FUCZ Recommendations After Floods

(Patria) - Following heavy rainfall, most pronounced in recent days in the basins of the Una, Bosna, and Sava rivers, according to the latest information, water levels are slightly decreasing at most hydrological stations in the mentioned basins. According to predictive hydrological models, a further trend of decreasing and gradual stabilization of water levels in the basins is predicted, stated the Federal Civil Protection Administration (FUCZ).

Considering the decreasing water levels and gradual stabilization, in order to organize and implement measures after these heavy rains, it is recommended to the competent civil protection authorities of cantons, or municipalities/cities, among other things, that the competent civil protection authorities of cantons, or municipalities/cities in areas affected by floods, based on their own assessments, compile a list of landslides with a high degree of danger to people and property, and form an expert team that will continuously monitor the landslides.

"Competent civil protection authorities of cantons, or municipalities/cities should inform the population of flooded areas that, after the water has receded, they should not consume vegetables in the coming period, primarily lettuce, spinach, chard, onions, and similar vegetable crops, due to the risk of contamination with heavy metals and organic pollutants, as well as the possibility of spreading infectious diseases in the area until adequate tests are carried out by competent institutions. These activities should be carried out in cooperation and coordination with the competent agricultural institutes," stated the FUCZ.

Among the recommendations is that in flooded areas, after the water has receded, disinfection, disinsection, and deratization (DDD) should be carried out to implement mandatory anti-epidemic disinfection in the affected areas. Depending on the epidemiological situation, mandatory anti-epidemic disinfection should be carried out in the affected area in residential and other buildings, as well as in business and other institutions in the flooded area, in cooperation with the competent public health institutes, as well as hygienic-epidemiological services (HES) of health centers.

"In flooded areas, after the water has receded, samples of drinking water should be taken from public and private water supply systems, wells, springs, and other facilities for supplying the population with drinking water, and these samples should be tested and appropriate measures proposed to prevent the use of contaminated or unsafe drinking water. These activities should be carried out in cooperation and coordination with the competent cantonal public health institutes, hygienic-epidemiological services (HES) of health centers," announced the FUCZ.

It is also recommended that, in order to speed up the damage assessment process, after the water has receded from residential, commercial, and other buildings, as well as agricultural land, municipal/city commissions for damage assessment, in accordance with the Regulation on the Methodology for Assessing Damage from Natural and Other Disasters, urgently submit preliminary damage assessment reports using form PR-Š-1, in order to consolidate preliminary damage assessment reports for the needs of the Government of the Federation of BiH and other bodies and institutions.