dishes for a minute in a bleach
solution (1 tablespoon bleach per gallon of water). Allow dishes to
completely air dry. Most household dishwashers do not reach the
proper temperature to sanitize dishes.
It is safe to wash clothes in tap water.
4. Is potentially contaminated water safe for bathing and shaving?
The water may be used for showering, baths, shaving and washing, so
long as care is taken not to swallow or allow water in eyes or nose
or mouth. Children and disabled individuals should have their bath
supervised to ensure water is not ingested. The time spent bathing
should be minimized. Though the risk of illness is minimal,
individuals who have recent surgical wounds, are immunosuppressed, or
have a chronic illness may want to consider using bottled or boiled
water for cleansing until the advisory is lifted.
5. How should I wash fruit and vegetables and make ice?
Fruits and vegetables should be washed with boiled (then cooled
water) or bottled water or water sanitized with 8 drops (about 1/8
teaspoon) of unscented household bleach per gallon of water. Ice
should be made with boiled water, bottled water or sanitized water.
6. What if I have already consumed potentially contaminated water?
Even if someone has consumed potentially contaminated water from
either a public water system or a private well before they were aware
of the boil water advisory, the likelihood of becoming ill is low.
Anyone experiencing symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting,
abdominal cramps, with or without fever, should seek medical
attention.
7. What infectious organisms might be present in contaminated
water?
Disease transmission from contaminated water occurs principally by
ingesting water. The major organisms of concern are protozoa such as
Giardia and Cryptosporidium, and bacteria, such as Shigella, E. coli
and viruses. These organisms primarily affect the gastrointestinal
system, causing diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting
with or without fever. Most of these illnesses are not usually
serious or life threatening except in the elderly, the very young or
those who are immunocompromised.
Published in
WGCU News
Wednesday, 26 October 2005 01:00
Glades County Update
Here’s a Hurricane Wilma recovery update for Glades County:
Glades public schools are closed Wednesday and Thursday.
Water, ice and food are being distributed at:
The Doyle Conner Building on US 27, Lakeport Community Center, The Buckhead Ridge, Muse, Indian Hills, Ortona and Palmdale Fire Departments.
All Glades County residents are under a boil water notice. Boil drinking and cooking water for a full minute at a rolling boil. If you don’t have power put 8 drops of chlorine bleach in a gallon of water.
A curfew remains in effect countywide for Glades from dusk to dawn until electrical power is completely restored.
Glades County rumor control hotline – 863-946-6021.
Glades public schools are closed Wednesday and Thursday.
Water, ice and food are being distributed at:
The Doyle Conner Building on US 27, Lakeport Community Center, The Buckhead Ridge, Muse, Indian Hills, Ortona and Palmdale Fire Departments.
All Glades County residents are under a boil water notice. Boil drinking and cooking water for a full minute at a rolling boil. If you don’t have power put 8 drops of chlorine bleach in a gallon of water.
A curfew remains in effect countywide for Glades from dusk to dawn until electrical power is completely restored.
Glades County rumor control hotline – 863-946-6021.
Published in
WGCU News
Sunday, 23 October 2005 01:00
Evacuations/Cancellations
Cancellations: Wilma 4
Collier, Lee, Glades, Hendry, Sarasota and Charlotte County schools and government offices are closed Monday. FGCU is closed through Tuesday. Manatee Community College is closed Monday.
Delta Airlines cancelled all flights from Naples Airport through noon Tuesday. All flights scheduled for Monday morning at Southwest Florida International are cancelled. Flights are expected to resume in the afternoon.
The 20th judicial circuit courts are closed Monday.
The Special Session of the Fort Myers City Council Monday has been cancelled.
For those who must move their vehicles to higher ground, free parking is available in the Main Street Garage in downtown Fort Myers.
The Collier Tourist development council meeting scheduled for Monday is cancelled.
State parks and preserves are closed.
Bell Tower Shops in Fort Myers are closed Monday.
