Flood victims worry: What's in the water?

Flood victims worry: What\

www.msnbc.msn.com

OAKVILLE, Iowa - The floodwaters that deluged much of Iowa have done more than knock out drinking water and destroy homes. They have also spread a noxious brew of sewage, farm chemicals and fuel that could sicken anyone who wades in.

On Monday, Bob Lanz used a 22-foot aluminum flatboat to navigate through downtown Oakville, where water reeked of pig feces and diesel fuel.

"You can hardly stand it," Lanz said as he surveyed what remained of his family's hog farm. "It's strong."

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[edit on 16-6-2008 by ModernAcademia]

I called a friend of mine who lives over there and he said that the media is barely on this for some reason.

This is a historical flood and all they do is speak about Tim Russert's demise.

Beyond the human tragedy, the flooding in Iowa and other parts of the Midwest may also lead to higher food prices and lower exports.

money.cnn.com...

Unbelieveable how little press this is receiving, what's going on?

www.msnbc.msn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

ya what do you expect...

Isn't it 12 dead??

Prob because of low death count.. Maybe they should bump a few numbers or something, then it will be news.

The count maybe 12 but it's not over by a long shot. Just like Katrina there will be residual effects - people die from illness or conditions made worse by living conditions and stress.

What's in the water should be a big concern. Just go out on any given rainy day and see the rainbow shine on top of the water running through the gutters and curbs. Now multiply that a hundred times and churn it through every house, barn and business in 80+ counties. It ain't healthy.

I've been concerned about ATS members from that region. I know from reading posts that there are lots of them but there have only been a couple of posts related to the flooding. That doesn't bode well.

Another thing I find strange is an intereview I saw with a law enforcement officer. He was commenting on how there are no protocols for this type of thing as it is a 500 year flood. I thought "WTF!"

Whatever! You mean to tell me that after billions of dollars funneled into Homeland Security and FEMA re-structuring, countless disaster drills and such - that there isn't even a contingency plan that is at least somewhat applicable in handling the displacement of thousands of people!?

Furthermore, what's up with wrist-banding people - even children - before they can go back into their own neighborhhods? Got to hate that as well.

what wrist-banding?

please provide links

Just as I said. In order to get back in, the residents have to stop at a check point and get a wristband. I.D. with valid address for that area - I get. Wristbands, not so much.

So how long has the gov't had these wristbands. Is there more than one color? If so, let's hope they aren't eventually used for sorting.

www.cnn.com...

I guess check points and wristbands are the best our federal dollars could buy. So much for drills and action plans.

[edit on 16/6/2008 by kosmicjack]

wow what a stupid idea, thx for the link

btw quick question, how come they aren't calling the evacuees refugees this time like they did during katrina?

Well...as everyone knows...it's because they are white.

This flooding is truly terrible, with ramifications to ripple out far from Iowa.

Re Flood waters contaminated with hog feces (let alone carcasses) has been of great proportions in recent history. Here is from 1999 Hurricane Floyd

Floyd's floods were heavily polluted from gas and oil, sewage, pesticides, millions of animal carcasses and waste from hog farm manure lagoons.

source

Many North Carolinians will never forget...the disastrous lagoon overflow at Ocean View Farms in Onslow County in 1995, which dumped more that 20 million gallons of hog waste into the New River, causing massive fish kills and contaminating drinking water.

source

Sadly, this is nothing new.

Media attention? Makes one think that, until pigs (hogs) fly, we'll see just more of the same.
I can remember as a kid watching the news, whenever there were natural disasters, one of the first signs of assistance was to see the National Guard out with their soldiers and equipment helping. Iowa's Guard was out there, but as with other Guard units, also in Iraq. This was before the flooding:

Given the number of weather-related disasters Iowa has faced in recent years, namely flooding and tornadoes, concerns have mounted as to whether the Guard will be prepared to adequately and efficiently handle these situations when they arise.

"We need vehicles for support and communication equipment to help speed up our response time," Zirkelbach said. "We've had up to 50 percent of the Guard deployed over the last five years and we've managed to respond to every significant weather-related event. It has not been an issue during this time and we don't perceive this will be a problem in the immediate future."

Except a 500 year flood?

[edit on 16-6-2008 by desert]

Not calling them refugees is not because they are white!

It is because they will not be offered refuge!

They have no flood insurance, and there is no way in hell most of them will be able to rebuild their homes.

They will just need to move along now.
The best they can do is to walk away while they have their health. Those who still have their health.

The breakdown of the barrier between that lake and the river was no 500 year thing, More like a 10,000 year thing.

The weather patterns are changing fast. There is no telling if next year we see once in a 100,000 year events. That includes earthquake and volcanic. I wonder when we will see the federal government start to back away and refuse to "Get involved in State and Local Affairs".

China put on quite a show of helping it's people. This will be revealing.

oh come on, even when/if they they get refuge they still won't be called it.

did we already forget this?

My 2c re wristbands. In any type of disaster like this (flood, fire, etc.), neighborhoods/areas must be guarded against looky-loos and looters.

I would rather prove I live in my neighborhood and wear a wristband to have access to it after an emergency, than to arrive in a crowd of looky-loos (who disrupt/delay emergency personnel) only to see my household items being carted off after someone breaking in.

Heck, I was just at a festival where I wore a wristband to prove I could legally by alcohol there. And when I buy admission to my off road events, I wear a wristband to show I paid. I was sure glad my wristband matched my newborn's at the hospital, so I took home the right child. Wristbands in themselves are not bad.

Also, again, this is why we need our National Guard at home in each state, to help at full capacity in disasters.