Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Office of the Commissioner

Flood Preparation and Response

See active weather advisories, watches, and warnings from the National Weather Service.

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) provides the following information and contacts that property owners may find helpful in assessing their property before and after a flood.

Download and print this Flood Checklist to prepare for the impacts of floods before they happen!

Related pages:

Air Quality

Molds and Floods

Indoor air quality and human health could be impacted if a structure is flooded as molds grow where there is moisture or where there has been a flood. Molds grow on materials such as wood, paper, carpet, food, and insulation. Molds can also cause material destruction and structural damage to buildings and building contents. During a flood cleanup, it is essential to remove flood-contaminated materials to reduce moisture and humidity that aid their growth. Also, when buildings are seriously affected by flooding, they should be assessed for structural integrity and remediated by professionals. More information can be found about molds and flood cleanup on the EPA’s website. www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/resources-flood-cleanup-and-indoor-air-quality/

Wet Wood

Wood that has been saturated from flooding should be thoroughly dried before burning. Burning wet wood will increase smoke emissions. To learn more about wet wood and wood burning, please visit Burnwise Alaska. burnwise.alaska.gov

Related pages:

• EPA's Resources for Flood Cleanup and Indoor Air Quality. www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/resources-flood-cleanup-and-indoor-air-quality/
• Burnwise Alaska burnwise.alaska.gov

Drinking Water

Do not consume (i.e., drink, cook, brush teeth) well water after a flood.

As an initial precaution, DEC advises that water used for drinking, cooking, hand washing, or dish washing, should first be boiled for at least 2 minutes or received from a safe source (i.e., bottled water, municipal truck-fill, etc.).

Be sure the power to your well pump is turned off before inspecting for damage.

The use of rubber boots and gloves are not sufficient protection from electric shock. When inspecting your well for damage look for:

• Detached or Unfastened sanitary seal or well cap
• Mud, silt or large debris in and around your well
• Rubber gaskets in the sanitary seal on the top of the well casing;
• Exposed or damaged wiring and conduits that supply power to your well;
• Pressure tanks; or storage tanks, vents, and overflow pipes located within the flooded area.

If you suspect damage to your well or associated electrical or plumbing components, contact a water well or pump contractor for repair. dec.alaska.goveh/dw/dwp/private-wells/#before

If your well was damaged, there is a potential that your drinking water system became contaminated with bacteria and/or other chemicals like petroleum products from fuel spills in nearby areas.  These forms of contamination may constitute a hazard to public health.  DEC recommends that homeowners carefully check their water systems for damage and any nearby sources of contamination. dec.alaska.gov/eh/dw/security/security-resources/flood-preparation-recovery/#disinfection-of-wells

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets drinking water standards and has determined that the presence of total coliform bacteria indicates a possible health concern.  Total coliforms are generally not harmful themselves. The presence of these bacteria in drinking water generally indicates that the water may be contaminated with other bacteria, viruses, or protozoa that can cause diseases.  Symptoms may include diarrhea, cramps, nausea, jaundice, and associated headaches and fatigue.  These symptoms, however, are not just associated with disease-causing organisms in drinking water, they may be caused by a number of factors other than your drinking water.

Bacterial contamination can enter a well from inadequate pressure in the water lines resulting in backflow contamination from faucets, cracked well casings, waterline leakage, or infiltration of surface water into the well. As an initial precaution, DEC advises that water used for drinking, cooking, hand washing, or dish washing, should first be boiled for at least 2 minutes.

As a precaution for bacterial contamination DEC recommends that property owners disinfect their well with chlorine bleach. During the disinfection procedure, the water will not be drinkable, therefore, a 24-hour supply of either bottled or boiled water should be on hand before the procedure is started. Plan to disinfect the well late at night or at other times when there is little need for water. After the disinfection procedure is completed, DEC recommends testing dec.alaska.gov/eh/dw/dwp/private-wells/#existyour water for total coliform bacteria, and for nitrate, to ensure that it is safe to drink.

If you detect a fuel spill near your well, contact your local DEC office to report the spill. You may want to have your well water tested to see if it may be contaminated with petroleum products that could pose a health risk to you and your family. For specific testing of your well water, DEC recommends that you talk with an independent, state-certified laboratory about the problem you suspect and their recommendation for sampling analysis.

Note: Chlorine disinfection will not eliminate fuel contamination in your well water.

