One of the impacts of a hurricane such as the recent Hurricane Florence comes after the storm has passed. The flood waters can overtop places that people have sealed off to contain contaminants and as a result they are released into the environment. Such exampes of these quarantined spaces are waste facilities that can release toxic chemicals or hog lagoons, which farmers use to store feces and urine that are generated on the farm. The flooding causes these areas to overrun and releases contagious bacteria into the surrounding area and potential ruins the water supply. The environemntal impact on health may be better revealed as flood waters receded, but must be monitored in the interim. E.Coli, salmonella and giardia are all contagious bacteria that could be released.
Another environemtnal hazard that could stem from the flooding is the contamination of water from coal ash. As coal is burned, it leaves behind ash that has toxic heavy metals and radioactive material. The ash is stored in a landfill, but similar to the hog lagoons, the flood water breached the walls and led to contamination. This allows for the spread of these toxic materials into the environment and results in exposure to people. The resulting materials could make its way into the groundwater and have lasting impacts on the surroundings or on drinking water.
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