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| Random flood picture (Not Hancock). Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgk/3684518180/# |
With my new concern for all things environmental health related, I began to wonder what effects flooding could have on the health of a population...
Water contamination can lead to wound infections, dermatitis, conjunctivitis, E. coli, (the list of possible diseases goes on and on), gastrointestinal illnesses, ear, nose and throat infections, and possible "serious waterborne diseases"(from www.freedrinkingwater.com).
Hey Jess! Nice blog/journal site! I had to drive home last night after class and almost hydroplaned with all the water in the road! It was terrible! McGraw was closed and I heard people were going down the roads in kayaks...unreal! I would definitely be worried about the health of the community with all this flooding. i wonder if the water is tested after the levels return to normal? They should be.Anyways, good luck with this and I will try to check back in every so often!
ReplyDeletePat
Thanks Pat! I travled from Cortland to Hancock last night, and learned that there had been no school in Hancock yesterday (Friday) due to the area being in a state of emergency. Apparently there was minor flooding in both Hancock and Cortland. I hope to find out more about any health issues soon.
ReplyDeleteHey Jess. My basement flooded and the resulting mold could be a serious health issue if I don't get all of the moisture out of there soon... so I guess there's a whole other group of health risks that start taking effect weeks, months, or years after the immediate flooding dangers are gone
ReplyDeleteWow, it's nice living in a place that we can recover quickly from a devastating flood. I can't imagine loosing everything like those people.
ReplyDeleteKate, you are so right! Molds terrify me. I've heard too many stories of toxic spores sneaking up on people...
ReplyDeleteA quick web search turned up this article: Beware the Mold Stachybotrys (may appear following floods).
http://articles.cnn.com/1997-11-05/health/9711_05_deadly.mold_1_mold-stachybotrys-infants-american-homes?_s=PM:HEALTH
Apparently you need to copy and paste the URL, I can't figure out how to hyperlink it OR make it go live... and I call myself a tech student. Thanks for posting, good luck getting that basement dried out!
ReplyDeleteHey, This is Marisa in your HLH 510 class ( I kinda sit behind you)
ReplyDeleteOne thing to remember with the idea that yes these are terrible disasters for people and animals, and yes they often have long lasting effects, many natural processes and life cycles depend on these infrequent 'freak disasters' or whatever you would like to call it. For example, some pine trees have cones that will only open when exposed to fire, and that is the only way of them dispersing their seeds.
On a similar note...
I also fond it really disturbing when my Psych teacher expressed that he would like to control the path of hurricanes (like Katrina for example) so that it would not have devastating effects to the human population. Firstly, New Orleans is a terrible place for a beautiful city. Secondly, with the idea that yes it was terrible and I am sorry for those who have lost their lives or homes (or those who know people who did) I can only think of how selfish of a thought that is, and the long term devastation that would occur from other species not being able to reproduce or continue their life cycle because of that.
Not sure if this helps you at all. But those are my thoughts, see you in class :)
Wow! Would it actually be possible for scientists to one day exorcise control over something as powerful as a hurricane? That is so impressive, but I agree, foolish. The unanticipated results could be very grave. I wouldn't be surprised if the Earth's cycles were all thrown out of whack as a result, or if huge changes occurred on the earth's surface. It is a terrifying thought!.
ReplyDeleteThank you for checking out my blog!