FLOYD FLOODS N.C. WITH DEATH, RISKS.Byline: Estes Thompson Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Rotting livestock carcasses and floating sewage created a mounting public health threat Monday across eastern North Carolina Eastern North Carolina or (often abbreviated as ENC) is the region of North Carolina which includes the eastern third of North Carolina. It includes the Outer and Inner banks, thus it is often known geographically as the state's coastal region. , still flooded days after Hurricane Floyd forced tens of thousands of people from their homes. At least 35 people were confirmed dead in North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. . The death toll was expected to climb, but of greatest concern was the health of those who survived. ``There are a large number of different risks out there right now,'' said Johanna Reese of the state Division of Environmental Health. ``The most immediate one we have is lack of safe drinking water drinking water supply of water available to animals for drinking supplied via nipples, in troughs, dams, ponds and larger natural water sources; an insufficient supply leads to dehydration; it can be the source of infection, e.g. leptospirosis, salmonellosis, or of poisoning, e.g. .'' More than 60 people were killed from the Bahamas into New England when Floyd churned up the East Coast of the United States The "Eastern Seaboard," or "Atlantic Seaboard" are terms referring to the easternmost coastal states in the United States. They touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. . But the aftermath appears the worst in North Carolina. Disease has become a growing threat because of the hundreds of thousands of dead hogs, chickens and turkeys lying about the state. Drinking water has been tainted by overflow from sewage plants and animal waste lagoons. Floodwaters are fouled by fuel, farm chemicals and manure. Contaminated contaminated, v 1. made radioactive by the addition of small quantities of radioactive material. 2. made contaminated by adding infective or radiographic materials. 3. an infective surface or object. water could cause a host of gastrointestinal illnesses, and dehydration from severe vomiting or diarrhea could be fatal in children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, Reese said. ``A lot of these people are down already. They're already weak, so they're at a greater risk,'' she said. National Guard helicopters and trucks delivered clean drinking water to several counties, while crews in Jones County brought in two industrial-size incinerators so workers could begin burning hog carcasses, the stench of which has filled the air. Some of the animals had been dead five days and could become a breeding ground for disease. State officials have asked for more incinerators to deal with an estimated 100,000 hogs, 2.4 million chickens and 500,000 turkeys killed. State health officials also recommended that residents get tetanus shots to protect them from infection from the filthy floodwater flood·wa·ter n. The water of a flood. Often used in the plural. floodwater n → aguas fpl (de la inundación) floodwater n and wash up with hot, soapy water if they come in contact with it. Officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and said more than a million gallons of wastewater, possibly containing chromium, spilled at the Occidental Chemical plant in Castle Hayne. EPA EPA eicosapentaenoic acid. EPA abbr. eicosapentaenoic acid EPA, n.pr See acid, eicosapentaenoic. EPA, n. investigators also were assessing a potential threat of mercury contamination from a containment pond at the HoltraChem plant in Riegelwood. On top of that, health officials warned that mosquitoes will be out in force because of all the standing water and could spread deadly encephalitis encephalitis (ĕnsĕf'əlī`təs), general term used to describe a diffuse inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, usually of viral origin, often transmitted by mosquitoes, in contrast to a bacterial infection of the meninges . And when that water recedes, the death toll could rise. ``As the waters go down, we certainly do expect there will be more individuals found,'' said Dr. John Butts, state medical examiner A public official charged with investigating all sudden, suspicious, unexplained, or unnatural deaths within the area of his or her appointed jurisdiction. A medical examiner differs from a Coroner in that a medical examiner is a physician. . Meanwhile, in New Jersey, more than 1 million people were under orders to boil their tap water because the flooding might have contaminated it. Utility companies from the Carolinas to New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of worked to fully restore power to customers. Still more rain lay ahead for North Carolina. With about 6,500 people already in shelters and 1,500 others believed stranded, forecasters said 1 to 2 inches of rain from Tropical Storm Harvey could fall beginning Monday night, enough to cause new flooding and keep the rivers high. Floodwaters virtually have shut down the eastern third of North Carolina, an area of 18,000 square miles and 2.1 million people. State officials said 30,000 homes were flooded and 1,600 damaged beyond repair. The damage could exceed the $6 billion total for Hurricane Fran in 1996, North Carolina's costliest natural disaster. President Clinton toured Tarboro, one of the hardest-hit towns in an area drenched drench tr.v. drenched, drench·ing, drench·es 1. To wet through and through; soak. 2. To administer a large oral dose of liquid medicine to (an animal). 3. by 28 inches of rain from two hurricanes in two weeks. ``I urge you to keep your spirits up and know we're going to be with you every step of the way,'' Clinton told 500 people in this historic town of 11,000, flanked by tobacco and cotton fields. He also announced loans to help farmers rebuild and replace lost livestock. Flood waters were keeping people on the move. State officials began hauling 98 large campers into a Tarboro park to temporarily house the homeless and planned to supply them with water, sewer and electricity. Prison officials evacuated 2,180 inmates from four state prisons and a county jail because of flooding. Interstate 95 reopened in North Carolina for the first time since Thursday, but about 300 other roads remained closed, either because they still were under water or were washed out. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Bobby Clark's popular restaurant sits under several feet of water Friday after Princeville, N.C., was flooded by rains associated with Hurricane Floyd. Officials completely evacuated the town. Alan Marler/Associated Press |
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