Case Study: 1999 Hurricane Floyd & Flood

Report On The Deployment & Use of Restop Disposable Travel Toilet

Background

Hurricane Floyd damaged 56,000 homes and affected 24,000 families, many of whom relied upon state and federal emergency services for up to three weeks and longer. The disaster lasted many weeks, affecting 48 counties throughout the eastern half of North Carolina.

Several towns were severely flooded and under water for up to nine days. In many instances, the entire infrastructure of these communities was destroyed or rendered inoperable, including: power supplies, fresh water, sewage systems, pumping stations, transportation and telecommunications.

Emergency Deployment

Of grave concern was the failure or flooding of septic systems, sewage systems and underground pipes, creating a potentially serious health hazard.

Of the 48 affected counties, one of the most severely hit was Edgecombe County which was almost completely devastated by flooding.

One of the most pressing needs was the necessity for bathroom facilities to accommodate the tremendous influx of flood victims to the shelters. Shelter supervisors required immediate setups of multiple, lightweight, simple restrooms. One solution was the Restop Emergency Toilet (RS-5000).

Availability

FEMA coordinated and supported efforts with the North County State Office of Emergency Management. A Staging Area and Commercial Post was established in Kingston, North Carolina.

FEMA has the Restop Emergency Toilet in its inventory. Ready for dispatch to affected states. The product can be requested by County Emergency Management Coordinators through the State Emergency Operations Center.

Usage

From a Logistical Staging Area at Kingston, the Restop Emergency System was provided to area shelters that were housing 6500 displaced residents. Additional Restop Toilets were distributed to businesses and homeowners for their personal use. Search and Rescue Teams also utilyzed the Restop Emergency Toilet for use by their own personnel in the field.

Product Description

The Restop Field Lavatory System is a highly portable, personal and group sanitation restroom designed for rapid deployment in-the-field in emergency environments.

The total system consists of a commode and 60 waste containment liners known as Restop Daily Kits. Each Daily Kit contains two Restop 1 bags for liquid waste and one Restop 2 pouch for solid waste. A privacy tent available separately completes the system.

At the core of the system is a liner bag that contains a blend of polymers, enzymes and deodorizers that turns waste into an odorless gel on contact. A patented bag-in-bag design and final zip closure firmly secures the waste.

Then the enzyme/polymer formulation breaks the waste sown for quick and sanitary disposal. The products are environmentally friendly as the liners can be disposed of in any trash container.

Product Features

The features of this highly portable emergency product are:

• Environmentally friendly, personally transportable to any location
• Lightweight and durable
• Airlift transportable (no need for truck or forklift)
• 60-day supply (for one person) or a 15-day supply for a family of four
• Rapidly deployed via logistical staging areas and regional warehouses
• Adaptability (suitable for groups and individuals)
• Indoor/Outdoor use
• Ideal for disabled or elderly
• Easily ordered

Product Use Applications

Restop Emergency Toilet was the personal waste disposal product system that emergency coordinators depended on as their key resource for managing the complexities of personal hygiene during the Hurricane Floyd/Flood crisis shelter scenario. This applied to a diverse socioeconomic population of men, women and children under adverse conditions. Its high tech design and easy use addressed the real life issues that families faced every hour of every day under severe conditions.

The Restop Emergency Toilet was placed strategically in shelters so as to provide for families, the elderly and the disabled. The easy setup, containment with deodorizers and privacy tent insured convenience, discreetness and safety.

The Facts

Group use at central emergency shelters:

• Individuals
• Disabled
• Elderly
• Children
• Families

Distribution to homeowners and small businesses

The Restop Field Lavatory System as evaluated by the coordinators in the field found the product relevant, useful, effective, self-contained and did significantly improve the lives of the victims of Hurricane Floyd/Flood.

100% of the coordinators asked did recommend the use of the product for preventative and contingency planning, victim assistance and actual shelter use. An extraordinary product performed 100% under extraordinary circumstances.

Health Risk Assessment

The health risks of contact with human waste is multifold: they may contain disease-bearing bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella and Shigella and such viruses as Hepatitis A, B and F. Urine and feces are potentially infectious and contact directly, or through airborne transmission provides exposure to a variety of diseases. Additionally, open and untreated urine and feces create a fertile environment for the further growth of infectious bacterial and viral agents, some of which can produce life-threatening disease and contagion, even resulting in a wide-scale public health risk.

Product Response

Clearly, any enclosure, particularly a shelter, wherein a given population is in close quarters must be health protected.

The engineering of a practical, personal waste disposal product system design has to include: treatment, containment and protected waste disposal. The Restop Field Lavatory system is so designed and proven effective. By changing the bio-terrain the enclosed enzymes and polymers within the system’s liners effectively neutralize and contain potentially harmful bacteria and viruses.

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