Helene caused catastrophic flooding across the region, particularly in the French Broad and Toe Rivers. The floodwaters washed across businesses, roadways and homes taking debris, chemicals, oil and more downstream.
Some posts online and conversations in the community suggested that the floodwaters and mud across the regions has the potential to expose volunteers to harmful chemicals, including those from a plastic manufacturer in Asheville.
Residents in Marshall, Hot Springs, and other communities expressed concern on social media over the potential for chemical burns or damage to clothing and boots.
BPR looked into these reports and here’s what we know so far:
Is the Helene flood mud bad for you?
Yes, according to officials with the state’s Department of Environmental Quality. It is best to treat flood mud as hazardous. But what exactly is in it, is unclear.
After the flood, the mud got everywhere: on truck tires, boots, piled by the banks of the river, mixed up in unidentifiable heaps of shredded plastic and metal. Floods were once a replenishing event that deposited nutrients and silt on the landscape. Now, the floodwaters that washed through the region mixed with gasoline, sewage, and loosely-stored chemicals that are all part of the clean up.
What are flooded communities seeing on the ground?
Residents along the French Broad have reported a foul, landfill-like odor that has permeated the air as the mud dries in the sun and turns to particulate matter. At Nanostead, a tiny house contractor-turned-community disaster relief hub, two 17-year old friends struggled to make sense of what they said was confusing public health information.
“We got those suits on because the mud is toxic,” Oren Mcclure, who was wearing a Tyvek suit, goggles, and muck boots, said. He was headed out to muck out the downtown with his friend Isaiah Embler. “There's like chemicals and human waste in it, and we just kind of don't want that getting all over us.”
“It's not quite like smack in the face, but it doesn't smell pleasant indoors,” added Embler, who said Nanostead has been giving out personal protective equipment to volunteers and providing them with space to change and wash off.
There have been anecdotal reports of chemical burns and muck burning off the soles of boots and parts of clothing, which BPR couldn’t verify.
“It's mostly hearsay,” Embler said, but it’s enough to keep him and other volunteers on the alert. He said he was told all his life not to swim in the French Broad because of waste emitted from the Woodfin sewage plant upstream. He said he doubts the situation has improved.
Amos McGregor owns a record store in downtown Marshall that was flooded alongside nearly every other business in town. He said breathing in dust from the cleanup efforts worries him, as does breathing diesel fumes from trucks rumbling through downtown.
“We haven't gotten a whole lot of information from the top down, so we're just kind of playing it by ear,” McGregor said.
What are experts saying?
State officials and conservation groups like MountainTrue are currently testing the soil around the French Broad River for hazardous materials. Community members have been particularly concerned about a facility called Silver-Line Plastics.
“I know that the facility was flooded and a significant amount of flood waters and [an] astronomical amount of PVC pipe washed down the river,” Hartwell Carson, the French Broad Riverkeeper at MountainTrue, said. “I would love to see a bigger commitment to get that trash out of the river from them. What I don't know, though, is how many chemicals were washing in the river from that facility.”
Officials with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality said the agency is investigating the concerns.
“Inspectors have visited the location and no injuries were confirmed related to potential exposure in this area,” Katherine Lucas, DEQ’s public information officer, said in an email to BPR. Lucas did not respond to follow-up questions before publication.
Buncombe County and state officials have urged residents to remain cautious around flood mud because of their unknown contaminants. Carson agrees.
“There's no doubt that the river and the mud from the flood has pollution levels,” Carson said.
Floods are also known vectors for disease, including respiratory and gastrointestinal ailments. Without clean water and with many services temporarily reduced, it is especially important for people take care to protect themselves right now.
How can I protect myself from flood mud?
- Officials recommend wearing work boots, leather or rubber gloves, N-95 respirators, long-sleeved shirts and pants if you are working with the mud. Tyvek suits are also a good option for avoiding skin contact with mud.
- If the mud is dry and turning dusty, wear an N-95 respirator.
- Wear waterproof bandages and make sure they cover any cuts or scrapes.
- Shower as soon after exiting a flood-contaminated area as you can.
- Wash your hands thoroughly before eating or preparing food.
- Buildings are not safe to reoccupy until they are completely dry.
- Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) shots are available at pharmacies such as CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart. This is recommended if it has been 10 years since your last tetanus shot, particularly if you sustained any puncture wounds or came into skin contact with mud or floodwaters. You may also want to get a hepatitis A shot.
- Remove all furniture and affected items, as well as drywall, from flooded buildings to reduce risk of mold.
- Right now, don’t burn wood contaminated with mud, and especially don’t burn inorganic materials.
