Photos from astronaut Bob “Farmer” Hines onboard the International Space Station showed massive amounts of dirt and silt being dumped into the Gulf of Mexico days after Ian struck. “When I look at this now, I just see it being used as a toilet,” environmentalist Estelle Bailey told FOX 35 Orlando. Over 7 million gallons of sewage leaked through manhole covers, flooded streets in Brevard County then into the Indian River Lagoon, reported FOX 35 Orlando. Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesĪnd it’s not just the Gulf Coast inundated with nutrient-rich floodwater. Octavio Jones/Getty Images Eating fish from red tide areas can cause illnesses. And that is our main concern right now is the bacteria levels, the pathogen levels.” Red tide is a naturally occurring harmful algae bloom. “So we have all of this bacteria coming into our coastal waters. So they’re actually using outside as their toilet,” explained Fanara about Hurricane Ian’s effects on supercharging nutrients available to algae. We have people that can’t flush toilets because the water table is so high. We have submerged cars, we have so much more bacteria because not only did we have wastewater overflows, we had pipes burst. “So with Hurricane Ian, we have all of these chemical components. Humans can get sick after eating fish or shellfish from red tide areas, Fanara told FOX Weather last fall. The algae and toxins can irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory tract of people, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. The blooms produce toxins that kill fish, shellfish, birds and mammals. The algae, always in the water, devour the newly found nutrients and blooms out of control. Red tide is a naturally occurring harmful algae bloom. “Any time we get a regular storm event, we have all of this nutrient loading from fertilizer or herbicides or wastewater overflows,” Tracy Fanara, Environmental Engineer and author of red tide research, told FOX Weather Monday. “Now, this was next level.” Now, one environmental engineer fears a repeat after Hurricane Ian. Many Floridians remember the mounds of dead fish lining beaches and signs warning beachgoers to keep out of the water thanks to a two-year-long red tide outbreak after Hurricane Irma. Marco Island landmark Dome Home destroyed by Hurricane Ian Thunderstorms expected over Southwest Florida as region recoversįort Myers Beach reopens to residents after Hurricane Ian
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