Appendix C: Flood
Children are more vulnerable to flooding's health risks due to their smaller size, developing immune systems, and limited ability to avoid hazards like contaminated water and debris.
Common Environmental Hazards
| Environmental Health Hazard | How a flood might affect children's health |
|---|---|
| Air: Indoor Air Quality | Floods often lead to water damage in homes and buildings, which can create an environment conducive to mold growth. Children are more susceptible to respiratory issues, including asthma and allergic reactions, triggered by mold exposure in indoor environments. |
| Air: Outdoor Air Quality | Flooding can stir up debris, mud, and contaminants, worsening air quality in the affected areas. Children are more vulnerable to respiratory distress from inhaling dust, mold spores, or particulate matter from floodwaters and debris. |
| Chemical: Asbestos | Floodwaters can disturb older buildings that contain asbestos, releasing hazardous fibers into the air. Children are at higher risk of long-term health issues, such as lung disease, from asbestos exposure, particularly in flood-affected homes or schools. |
| Chemical: Combustion Byproducts | Floods can damage industrial sites, transportation routes, and waste facilities, which may release hazardous combustion byproducts, such as carbon monoxide, into the environment. Children are particularly sensitive to these toxic substances due to their smaller lungs and higher metabolic rates. |
| Chemical: Industrial Chemicals | Chemicals from damaged factories, warehouses, or waste treatment plants can be released into floodwaters, contaminating the environment. Children are particularly vulnerable to toxic exposures from industrial chemicals, which can affect their nervous, respiratory, and immune systems. |
| Chemical: Lead & Heavy Metals | Floodwaters may sweep through industrial areas, exposing children to heavy metals like lead or mercury from contaminated soil, water, or debris. Because children absorb metals at a higher rate than adults, they are more at risk for developmental and neurological damage. |
| Chemical: Pesticides & Herbicides | Flooding may wash pesticides, herbicides, or agricultural runoff into surrounding areas. Children, who often play outdoors or are in direct contact with soil or contaminated water, are more at risk of poisoning or health issues from these chemicals. |
| Debris & Physical Hazards | Floods leave behind large amounts of debris, including broken glass, metals, wood, and contaminated items, which pose physical injury risks to children. Additionally, debris may be contaminated with chemicals, waste, or biological agents, increasing the risk of infection or poisoning. |
| Extreme Cold | In colder climates or during winter floods, children are more vulnerable to hypothermia, frostbite, or cold-related illnesses, especially if their homes are damaged, power is lost, or heating systems are compromised by flooding. |
| Extreme Heat | If the flooding leads to infrastructure damage and power outages during hot weather, children may be at risk of heat-related illnesses, such as dehydration, heat exhaustion, or heatstroke. Without cooling systems, children are particularly susceptible to extreme heat in flooded areas. |
| Pest Management | Flooding often displaces rodents, insects, and other pests, leading to increased infestations in homes and schools. Children are at higher risk of diseases transmitted by pests, including rodents carrying leptospirosis or insects carrying viruses like Zika or West Nile. |
| Water: Damage & Mold | Flooding damages buildings, leading to waterlogging and prolonged dampness that fosters mold growth. Children, whose immune systems are still developing, are more sensitive to mold exposure, which can lead to respiratory problems, allergies, or asthma. |
| Water: Drinking Water Safety | Floodwaters can contaminate drinking water with bacteria, viruses, chemicals, or toxins from industrial or sewage waste. Children are especially vulnerable to waterborne diseases, including gastrointestinal illnesses, due to their smaller size and higher water intake relative to their body weight. |
| Water: Sewage & Wastewater Contaminants | Floods can overwhelm sewage systems, causing the release of untreated wastewater into the environment. Children are more likely to come into contact with sewage-contaminated water or soil, increasing the risk of gastrointestinal and infectious diseases, such as E. coli or Giardia. |
Educational Resource
Lessons Learned: Floods and Landslides | ASPR TRACIE: This Topic Collection the most robust and most useful peer-reviewed and other public and privately developed materials (e.g., fact sheets, technical briefs, articles, toolkits, webinars, and plans) helpful to stakeholders in improving healthcare system preparedness and resilience.
Floods | Ready.gov: Preparing for and staying safe during a flood.
Flooding | EPA: Environmental considerations to prepare for and recover after a tsunami.
EPA maintains several webpages on flooding and indoor air quality (IAQ). This includes guidance for safely cleaning up and recovering a home or building following a flood.
Responding to Natural Disasters and Extreme Weather | Emergency Preparedness | CDC: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has created a document communicating key messages associated to the multiple hazards related to storms, floods, and hurricanes. The document is available for employers, emergency response and recovery workers, and volunteers.
Flood Safety | American Red Cross: Learn how to keep your family safe during a flood, and how to clean up a flooded home.