Mote Marine Lab in Sarasota is closed Monday.
Lee Memorial Health Systems hospitals have cancelled all surgeries, outpatient services and OB labor inductions Monday. Lee physician group and Lee Convenient Care offices are closed Monday.
Pregnant women at 35 weeks gestation and beyond may stay at Healthpark or Cape Coral hospitals – in one room with no accommodations other than medical care.
The hospital and emergency department at Cleveland Clinic Florida Naples will remain open. The medical offices will be closed Monday.
All Lee and Sarasota County drawbridges are closed to marine traffic.
Officials discourage anyone from driving after 9 tonight. Lee Tran is ending all service from 7 tonight through Monday.
Evacuations:
Collier: Wilma 1
Collier County has a mandatory evacuation for people who live west and south of US 41, including Marco Island. Shelters are at
Gulf Coast, Golden Gate and Immokalee high schools and at Corkscrew, Oak Ridge, North Naples, Golden Gate and Immokalee middle schools. A special needs shelter is at Palmetto Ridge High School.
A curfew begins for Collier evacuation zones Sunday and Monday at 10 pm, ending at 6 am.
Collier’s information hotline is 774-8444.
Charlotte County Emergency Management will open three refuge shelters at 3:00 today for people in mobile homes, travel trailers or homes affected by prior storms. They are South County Regional Park in Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte Middle School and L.A. Ainger Junior High in Rotunda West. They provide no amenities.
Lee: Wilma 2
Lee County has a mandatory evacuation for all barrier islands. All mobile homes, recreational vehicles and manufactured housing in all parts of Lee County south of the River must evacute. The coastal areas of Cape Coral with elevation under 9 feet are under mandatory evacuation.
Shelters are at Diplomat Elementary in Cape Coral, North Fort Myers Academy of the Arts, Germain Arena, Dunbar High School, Varsity Lakes Middle in Lehigh, the YMCA in Bonita, J. Colin English in North Fort Myers, Mariner Middle School in Cape Coral and South Fort Myers High School on Plantation Road. Pottorff Elementary School, on Challenger Blvd, is a special needs shelter.
The City of Fort Myers has opened a pet-friendly shelter at the STARS Complex gymnasium on Edison Avenue. Pets must be in kennels with food and water and vaccination records. People must be prepared to stay with their pets.
No is allowed across the Sanibel causeway. The island is dry for alcohol sales and consumption, except on one’s own property. There’s a curfew on the island from 9 at night until 6 in the morning. The temporary Sanibel City Hall is at the Bell Tower Holiday Inn.
There’s a curfew in effect from 9 pm until 7 am for Bonita Springs.
The Town of Fort Myers Beach's off-site location is the Masonic Temple on Pine Ridge Road.
Wilma 3:
Hendry County issued a voluntary evacuation for low lying areas and mobile homes. Shelters may open Sunday at 3:00.
Glades County has a mandatory evacuation for mobile homes. Shelters will open Sunday at noon at: West Glades Elementary in Muse, Maple Grove Baptist Church in Lakeport, the VFW in Buckhead Ridge and special needs can go to the Glades Health Department in Moore Haven.
Glades County institutes a curfew midnight Sunday from dawn to dusk until further notice.
Sarasota has mandatory evacuations for mobile homes, and voluntary evacuation for low lying areas and barrier islands. Four shelters open Sunday morning:
Tuttle Elementary School, in Sarasota,
Pine View School, in Osprey
Brookside Middle in Sarasota and it’s pet-friendly
North Port High School is also pet-friendly
Busses will transport those with no alternatives.
There’s a mandatory evacuation order for all Florida Keys residents.
Collier, Lee, Glades, Hendry, Sarasota and Charlotte County schools and government offices are closed Monday. FGCU is closed through Tuesday. Manatee Community College is closed Monday.