Related pages:

• Flood Preparation and Recovery for Drinking Water Systems dec.alaska.gov/eh/dw/security/security-resources/flood-preparation-recovery/
• Private Drinking Water Wells and Systems dec.alaska.gov/eh/dw/dwp/private-wells/

Food Safety and Sanitation

Be Prepared

• Keep unscented liquid household bleach on hand.
• Store a supply of food, water, and medication on shelves that will be safely out of the way in case of flooding. This should include a few days’ worth of ready-to-eat foods that do not require cooking or cooling, which depend on electricity.
• Know where you can buy dry ice and blocked ice, in case it should be needed.
• Know what to do in case of a power outage. fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/food-and-water-safety-during-power-outages-and-floods.
• ready.gov/build-a-kit Check the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s website for information about how to prepare an emergency kit and other safety tips.

When Flooding Occurs

Follow these steps to keep your food safe during and after flood conditions. 

• Do not eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water.
• Discard any food and beverage that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance that it has come into contact with flood water.
  • Food containers that are waterproof include undamaged, commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans and “retort pouches” (like flexible, shelf-stable juice or seafood pouches).
  • Food containers that are not waterproof include those with screw-caps, snap lids, pull tops, and crimped caps.
  • Also discard cardboard juice/milk/baby formula boxes and home canned foods if they have come in contact with flood water, because they cannot be effectively cleaned and sanitized.
• If you have a freezer, either a chest or upright, which was covered with floodwaters, chances are the food inside has been damaged through seepage.  All of this food should be thrown away.  If the electricity has been cut off, but no floodwater has seeped into the freezer, the food will last for awhile depending on the amount of food in the box.  A fairly full freezer should last 2-3 days without much loss of quality or flavor.
  • Partially thawed meat should be refrozen at once.
  • If meat has been completely thawed, it should be used at once, or may be cooked and refrozen.
  • Any meat, poultry, fish, or containers of fruit and vegetables that show any sign of spoilage should be thrown away.
• Discard any food in damaged cans. Damaged cans are those with swelling, leakage, punctures, holes, fractures, extensive deep rusting, or crushing/denting that is severe enough to prevent normal stacking or opening with a manual, wheel-type can opener. See “How to Save Undamaged Food Packages” below for steps to clean/save undamaged packages.
• Thoroughly wash metal pans, ceramic dishes, and utensils (including can openers) with soap and water, using hot water if available. Rinse and then sanitize them by boiling in clean water or immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented household (5.25% concentration) liquid bleach per gallon of water.
• Thoroughly wash countertops with soap and water, using hot water if available. Rinse and then sanitize by applying a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented household (5.25% concentration) liquid bleach per gallon of water. Allow to air dry.
• Buy dry or block ice to keep the refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should keep an 18 cubic foot, fully stocked freezer cold for two days.

How to Save Undamaged Food Packages Exposed to Flood Water

Undamaged, commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans and "retort pouches" (like flexible, shelf-stable juice or seafood pouches) can be saved if you follow this procedure.

1. Remove the labels, if they are the removable kind, since they can harbor dirt and bacteria.
2. Brush or wipe away any dirt or silt.
3. Thoroughly wash the cans or retort pouches with soap and water, using hot water if it is available.
4. Rinse the cans or retort pouches with water that is safe for drinking, if available, since dirt or residual soap will reduce the effectiveness of chlorine sanitation.
5. Sanitize cans and retort pouches by immersion in one of the two following ways:
   • Place in water and allow the water to come to a boil and continue boiling for 2 minutes.
   • Place in a solution of 1 cup (8 oz/250 mL) of unscented household (5.25% concentration) bleach mixed with 5 gallons of water and soak for 15 minutes.
6. Air dry cans or retort pouches for a minimum of 1 hour before opening or storing.
7. If the labels were removable, then re-label your cans or retort pouches, including the expiration date, with a permanent marking pen.

Food in reconditioned cans or retort pouches should be used as soon as possible thereafter.

Baby Formula Tip

For infants, try to use prepared, canned baby formula that requires no added water. Otherwise, dilute any concentrated baby formula in reconditioned, all-metal containers with clean drinking water.

