Weather & Science
Hurricane Milton’s Floodwaters Are Hiding a Dirty Secret
The storm’s floodwaters may be contaminated with disease-causing sewage, and their legacy could live on by causing mold problems and mosquito outbreaks.
A person walks through flood waters that inundated a neighborhood after Hurricane Milton.
Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Hurricane Milton may have dissipated over the Atlantic Ocean, but the floodwaters it left across Florida still pose a major risk to human health and safety.
Even though the risk of drowning or getting injured in rising, fast-moving water is past, standing water remains treacherous to navigate and likely harbors dangerous diseases. Walking in it should be avoided at all costs, government officials and health experts warn.