Officials warn of major threat in aftermath of Hurricane Milton: 'Can really cause some serious injuries'

Viruses, bacteria, and parasites are all ingredients of the danger soup lingering in the standing waters left behind by Hurricane Milton.

What's happening?

Experts are warning Florida residents to avoid walking in the waters that have been left behind following the hurricane, Bloomberg reported. That's because even clear-looking waters could be harboring raw human sewage, bacteria, viruses, and parasites. According to the publication, the storm caused issues at a number of wastewater sites, including the Falkenburg Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility in Tampa, where 200,000 gallons of partially treated sewage escaped.

Why are these health warnings important?

According to Alabama Public Health, germs and parasites in sewage can cause symptoms like diarrhea, fever, cramps, nausea, vomiting, headache, weakness, and loss of appetite. Exposure to raw sewage can also lead to Hepatitis A, roundworms, and hookworms.

Plus, there are other dangers lurking in these waters, as Bloomberg reported — in some places, lingering debris remains hidden below the water.

"[It] can really cause some serious injuries," Julia Gohlke, an environmental health professor at Virginia Tech, told the publication.

Getting cut by this debris can also lead to a serious skin infection called Vibrio, which is caused when an open wound is exposed to warm sea water containing this bacteria. This can lead to skin breakdown and ulcers in healthy individuals and to a life-threatening illness in people with weakened immune systems, according to Florida Health.

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Plus, standing water can attract mosquitoes that spread diseases like dengue, Bloomberg added. For instance, the mosquito population in Houston exploded following Hurricane Beryl in mid-2024 — this led to a surge in cases of West Nile disease. Waterlogged homes are also hotbeds for mold, which can exacerbate certain conditions like asthma.

As our planet warms, we can expect to face more flood-related challenges when it comes to hurricane season. These storms have been getting more severe over the last 40 years due to an overheating planet, and they cause much more rainfall on land than previously predicted. This has led to a massive increase in flood risks.

What's being done about flood dangers?

One way we can help mitigate the flood dangers posed by hurricanes is to enact more robust climate policies. To that end, you can vote for pro-climate political candidates.

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It's also important that we reduce our dependence on dirty fuels, which are responsible for more than 75% of planet-warming pollution. For instance, Wales has already banned most new roadway projects to cut down on carbon pollution, and a New York law will require all Lyfts and Ubers to be electric vehicles by the year 2030.

You can do your part by changing the way you get around. In addition to EVs, public transportation, walking, and biking when possible are less polluting modes of transport.

In addition, some areas are building climate resilience into their planning strategy. For instance, an architecture firm in Vancouver has proposed revamping the city's waterfront to work with flood waters instead of fighting them.

Elements include flood-adaptive townhouses with community terraces and mid-rise buildings with public spaces that can withstand the waters without major damage. Plus, a project in Louisiana is reconnecting the state's wetlands to the Mississippi River to improve storm protection for local communities.