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Environmental Impacts of Hurricanes

TWO YEARS AGO, HURRICANES KATRINA AND RITA CAUSED DEVASTATING DAMAGE.  CONTAMINATED FLOODWATERS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES TAKE CENTER STAGE ON THIS ENVIRONMINUTE.

HELENA SOLO-GABRIELE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI STUDIED THE HURRICANES’ AFTERMATH AND FOUND THAT ONCE THE FLOOD WATERS RECEDED, THE SEDIMENT LEFT BEHIND HARBORED HIGH LEVELS OF BACTERIA AND PATHOGENS.

SOLO-GABRIELE: WE WERE FOCUSING IN ON WHAT ARE CALLED FECAL INDICATORS. THEY ARE INDICATORS OF SEWAGE CONTAMINATION.

SHE SAYS, HOWEVER, THAT THE FLOOD WATERS WEREN’T THE ONLY SOURCE OF CONTAMINATION.  HER SAMPLES REVEALED THAT THE INTERIOR PORTION OF NEW ORLEANS WAS AFFECTED BY A CHRONIC SEWAGE PROBLEM, MEANING THAT BOTH THE CITY’S LEVEES AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE MUST BE IMPROVED IN ORDER TO PROTECT RESIDENTS AND EMERGENCY WORKERS FROM EXPOSURE-RELATED HEALTH RISKS.

THE ENVIRONMINUTE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE HEINZ FAMILY PHILANTHROPIES AND THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS.  LEARN MORE BY VISITING ENVIRONMINUTE-DOT-COM.        

Find out how you can prevent illness after a hurricane at http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/illness.asp

To find out more about how you can protect your health and safety before and after a hurricane, visit the FDA site.

To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org