Rising water levels brought on by Hurricane Florence introduce a new set of health and safety risks to those living in the Carolinas.
Here are three such risks:
1. Dangerous animals: North and South Carolina are home to several native species of poisonous snakes, such as copperheads and cottonmouths, according to Business Insider. The high winds and flash floods associated with hurricanes can displace snakes living in wetlands, sending them into unlikely places like people's evacuated homes.
2. Toxic chemicals: The Wilmington, N.C.-based Duke Energy Corp. landfill leaked about 2,000 cubic yards of coal ash, potentially carrying toxic mercury, arsenic and lead into flood waters Sept. 15, according to Bloomberg. Local authorities tried to investigate to see if the pollutants reached the Cape Fear River, but were not able to inspect the site due to the rising water levels. The flooding also caused partially treated sewage to spill into waterways and streets, which creates a breeding ground for bacteria.
3. E. coli and Salmonella: Numerous hog farms across North Carolina also threaten to leak several million tons of urine and feces into the flood waters, according to Wired. Pig waste, along with blood and other bodily excrements, are held in lagoons at the hog farms. If these lagoons flood, they could spread E. coli and Salmonella into local water supplies. Scientists said the state's hog farms can also be hot spots for antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
"Scary bugs are going to be in the waste and in the poo," Lance Price, PhD, professor at Washington D.C.-based George Washington University, told Wired.