Everyone I know was amazed the death toll wasn't higher than it was
for Harvey (then Irma and Jose). But just the hurricane(s) hitting and passing over land
isn't enough to be safe from danger and death.
In addition to drowning deaths during flooding, evacuations, and rescues,
in homes, cars, and streets, the public has relied on media sources to warn them
of ongoing hazards and threats to health and life that could become epidemic:
1. infections and illness from exposure to toxic bacteria in flood waters:
especially where Houston water was found to have unprecedented concentrations
of both e coli, as well as chemical pollutants, and other bacteria that
can trigger sepsis, tetanus, and other infections of the blood, cells, skin etc.
Houston hospitals see surge in skin infections in Harvey’s wake
One of the scarier infections is Necrotizing Fasciitis, that destroys cells, tissues
and organs so quickly, people can die if this isn't diagnosed and treated fast!
Hurricane Harvey first responder nearly dies from severe infection inflicted during rescues
2. Risk of electrocution:
* both inside homes where an untold number of people got exposed to electrical currents and shocks (another reason to turn the power off when leaving houses, and unplug electrical cords).
* as well as outside from stepping on live wiring
Harvey: Man Rescuing Cat Electrocuted By Live Wire In Murky Water
This young man died in the Bear Creek subdivision near the reservoirs that were released early to cause additional houses to flood. Because it happened early on while evacuations and rescues were going on, this fatal accident served as a warning how dangerous it is to tread through floodwaters.
On the NW side of Houston, a team of rescuers evacuating families by boat
ended up pushed into power lines, where at least 2 men died immediately,
2 more were swept away, and 2 who survived held onto branches for 20 hours
before they were spotted and rescued)
4 volunteer rescuers missing after helping flood victims
3. Risk of dangerous animals and animal waste:
I have not heard of any "fatal" cases personally this time around, but there were reports of snakes, spiders, alligators, and other rodents like opossums, getting into people's houses.
Fire ants making a floating colony, by clinging to dead bodies, don't make high-water rescues any easier:
These are the floating fire ants in Houston floods scaring everyone on Twitter
Mosquitoes that can carry West Nile, Zika or other diseases are expected to start swarming again soon, so if catching a disease doesn't kill you -- or the chemical spraying or genetic engineering to reduce Mosquito populations -- even regular insect bites can become infected by exposure to floodwater. Scratching bites can spread it and/or create abrasions and rashes for greater risk of skin infection.
Diseases such as Leptospirosis and Weil's disease are linked to animal waste and bacteria carried by floodwater that infects open wounds. Another young man in our neighborhood who was helping clean out a family member's house ended up hospitalized with bacterial pneumonia.
This was especially frightening to me. I had two places to clean out by a fixed deadline, that didn't allow time for all the water to drain and dry out; there was still contaminated water sitting in containers or boxes. So during cleanup, none of this water can splash into eyes or face, or enter any openings, cuts or wounds.
With abrasions or even small cuts on my hands or legs, any exposure to floodwater filled with any number of the above types of bacteria could mean either a "mild infection, rash or illness" or a major one that can escalate quickly to deadly levels harder to treat (if the infection has spread through the bloodstream, limbs or organs). Unfortunately the symptoms of both mild and severe infections start off looking the same; and by the time it's clearly severe, these later stages escalate quickly to near death.
Some of these bacteria can enter through the eye or nasal membranes. Of all the people cleaning up yards, houses, cars and businesses, who ISN'T going to be exposed to this highly toxic sewage silt?
Not just 8 feet or higher of this residue on every surface, but during cleanup, re-releasing it through air-borne particles and smell, through sludge or floodwater smeared on any surface that hands have touched.
So this is why there was a heightened alert about possible health hazards at an epidemic rate after Harvey. After Hurricane Harvey ends, Houston residents will be at higher risk for bacteria-related acute illnesses
4. If Govt doesn't kill you, it will make you want to give up and die!
No, I'm not referring to FEMA and the work it created for reserve veterans trying to service millions of people applying online, by phone or by regular mail that isn't delivering on time anyway.
Seriously, there are reports of contested noxious pesticides being sprayed without first confirming the impact on humans or essential insects like bees:
U.S. Air Force Is Spraying 6 Million Acres With Chemicals in Response to Harvey
For every person preaching about Harvey as a Biblical Flood and sign of the end times, bringing plagues of diseases, and swarms of mosquitoes and govt planes spraying chemicals;
I'm sure there are Darwinists, evolution theorists, and environmentalists saying all this is Nature's way of reducing the population in large urban areas near the coastlines that have been getting too densely developed.
We'll see if these mass catastrophes change the way we do, plan and fund things.
