Hurricane Harvey has left Houston in complete devastation, and the trouble isn’t yet over for residents of the city as a new nightmare unfolds in the city due to the rain waters and flooding. Houston residents must now worry about dirty water with bacteria and other toxins, landslides, and other problems caused by the nearly 40-inches of rain that fell into Houston. What do experts recommend Houston and others affected by Hurricane Harvey do to avoid these dangers?

Key Takeaways:

• FLoodwaters in Houston are contaminated with pathogens that can make residents sick.
• The potable water supply in Houston has likely been in contact with the dirty floodwater so residents should avoid drinking tap water.
• Possible infections that can be caused by contact with contaminated water are E.coli, Shigella, Vibrio, Legionnaire’s, Zika, and yellow fever.

“For many of the city’s residents, contact with floodwater is unavoidable, putting them at risk for diarrhea-causing bacterial infections, Legionnaires’ disease and mosquito-borne viruses.”

Read more: https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2017/08/if-things-werent-already-bad-enough-houston-is-about-to-face-a-public-health-nightmare/