Health information resources for the effects of Hurricane Florence

Health information resources for the effects of Hurricane Florence

In the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, many people are using generators for electricity. This raises the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. The CDC reminds clinicians seeing patients from areas affected by Florence to maintain a high index of suspicion for CO poisoning: https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00415.asp

Florence floodwaters have reportedly damaged the retaining wall around a pond of coal ash in North Carolina. Learn more about coal ash and its health effects with these resources from the National Library of Medicine and other government agencies:

• Coal Ash (Coal Combustion Residuals, or CCR) - EPA - https://go.usa.gov/xPTWN
• Fly Ash - TOXLINE - https://go.usa.gov/xPTWr
• Fly Ash - ChemIDplus – https://go.usa.gov/xPTWj
• Fly Ash - Haz-Map - https://go.usa.gov/xPTWB
• Arsenic and Human Health - Enviro-Health Links - https://go.usa.gov/xPTW8

Florence has also reportedly caused damage to several pig waste lagoons.

PubMed has biomedical literature about human health issues related to coal ash and livestock waste management:  

• Coal ash: https://go.usa.gov/xPTD9
• Hog and pig waste lagoons: https://go.usa.gov/xPTDn
• Livestock waste management: https://go.usa.gov/xPTDP