This information was retrieved from:

https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/floods-key-tips-consumers-about-food-and-water-safety

Related pages:

• Food Safety During Emergencies or Disasters
• FDA's Food and Water Safety During Power Outages and Floods page www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/food-and-water-safety-during-power-outages-and-floods
• Federal Emergency Management Agency's "Build A Kit" page www.ready.gov/build-a-kit
• FDA's Floods: Key Tips for Consumers About Food and Water Safety page www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/floods-key-tips-consumers-about-food-and-water-safety

Wastewater Disposal System

If flooding has impacted your property, DEC recommends that you take precautions to reduce any threats to public health and the environment from onsite sewer systems. Homeowners are advised that onsite sewer systems and holding tanks may be damaged due to flooding and/or high groundwater levels. Homeowners with onsite sewer systems that have been flooded, or are in the vicinity of flood waters, should inspect their system as follows:

1. Check for any evidence of sewage on the ground. If found, you should disinfect the area using large amounts of lime (finely ground garden lime will work) or a strong solution of water and chlorine bleach. Apply the disinfectant to the ground surface in the affected area. Make sure that you keep people (especially children) and pets away from any contaminated areas prior to and during disinfecting.
2. Check for any changes in the ground surface that might indicate movement or damage to any part of the system. Raised areas may indicate that the septic or holding tank may have floated upward due to floodwater in the ground. If this has occurred, damage to the tank and/or piping is likely. Depressed areas may indicate a collapsed tank, or that the upper soils have sunk downward into the drainfield. The system should be checked for damage by a qualified system installer or a professional engineer. DEC recommends that for safety reasons, you keep people and pets away from these areas prior to repairs.
3. Floodwaters may have raised the groundwater to levels at or near the ground surface in many locations. Onsite sewer systems do not provide proper wastewater treatment under these conditions. Use of systems under these conditions may lead to groundwater contamination, surfacing of sewage, and/or sewage backing up into your home. All of these conditions pose a significant health threat. It may take some time for the surrounding ground to dry up enough for the drainfield to recover and resume its normal absorption capability. During the time when the groundwater level is above or near the level of the drainfield area of your sewer system, your system will not function properly. During this period, avoid discharging wastewater to your onsite sewer system. When use of your sewer system is resumed, DEC recommends that you closely monitor its performance and limit water use for at least 30 days.
4. Once the flood waters and groundwater levels have receded, the septic tank may be pumped, which can give the drainfield a resting period before introducing additional wastewater to the drainfield from the tank. Prior to pumping a septic or holding tank, the homeowner should verify that their tank is anchored down to prevent floatation when pumped, and that groundwater levels have receded enough to prevent further inflow of groundwater into the tank, and/or damage to the tank and piping when pumped out.
5. Cleanout pipes and monitoring tubes should be inspected to assure those joints and connections have not been damaged, and that caps are in place.

If you have any questions or concerns about potential damage to your sewer system you should contact a licensed professional engineer, a certified installer, or a septic professional in your area. If you suspect your system is damaged, you should limit use of water in your home and keep people and pets away from the system until it is inspected. 

Related pages:

• Installation and maintenance of septic systems dec.alaska.gov/water/wastewater/engineering/
• Wastewater cleanup procedures dec.alaska.gov/water/wastewater/engineering/sewage-spill-cleanup/

Solid Waste Disposal

Cleanup of flood-impacted property can expose you to potential safety hazards and hazardous materials. It should be done with care to protect you and others. For clean-up of general debris, filter masks and protective clothing are suggested to protect from exposure to dust, mold spores, and other particulates. Water and puncture proof clothing and footwear is also recommended.

Household hazardous waste, such as cleaning products, electronics, fluorescent bulbs, etc. need to be carefully gathered, dried out if possible, and taken to your local household hazardous waste program. Pressurized containers, such as propane and acetylene tanks, need to be inspected to ensure they have been fully vented.

Hazardous materials, including fuels, oil, paints, solvents, and batteries should be carefully handled and packaged before disposal. Debris from buildings constructed before 1980 may contain hazardous materials, such as asbestos, PCBs, lead-based paint, and others. Testing for these materials should be done before work begins as they require special handling to be removed. An online search for companies that perform testing and removal of these hazardous materials is suggested.

For questions related to the handling and disposal of non-hazardous flood debris, or for assistance with establishing an emergency flood debris landfill:

• DEC Solid Waste Program dec.alaska.gov/eh/solid-waste
• 907-269-7802

Rural Alaska

For rural communities operating a solid waste and recycling program, review our Minimize Spring Flooding Impacts page dec.alaska.gov/eh/solid-waste/waste-in-rural-alaska/minimize-flooding-impacts/ for preventative actions you can take to protect your community and program from floods.