Delta Airlines cancelled all flights from Naples Airport through noon Tuesday. All flights scheduled for Monday morning at Southwest Florida International are cancelled. Flights are expected to resume in the afternoon.
The 20th judicial circuit courts are closed Monday.
The Special Session of the Fort Myers City Council Monday has been cancelled.
For those who must move their vehicles to higher ground, free parking is available in the Main Street Garage in downtown Fort Myers.
The Collier Tourist development council meeting scheduled for Monday is cancelled.
State parks and preserves are closed.
Bell Tower Shops in Fort Myers are closed Monday.
Mote Marine Lab in Sarasota is closed Monday.
Lee Memorial Health Systems hospitals have cancelled all surgeries, outpatient services and OB labor inductions Monday. Lee physician group and Lee Convenient Care offices are closed Monday.
Pregnant women at 35 weeks gestation and beyond may stay at Healthpark or Cape Coral hospitals – in one room with no accommodations other than medical care.
The hospital and emergency department at Cleveland Clinic Florida Naples will remain open. The medical offices will be closed Monday.
All Lee and Sarasota County drawbridges are closed to marine traffic.
Officials discourage anyone from driving after 9 tonight. Lee Tran is ending all service from 7 tonight through Monday.
Evacuations:
Collier: Wilma 1
Collier County has a mandatory evacuation for people who live west and south of US 41, including Marco Island. Shelters are at
Gulf Coast, Golden Gate and Immokalee high schools and at Corkscrew, Oak Ridge, North Naples, Golden Gate and Immokalee middle schools. A special needs shelter is at Palmetto Ridge High School.
A curfew begins for Collier evacuation zones Sunday and Monday at 10 pm, ending at 6 am.
Collier’s information hotline is 774-8444.
Charlotte County Emergency Management will open three refuge shelters at 3:00 today for people in mobile homes, travel trailers or homes affected by prior storms. They are South County Regional Park in Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte Middle School and L.A. Ainger Junior High in Rotunda West. They provide no amenities.
Lee: Wilma 2
Lee County has a mandatory evacuation for all barrier islands. All mobile homes, recreational vehicles and manufactured housing in all parts of Lee County south of the River must evacute. The coastal areas of Cape Coral with elevation under 9 feet are under mandatory evacuation.
Shelters are at Diplomat Elementary in Cape Coral, North Fort Myers Academy of the Arts, Germain Arena, Dunbar High School, Varsity Lakes Middle in Lehigh, the YMCA in Bonita, J. Colin English in North Fort Myers, Mariner Middle School in Cape Coral and South Fort Myers High School on Plantation Road. Pottorff Elementary School, on Challenger Blvd, is a special needs shelter.
The City of Fort Myers has opened a pet-friendly shelter at the STARS Complex gymnasium on Edison Avenue. Pets must be in kennels with food and water and vaccination records. People must be prepared to stay with their pets.
No is allowed across the Sanibel causeway. The island is dry for alcohol sales and consumption, except on one’s own property. There’s a curfew on the island from 9 at night until 6 in the morning. The temporary Sanibel City Hall is at the Bell Tower Holiday Inn.
There’s a curfew in effect from 9 pm until 7 am for Bonita Springs.
The Town of Fort Myers Beach's off-site location is the Masonic Temple on Pine Ridge Road.
Wilma 3:
Hendry County issued a voluntary evacuation for low lying areas and mobile homes. Shelters may open Sunday at 3:00.
Glades County has a mandatory evacuation for mobile homes. Shelters will open Sunday at noon at: West Glades Elementary in Muse, Maple Grove Baptist Church in Lakeport, the VFW in Buckhead Ridge and special needs can go to the Glades Health Department in Moore Haven.
Glades County institutes a curfew midnight Sunday from dawn to dusk until further notice.
Sarasota has mandatory evacuations for mobile homes, and voluntary evacuation for low lying areas and barrier islands. Four shelters open Sunday morning:
Tuttle Elementary School, in Sarasota,
Pine View School, in Osprey
Brookside Middle in Sarasota and it’s pet-friendly
North Port High School is also pet-friendly
Busses will transport those with no alternatives.
