CAUTION IS BEST PRACTICE AS FLOOD CLEANUP BEGINS

Once again the Salvation Army is calling for volunteers to help those who have been victimized by the Mississippi River flood.

With floodwaters finally receding, volunteers are now needed to help clean up homes and other damaged property. We are confident the response to the call for cleanup volunteers will be as extraordinary as were responses to the many calls for sandbaggers during the height of the long flood fight.

Capt. Elmer Trapp of the Salvation Army said names of volunteers are needed so that the volunteers can be called upon as cleanup gets into full swing and flood victims turn to the Salvation Army for assistance.

Volunteers will find the cleanup work to be entirely different than sandbagging. Debris, mud and silt left in a home by floodwaters pose a most unpleasant sight ... and cleaning it all up is not a pleasant task. Nevertheless, it must be done, and some residents will need and appreciate the help of volunteers.

A booklet put out by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Salvation Army entitled "Repairing Your Flooded Home" is an excellent source of information to those whose homes have been flooded. It is available through either agency, and gives some excellent guidance on how to proceed with cleanup.

The booklet stresses the importance of safety first: turn off your electricity when you return home; watch for animals, especially snakes; look before you step; be alert for gas leaks; and don't use a generator, other gasoline-powered machines or burn charcoal or camping stoves indoors.

Safety controls, gas controls and appliances exposed to water are unsafe and must be replaced. Although they may work normally immediately after exposure to water, over time, corrosion will develop, causing the controls to deteriorate and eventually fail, possibly in an unsafe manner.

In fact, the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association says the risk is so deadly that manufacturers recommend replacement of all appliances and related systems as the only truly safe course of action.

If you have propane gas, and you smell gas when your return or see that water has disrupted your service, shut off the supply at the tank and i mmediately call your supplier.

Everything that got wet must be cleaned. Floodwaters pick up sewage and chemicals from roads, farms and factories that can be carried into your home.

These items must be thrown out: food, cosmetics, medicines, medical supplies, stuffed animals and baby toys. Usually, mattresses, pillows, foam rubber, large carpets, carpet padding, upholstered furniture, books and paper products must be thrown away.

Much work will need to be done before flood victims can return to their normal lifestyles. Proceed with caution when cleaning up so that this disaster can at long last be put behind us.