BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Floodwater can carry sewage, chemicals and bacteria that cause serious infections, a Health First emergency medicine physician warned Monday as flooding affected Brevard County and Central Florida.
“Floodwater is not the same as rainwater. It’s actually quite contaminated,” said Dr. Dana Mathew, a board-certified emergency medicine physician with Health First.
Mathew said fertilizers, sewage and other contaminants make floodwater dangerous to enter, even for people who just want to splash around.
“It’s not the same as jumping in puddles when you’re a kid,” she said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, floodwater can also conceal sharp debris, downed power lines and displaced animals. Contact with contaminated water can cause wound infections, rashes and gastrointestinal illness.
Swallowing contaminated water can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, potentially leading to dehydration that requires medical treatment, Mathew said.
Open wounds increase infection risk
Mathew said people with open wounds should be particularly careful because bacteria found in the area’s brackish water can cause serious infections.
She recommended washing any wound exposed to floodwater and checking whether a tetanus vaccination is needed.
“If there’s any signs of infection – so increasing redness, if there’s pus discharge, if it becomes hot to touch or hurts – then that needs to be seen in the ER or by your doctor, because most likely you need antibiotics,” Mathew said.
The CDC recommends staying out of floodwater. Anyone who comes into contact with it should:
- Wash exposed skin with soap and clean water as soon as possible.
- Clean wounds and seek medical attention for redness, swelling, drainage or increasing pain.
- Wash contaminated clothing in hot water with detergent before wearing it again.
- Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves and goggles if entering floodwater is unavoidable.
Health First announces closures
Health First said Monday that all Medical Group offices, labs and Family Pharmacy locations were closed for the remainder of the day.
All elective surgeries scheduled for Monday were canceled and will be rescheduled.
Health First hospitals and emergency rooms remain open.
The health system urged people to avoid unnecessary travel. Updates are available on Health First’s weather alert page.
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