15+ Important tips on how to protect yourself during floods and landslides (number 6 impressed us)

Summer is a time of heavy rain in most parts of the country. Add to this a series of recurrent structural problems in Brazilian cities and we see landslides and floods every year that have left people homeless and many fatal victims. The IBGE carried out a study that diagnosed around 8.3 million people who live in risk areas and no less than 872 municipalities that live this alarming reality.

At the awesome.club You will learn simple tips that can make all the difference during an emergency with problems caused by rain. And you don’t have to wait until next summer to start taking precautions.

If you realize that a flood is about to happen, don’t wait: look for a safe place to stay until the water level drops. It’s important to consider that your safety comes first, so don’t hesitate to leave your house if it’s taken over by the flood. If you are on the street and need to, park your car or motorcycle and get out. That is, try to stay safe.

It is extremely important to have a right place to store the main documents, such as an easily accessible folder or drawer. In case a flood or flood happens, take a plastic bag (you can use a regular supermarket one) and put the documents inside before leaving.

If the water started to rise, but it’s still nothing serious, close the doors and windows and observe the intensity of the rain and the rise of the water. Evaluate when it’s better to stay, while the rain is heavy, but no water entering the house. The interior of the property is still the best place to wait. In case water starts to invade your home, forget the instinct to save furniture and appliances and save your life. We often don’t realize it, but water has a lot of power, so notice when you need to look for another place to shelter.

One important thing to do as soon as the water starts to rise is to turn off electrical appliances. This can help keep them from spoiling and prevent accidents like electric shocks. Afterwards, only turn on the equipment if water has not entered them and, if in doubt, seek technical assistance to assess whether it is worth using them.

Avoid walking in flood water, it can transmit leptospirosis, diarrhea, worms, hepatitis A, typhoid fever and cholera. If really necessary, wear rubber boots or plastic bags and stay as short as possible.

Some objects such as clothes, wooden and metal furniture can be cleaned with a sponge and clean water. In order not to be contaminated by dirt, wear rubber gloves and boots. Kitchen utensils you can wash normally and then sanitize with a solution in proportion to 1 cup of chlorine and 4 of water – leave everything dipped in that mixture for at least 1 hour. The floor must be washed with a solution of 1 cup (200 ml) of chlorine for every 20 liters of water. Pass with a cloth and let it dry with the house open.

Contaminated water cannot be consumed under any circumstances. In case you suspect after a flood, filter and boil the water for 30 minutes and only then can you drink it. Another option is to use two drops of chlorine for each liter of water – consumption must be done after at least 30 minutes. Raw or cooked foods that were wetted by the flood cannot be eaten, only use those that are canned or in glass containers, but don’t forget to sanitize the packaging before consuming them.

One of the reasons for flooding and flooding to happen is the lack of awareness of the population in relation to garbage. The local municipality is responsible for providing disposal sites for household waste. This prevents that, in the event of heavy rain, this garbage clogs drains, which prevents the flow of rainwater.

The education of a population is important so that floods do not happen. However, many Brazilians have the habit of throwing garbage on the floor without any ceremony. Who has never heard someone say that they do this so that the garbage man has his job guaranteed? In Rio de Janeiro there is a law that determines a fine for those who throw garbage on the ground (Lixo Zero program, municipal law 3.273). In this case, the vast majority of people fined received punishment for cigarette butts. The coordinator of Comlurb (the city’s municipal cleaning company), Fernando Alves, said that in 2 months 16,000 penalties were applied, 90% of which were for improper disposal of cigarette remains.

In addition to the danger of contamination, walking in flooded streets is a danger because of the difficulty of identifying what is under the water. You can’t tell where the manholes and holes are, as well as wires that can cause electrical discharges. If it is not possible to avoid passing through streets filled with water, use objects such as a broom handle to identify where you are walking. And, of course, look for a safe place as soon as possible.

If you can, avoid leaving the house, but if you are already on the street, pay maximum attention:

If a flood starts, look for a high place to stay with the car and wait for the water to subside. Turn on the radio or search the internet for information about how the city is doing. Never stop near trees or poles. Avoid staying close to buses and trucks that can cause waves and make you lose control of the vehicle. If the water reaches the middle of the car tire, it is not worth insisting: do not try to cross the flood, you can damage your car. If the water reaches the height of the outside door step, it is time to get out of the car.

Recently graduated researcher and biologist Ricardo Mello experienced the tragedy that occurred in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro in 2011. After that, he began to monitor the slopes and understand why landslides happen and what impacts they cause on the surroundings. Many scholars tried to find an explanation, but diagnosed that it was a climatic event that got worse because of irregular occupation of the Atlantic Forest. The soil on the slopes of the hills is composed only of a layer of earth, vegetation and stones. With the waterlogging of the soil, everything goes down, dragging houses, people and animals along the way.

Avoid deforesting the slope and removing land. To conserve the site and prevent landslides, plant grass and grass and avoid trees that can get heavy, such as banana trees — they don’t hold water and can accelerate landslides because of their weight and roots.

Only return to your residence if there is no structural change in the property. Check for cracks, warped or bulging walls, doors or windows that won’t close, and other signs that could indicate that the house may collapse. In case of doubts about the safety of the place, look for the competent bodies that can technically evaluate the place.

It is often not possible to tell with the naked eye if there are any signs that a landslide is about to happen, but we can see clear signs in surrounding objects. Note whether trees and poles are leaning, as this could signal that the terrain is unstable and there has been displacement. In case of doubt, the same recommendation as the previous item applies: look for the competent bodies for an evaluation in the area to be carried out.

Avoid letting the slope receive water from the sink or shower – this weakens the earth and can cause landslides, in addition to contaminating the soil. Install gutters and pipes to drain used water.

All these problems are caused by a mixture of disorderly occupation and lack of investment by the competent bodies. But they are aggravated by the lack of education of the population and the lack of respect for the environment. Environmental education is an initiative that allows us to live in full harmony with the environment and prevent new tragedies from happening.

How do you help conserve the environment? Have you ever had a flood experience? Share your story with us.