Floodwaters are dangerous, experts say

Many communities experienced floodwaters after Elsa impacted Southwest Florida.

Floodwaters are not only unsafe to drive through but they can also make you sick.

Some people couldn’t even get out of their driveways.

Splashing in the water may look like fun but under the surface, it could cause havoc.

“I am a parent. That was one of the scariest things that I remember coming home from work and it flooded and my boys were out in the ditch with a skimboard,” said Dr. Mary Beth Saunders, an infectious diseases specialist with Lee Health.

Saunders said what may look harmless is anything but.

“When kids are playing in water, they’re in there, submerging their face, their bodies,” she said.

Giving bacteria and diseases a way into their bodies.

“The most important thing is really staying hydrated. And if they get really sick with fevers or bloody diarrhea or things like that, then we want to see them,” said Dr. Doug Halbert, a pediatrician with Healthcare Network.

That’s not the only concern Halbert has when it comes to children and floodwaters.

“Kids from age one to four, drowning is the number one cause of mortality in Florida,” Halbert said.

“it doesn’t take very much water at all for them, especially small children, to drown,” said Todd Dunn, public relations officer for Charlotte County Fire & EMS.

Another concern includes vibro infections.

Health experts say there are more common when people are cleaning up after a storm.

Children are more vulnerable to vibrio which can cause bloodstream infections.