Avoid water illnesses by following announcements

One way to prevent water illnesses during a hurricane is to listen to and follow public announcements.

Local authorities will tell you if tap water is safe to drink or to use for cooking or bathing.

If the water is not safe to use, follow local instructions to use bottled water or to boil or disinfect water for cooking, cleaning, or bathing.

How to correctly boil and disinfect water:

Hold water at a rolling boil for 1 minute to kill bacteria.

If you can't boil water, add 1/8 teaspoon of newly purchased, unscented liquid household bleach per gallon of water.

Stir the water well, and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it.

You can use water-purifying tablets instead of boiling water or using bleach to clean your water after a storm.

For infants, use only pre-prepared canned baby formula.

Do not use powdered formulas prepared with treated water.

Clean children's toys that have come in contact with water.

Use a solution of 1 cup of bleach in 5 gallons of water to clean the toys.

Let toys air dry after cleaning.