Rural landfills are unlined and are very small. Many of these landfills do not have the airspace to accommodate flood debris and they also cannot legally accept hazardous wastes. Prior to a disaster, it is recommended that each community have a location identified for flood or disaster debris to be disposed. A suitable location for the staging and storage of impacted materials that may require backhaul should also be identified. For community specific information, please contact the DEC Rural Landfill Specialist dec.alaska.gov/eh/solid-waste/waste-in-rural-alaska/rural-contacts/assigned to that community.

What can you do right now for waste being stored in your community?

If your landfill is already located on high ground and most of your materials are staged there, you only need to focus on materials that are still within the floodplain. We've identified 7 Priority Actions dec.alaska.gov/waste-in-rural-alaska/minimize-flooding-impacts/that you can do to ensure your community's current waste and recycling system is secure and doesn't contribute to flooding issues.

What can you do for long-term planning for disaster debris?

All communities should have a suitable location already approved for disaster debris, and a plan for how debris will be managed after a disaster. During and after a disaster is a high stress and tiring time for everyone, which is why it is so critical to have completed this planning in advance. Having a debris management plan will also assist volunteer agencies or military who are deployed to your community with managing debris in your community correctly. Now is the time to determine where an emergency debris landfill could be located. It would not replace the local landfill, but would be specifically for one-time disaster debris.

Common materials that often require backhaul in rural Alaska:

• Fuel impacted wood
• Sewage impacted wood
• Polluted Soil
• Unknown or mixed household hazardous waste
• Fuel impacted debris (mattresses, insulation, etc.)
• Lead-acid batteries
• Damaged electronics

Related pages:

• DEC Solid Waste Program dec.alaska.gov/eh/solid-waste/
• Minimize Spring Flooding Impacts dec.alaska.gov/eh/solid-waste/waste-in-rural-alaska/minimize-flooding-impacts/
• Rural Landfill Specialists dec.alaska.gov/eh/solid-waste/waste-in-rural-alaska/rural-contacts/

Oil and Hazardous Substance Spills

During a flood warning it is recommended for individuals with heating oil systems to close all fuel tank connections, make sure piping is properly elevated, and anchor tanks and cradles to a structure, tree or other sturdy item to prevent them from being swept away. It is critically important to secure all fuel storage containers so they do not float or blow away, including propane tanks, small fuel containers, and barrels. If you have a buried fuel tank, block the vent and fill pipes to prevent water from seeping into the tank and contaminating the fuel.

During flooding events, aboveground tanks, including propane tanks, may shift or fall causing fuel lines to kink, weaken, or break, and fittings to loosen or become damaged.  Technical resources are available at DEC’s home heating oil website dec.alaska.gov/spar/ppr/prevention-preparedness/hho-tanks/to help you inspect your fuel tank and lines in order to prevent spills.

If you have a buried fuel tank, there may be some damage to the tank and/or the fuel lines connected to it. It is not possible to conduct a visible inspection of underground tanks and lines, you should check for diesel odor around your tank or house, and notice any differences in the operation of your furnace or boiler. If you suspect damage to your underground tank or lines, contact your fuel supplier for further assistance.

Owners and Operators of regulated Underground Storage Tanks (UST) should follow the department’s flood guidance operator fact sheet dec.alaska.gov/commish/disaster-recovery/flood-preparation-and-response/evaluating-your-underground-storage-tank-system-before-returning-to-service/to prevent accidental releases, ensure your safety, and protect human health and the environment.

If you have any questions on the integrity of your tank, fuel lines, tank stand, the fuel itself, or need help moving or returning the tank to service, please contact your fuel supplier.

If a release of fuel, oil, or other hazardous substance is discovered please report the spill to DEC:

Spill Reporting

Area	Phone	FAX
Central (Anchorage) & Western	907-269-3063	269-7648
Northern (Fairbanks)	907-451-2121	451-2362
Southeast (Juneau)	907-465-5340	465-5245
All Regions after hours	800-478-9300
International after hours	907-269-0667

Related pages:

• Home Heating Oil Tank Guidance dec.alaska.gov/spar/ppr/prevention-preparedness/hho-tanks/
• Flood Guidance Operator Fact Sheet dec.alaska.gov/commish/disaster-recovery/flood-preparation-and-response/evaluating-your-underground-storage-tank-system-before-returning-to-service/
• Spill Reporting information dec.alaska.gov/spar/ppr/spill-information/reporting/