If even conservative Republicans are applying for FEMA aid, then that may very well mean the end of the world!!!
for Harvey (then Irma and Jose). But just the hurricane(s) hitting and passing over land
isn't enough to be safe from danger and death.
In addition to drowning deaths during flooding, evacuations, and rescues,
in homes, cars, and streets, the public has relied on media sources to warn them
of ongoing hazards and threats to health and life that could become epidemic:
1. infections and illness from exposure to toxic bacteria in flood waters:
especially where Houston water was found to have unprecedented concentrations
of both e coli, as well as chemical pollutants, and other bacteria that
can trigger sepsis, tetanus, and other infections of the blood, cells, skin etc.
Houston hospitals see surge in skin infections in Harvey’s wake
One of the scarier infections is Necrotizing Fasciitis, that destroys cells, tissues
and organs so quickly, people can die if this isn't diagnosed and treated fast!
Hurricane Harvey first responder nearly dies from severe infection inflicted during rescues
2. Risk of electrocution:
* both inside homes where an untold number of people got exposed to electrical currents and shocks (another reason to turn the power off when leaving houses, and unplug electrical cords).
* as well as outside from stepping on live wiring
Harvey: Man Rescuing Cat Electrocuted By Live Wire In Murky Water
This young man died in the Bear Creek subdivision near the reservoirs that were released early to cause additional houses to flood. Because it happened early on while evacuations and rescues were going on, this fatal accident served as a warning how dangerous it is to tread through floodwaters.
On the NW side of Houston, a team of rescuers evacuating families by boat
ended up pushed into power lines, where at least 2 men died immediately,
2 more were swept away, and 2 who survived held onto branches for 20 hours
before they were spotted and rescued)
4 volunteer rescuers missing after helping flood victims
3. Risk of dangerous animals and animal waste:
I have not heard of any "fatal" cases personally this time around, but there were reports of snakes, spiders, alligators, and other rodents like opossums, getting into people's houses.
Fire ants making a floating colony, by clinging to dead bodies, don't make high-water rescues any easier:
These are the floating fire ants in Houston floods scaring everyone on Twitter
Mosquitoes that can carry West Nile, Zika or other diseases are expected to start swarming again soon, so if catching a disease doesn't kill you -- or the chemical spraying or genetic engineering to reduce Mosquito populations -- even regular insect bites can become infected by exposure to floodwater. Scratching bites can spread it and/or create abrasions and rashes for greater risk of skin infection.
Diseases such as Leptospirosis and Weil's disease are linked to animal waste and bacteria carried by floodwater that infects open wounds. Another young man in our neighborhood who was helping clean out a family member's house ended up hospitalized with bacterial pneumonia.
This was especially frightening to me. I had two places to clean out by a fixed deadline, that didn't allow time for all the water to drain and dry out; there was still contaminated water sitting in containers or boxes. So during cleanup, none of this water can splash into eyes or face, or enter any openings, cuts or wounds.
With abrasions or even small cuts on my hands or legs, any exposure to floodwater filled with any number of the above types of bacteria could mean either a "mild infection, rash or illness" or a major one that can escalate quickly to deadly levels harder to treat (if the infection has spread through the bloodstream, limbs or organs). Unfortunately the symptoms of both mild and severe infections start off looking the same; and by the time it's clearly severe, these later stages escalate quickly to near death.
Some of these bacteria can enter through the eye or nasal membranes. Of all the people cleaning up yards, houses, cars and businesses, who ISN'T going to be exposed to this highly toxic sewage silt?
Not just 8 feet or higher of this residue on every surface, but during cleanup, re-releasing it through air-borne particles and smell, through sludge or floodwater smeared on any surface that hands have touched.
So this is why there was a heightened alert about possible health hazards at an epidemic rate after Harvey. After Hurricane Harvey ends, Houston residents will be at higher risk for bacteria-related acute illnesses
4. If Govt doesn't kill you, it will make you want to give up and die!
No, I'm not referring to FEMA and the work it created for reserve veterans trying to service millions of people applying online, by phone or by regular mail that isn't delivering on time anyway.
Seriously, there are reports of contested noxious pesticides being sprayed without first confirming the impact on humans or essential insects like bees:
U.S. Air Force Is Spraying 6 Million Acres With Chemicals in Response to Harvey
For every person preaching about Harvey as a Biblical Flood and sign of the end times, bringing plagues of diseases, and swarms of mosquitoes and govt planes spraying chemicals;
I'm sure there are Darwinists, evolution theorists, and environmentalists saying all this is Nature's way of reducing the population in large urban areas near the coastlines that have been getting too densely developed.
We'll see if these mass catastrophes change the way we do, plan and fund things.
If even conservative Republicans are applying for FEMA aid, then that may very well mean the end of the world!!!
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