Hurricane Watches Issued For Texas Coast

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While (now) Tropical Storm Beryl has lost much of its punch since it battered the Caribbean last week, it is expected to intensify once again into a hurricane before it approaches the Texas Gulf coast on Monday.   

While the forecast could change, estimates now are for a strong Cat I storm at landfall. 

As of 8 am today:

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...

* The Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to San Luis Pass 

* The northeastern coast of mainland Mexico from Barra el Mezquital to the mouth of the Rio Grande 

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for... 

* The Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to High Island

Hurricane warnings will likely be issued later today.  

Although this storm doesn't appear to pose a major threat, it will have some serious impacts. 

As we've discussed many times, the dangers from a hurricane often increase in the days and weeks after the storm has passed, due to injuries or illness that occur during the `recovery' period.

Some of the many dangers include:

• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (see CDC HAN 00415: Hurricane Florence — Clinical Guidance For Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning)
• Food poisoning (see A Consumer's Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes)
• Chain saw accidents (see Preventing Chain Saw Injuries During Tree Removal After a Disaster)
• Toxic mold and mildew (see CDC Mold After a Disaster).
• And even psychological impacts (including PTSD) (see Sandy 1 Year Later: Coping With The Aftermath).

One of the most common, and dangerous threats comes from floodwaters which may linger for days, or even weeks following the storm. Waters that may contain toxic chemicals, dangerous viruses and bacteria, and hidden hazards like snakes, rats, and broken glass, sharp metal, or even live electrical wires.

The CDC maintains a web page on the dangers of Flood Waters or Standing Waters.

Stay out of floodwater

Floodwaters contain many things that may harm health. We don’t know exactly what is in floodwater at any given point in time. Floodwater can contain:

• Downed power lines
• Human and livestock waste
• Household, medical, and industrial hazardous waste (chemical, biological, and radiological)
• Coal ash waste that can contain carcinogenic compounds such as arsenic, chromium, and mercury

Other contaminants that can lead to illness

• Physical objects such as lumber, vehicles, and debris
• Wild or stray animals such as rodents and snakes
• Exposure to contaminated floodwater can cause:
• Wound infections
• Skin rash
• Gastrointestinal illness
• Tetanus
• Leptospirosis (not common)

It is important to protect yourself from exposure to floodwater regardless of the source of contamination. The best way to protect yourself is to stay out of the water.

If you come in contact with floodwater:

• Wash the area with soap and clean water as soon as possible. If you don’t have soap or water, use alcohol-based wipes or sanitizer.
• Take care of wounds and seek medical attention if necessary.
• Wash clothes contaminated with flood or sewage water in hot water and detergent before reusing them.If you must enter floodwater, wear rubber boots, rubber gloves, and goggles.

And as a last stop on our post-storm safety tour, a visit to the CDC’s Emergency Preparedness and Response website, which provides advice on a variety of post-storm topics including electrical and fire hazards, mosquitoes, mold, unstable buildings and structures, and the dangers posed by wild and stray animals.

While many believe the worst will be over once the storm has passed, in truth, often the biggest challenges are found during the days and weeks that follow.

For more preparedness information I would invite you to visit:

FEMA http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm
READY.GOV http://www.ready.gov/
AMERICAN RED CROSS http://www.redcross.org/