Flood Waters Can Bring Potential Dangers, Disease

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Although Hurricane Florence poses the most danger to North Carolina and Virginia, the National Weather Service says coastal flooding is possible due to heavy rains along the Jersey Shore later in the week. Those who choose to swim or go kayaking in certain flood waters face dangers.

Suzanne Hornick has lived in Ocean City since the 1960s, and she sees flooding getting worse with each passing storm. By now, her concerns about how to prevent flooding in Ocean City are no secret as she’s confronted the city publicly many times and her Ocean City, NJ Flooding group has been spotlighted nationally. She even received some votes in Ocean City’s last municipal elections.

But she’s just as concerned about the bacteria found in some flood waters.

“I stay inside because I know how dirty the water is,” Hornick told the Climate Connections podcast recently. “Tourists come down, and they play in this water because they think it’s funny to take a raft and go ride around in the flood water. They don’t realize how dangerous the water is.”

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) spokesperson Larry Hajna cautions that this is usually more of a problem with flood waters as it relates to major storms, such as Superstorm Sandy. He doesn't expect much of an impact in New Jersey based on the current forecast, and doesn't expect a health hazard in Ocean City.

"With the back bays sometimes, you can be exposed to bacteria from animal waste, but that's not really that significant," Hajna said. " ... If you walk through an area that has bacteria, and you touch your eye or ingest it, you can have an earache or an eye ache."

He said with Sandy, it was more of an issue because the storm impacted sewage systems and underground storage tanks.

In general, it's not a good idea to go out in flood waters. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) warns those who enter flood waters risk becoming infected with a whole list of infectious diseases. Swallowing flood water, or eating or drinking anything contaminated by flood water can lead to diarrheal disease.

Then there’s Trench foot, also known as Immersion foot, which occurs when feet are wet for long periods of time. It is very painful, but can be treated.

The CDC also warns against exposing open wounds and rashes to flood waters as they can become infected. Flood waters may also contain dangerous chemicals. Of course, there’s always the possibility of drowning. The CDC offers the following tips:

• Practice good hygiene (handwashing) after contact with flood waters.
• Do not allow children to play in flood water areas.
• Wash children’s hands frequently (always before meals).
• Do not allow children to play with toys that have been contaminated by flood water and have not been disinfected.
• Avoid exposure to flood waters if you have an open wound.
• Cover clean, open wounds with a waterproof bandage to reduce chance of infection.
• Keep open wounds as clean as possible by washing well with soap and clean water.
• If a wound develops redness, swelling, or drainage, seek immediate medical attention.

For more information, visit cdc.gov.

See related:
Ocean City Recovers From 1 Storm, Braces For Florence
Images Depict Severe Flooding With Latest Storm In Ocean City

Attached image submitted by John Tonkinson: Bay Avenue to West Avenue Monday morning. A man was kayaking down Simpson Avenue from 32nd Street over to Haven Avenue.