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Reducing Pesticide Risk After a Disaster

Floods, earthquakes, fires, hurricanes, and tornadoes can result in chemical releases and the development of mold in wet building materials.

Consider these options when cleaning up after a disaster:

  • Report pesticide spills, hazardous waste, and chemical and oil spills to the National Response Center at 800-424-8802.
  • Limit contact with flood waters that may contain hazardous waste.
  • Place markers or signs where you know chemicals have been released.
  • Contact your local authorities if you know about damaged or unusable pesticides.
  • Remove standing water and dry indoor areas to control moisture and mold.
  • Disinfect drinking water by boiling it for at least 1 minute. Disinfection removes bacteria, not necessarily chemicals. Read more about options for disinfecting water.
  • Decontaminate well water before using it for bathing, cleaning, or drinking.
  • Put your community disaster plan in place. Salvaging, reusing, and recycling disaster debris can be one of the most effective ways of clean up.
Additional Resources:

If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email us at npic@oregonstate.edu.

Last updated April 29, 2025