There’s a mandatory evacuation order for all Florida Keys residents.
Published in
WGCU News
Saturday, 22 October 2005 01:00
Evacuation Information
Cancellations:
FGCU and ECC are closed through Sunday. International College and Southwest Florida College are closed through Sunday.
Collier, Glades and Hendry County schools are closed Monday.
Manatee Community College is closed Monday.
Collier County and City of Naples government offices are closed Monday. Collier has no trash or recycling pick-up Monday.
Hendry County, Clewiston and Labelle governments are closed Monday. Glades and Moore Haven offices are closed Monday.
The 20th judicial circuit courts are closed Monday.
The Special Session of the Fort Myers City Council Monday has been cancelled.
Delta Airlines cancelled all flights from Naples Airport starting noon Sunday. Flights will resume noon Tuesday.
Delta 1-800-221-1212
For those who must move their vehicles to higher ground during Hurricane Wilma, free parking is available in the Main Street Garage in downtown Fort Myers.
Flu shots scheduled in Sarasota this weekend have been cancelled.
Be careful driving in construction zones as crews have removed many barriers, equipment and signs.
The Home Party of Lee County breast cancer fundraiser Monday at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre has been postponed.
The Naples Dinner Theater continues performances of “Two by Two” tonight and Sunday matinee.
The Collier Tourist development council meeting scheduled for Monday at Edison Community College has been cancelled.
The Florida West Coast Symphony has postponed its Florida String Quartet performance, scheduled for Sunday afternoon for November 20.
Evacuations:
Collier:
Collier County has issued a mandatory evacuation for people who live west and south of US 41, including Marco Island. Evacuation must be completed by 8 Sunday morning when shelters open at
Palmetto Ridge, Gulf Coast, Golden Gate and Immokalee high schools and at Corkscrew, Oak Ridge, North Naples, Golden Gate and Immokalee middle schools. Tolls eastbound on Alligator Alley have been suspended.
A curfew will become effective for Collier County mandatory evacuation zones Sunday and Monday. Curfews begin at 10 pm and end at 6 am.
Collier’s information hotline is 774-8444.
The Greater Naples Convention and Visitors Bureau activated its Hotel Hotline number, 1-800-785-8252.
Lee:
Lee County issued a mandatory evacuation for barrier islands south of the Caloosahatchee River and all mobile homes, recreational vehicles and manufactured housing in all parts of Lee County south of the River.
Shelters are at Germain Arena, Dunbar High School, and South Fort Myers High School on Plantation Rd. Pottorff Elementary School, on Challenger Blvd, is a special needs shelter.
Sanibel Residents can deposit perishables from their refrigerators
and freezers in the dumpsters at the City boat ramp at the east
side of Causeway Boulevard, as they evacuate.
The Sanibel Causeway is closed for entry onto the Island to
the public. Those with Hurricane Passes or valid Florida Driver's licenses with a Sanibel address will be able to pass until 7 Sunday morning. The Lobby of the Temporary City Hall, at the Bell Tower Holiday Inn is open to issue Hurricane Passes. Sanibel City Hall is open.
The Town of Fort Myers Beach's off-site location is the Masonic Temple on Pine Ridge Road.
Charlotte:
Charlotte County Emergency Management anticipates opening emergency shelters Sunday afternoon.
Hendry:
Hendry County issued a voluntary evacuation for low lying areas and mobile homes. Shelters may open Sunday at 3:00. Hendry’s hotline is 863-675-5392.
Glades:
Glades County has a voluntary evacuation for low lying flood prone areas and mobile homes. Shelters will open Sunday at noon at:
West Glades Elementary in Muse, Maple Grove Baptist Church in Lakeport, the VFW in Buckhead Ridge and special needs can go to the Glades Health Department in Moore Haven.
