After the flood--starting to assess the damage

by Tara Smith     Department: Health & Life Sciences

As rivers are cresting to the south of us, communities in Iowa are starting cleanup efforts. The prospects are daunting, and the water hasn't even cleared out everywhere yet. Still, roads and bridges are re-opening, and home and business owners are being allowed back into their residences and establishments. This, however, has the potential to create much more mess and problems. I wrote previously about potential health hazards that can come from flooding and flooding cleanup, including injuries and infections. Some of the infections are immediate, due to contact with contaminated flood waters; others have the potential to increase in the coming weeks, including mosquito-borne infections and mold exposure. However, what's likely to be even worse is just the astronomical amount of trash that this flood has created--a years' worth all at once:

In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where the raging Cedar River spilled into 1,300 city blocks, one official estimated the mountain of ruined furniture, household goods and other belongings left behind would be enough to fill two football stadiums to a depth of 60 feet, the city's Gazette newspaper said.

The city is opening up an old landfill to assist with trash management, but they don't know yet if even that will be enough; and residents are demoralized from the mountains of trash--all that's left of years of their lives--piled up high on the curb.

Tags: arboviruses, Iowa, midwest flooding, mold