Glades County institutes a curfew midnight Sunday from dawn to dusk until further notice.
Keys:
There’s a mandatory evacuation order for all Florida Keys residents.
FGCU and ECC are closed through Sunday. International College and Southwest Florida College are closed through Sunday.
Collier, Glades and Hendry County schools are closed Monday.
Manatee Community College is closed Monday.
Collier County and City of Naples government offices are closed Monday. Collier has no trash or recycling pick-up Monday.
Hendry County, Clewiston and Labelle governments are closed Monday. Glades and Moore Haven offices are closed Monday.
The 20th judicial circuit courts are closed Monday.
The Special Session of the Fort Myers City Council Monday has been cancelled.
Delta Airlines cancelled all flights from Naples Airport starting noon Sunday. Flights will resume noon Tuesday.
Delta 1-800-221-1212
For those who must move their vehicles to higher ground during Hurricane Wilma, free parking is available in the Main Street Garage in downtown Fort Myers.
Flu shots scheduled in Sarasota this weekend have been cancelled.
Be careful driving in construction zones as crews have removed many barriers, equipment and signs.
The Home Party of Lee County breast cancer fundraiser Monday at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre has been postponed.
The Naples Dinner Theater continues performances of “Two by Two” tonight and Sunday matinee.
The Collier Tourist development council meeting scheduled for Monday at Edison Community College has been cancelled.
The Florida West Coast Symphony has postponed its Florida String Quartet performance, scheduled for Sunday afternoon for November 20.
Evacuations:
Collier:
Collier County has issued a mandatory evacuation for people who live west and south of US 41, including Marco Island. Evacuation must be completed by 8 Sunday morning when shelters open at
Palmetto Ridge, Gulf Coast, Golden Gate and Immokalee high schools and at Corkscrew, Oak Ridge, North Naples, Golden Gate and Immokalee middle schools. Tolls eastbound on Alligator Alley have been suspended.
A curfew will become effective for Collier County mandatory evacuation zones Sunday and Monday. Curfews begin at 10 pm and end at 6 am.
Collier’s information hotline is 774-8444.
The Greater Naples Convention and Visitors Bureau activated its Hotel Hotline number, 1-800-785-8252.
Lee:
Lee County issued a mandatory evacuation for barrier islands south of the Caloosahatchee River and all mobile homes, recreational vehicles and manufactured housing in all parts of Lee County south of the River.
Shelters are at Germain Arena, Dunbar High School, and South Fort Myers High School on Plantation Rd. Pottorff Elementary School, on Challenger Blvd, is a special needs shelter.
Sanibel Residents can deposit perishables from their refrigerators
and freezers in the dumpsters at the City boat ramp at the east
side of Causeway Boulevard, as they evacuate.
The Sanibel Causeway is closed for entry onto the Island to
the public. Those with Hurricane Passes or valid Florida Driver's licenses with a Sanibel address will be able to pass until 7 Sunday morning. The Lobby of the Temporary City Hall, at the Bell Tower Holiday Inn is open to issue Hurricane Passes. Sanibel City Hall is open.
The Town of Fort Myers Beach's off-site location is the Masonic Temple on Pine Ridge Road.
Charlotte:
Charlotte County Emergency Management anticipates opening emergency shelters Sunday afternoon.
Hendry:
Hendry County issued a voluntary evacuation for low lying areas and mobile homes. Shelters may open Sunday at 3:00. Hendry’s hotline is 863-675-5392.
Glades:
Glades County has a voluntary evacuation for low lying flood prone areas and mobile homes. Shelters will open Sunday at noon at:
West Glades Elementary in Muse, Maple Grove Baptist Church in Lakeport, the VFW in Buckhead Ridge and special needs can go to the Glades Health Department in Moore Haven.
Glades County institutes a curfew midnight Sunday from dawn to dusk until further notice.
Keys:
There’s a mandatory evacuation order for all Florida Keys residents.
Published in
WGCU News