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Hi, this is @ByAdamWagner, a @Report4America corps member at the News & Observer. I'm live-tweeting a @pulitzercenter webinar featuring @sfretwell83 and our Beyond the Beach series. Here's a link to the story Sammy will be discussing: https://www.thestate.com/news/local/environment/article246018110.html
And if you want to follow along, join here: https://pulitzercenter.org/event/coastal-southeast-rising-and-hazardous-waters-session-two
Today's conversation also includes Tony Bartleme, who will be discussing the Post & Courier's Rising Waters series; and Emily Jones of Georgia Public Broadcasting, who will be talking about her reporting on how increased rain is threatening septic systems.
Rising groundwater will threaten septic systems before it threatens your home, Jones said. Here's a link to the first story in her series: https://www.gpb.org/news/2020/09/15/aging-septic-rising-seas-threaten-georgia-waterways
"It takes money," Jones said, adding that even if you know where septic systems are like Georgia does and if you require that systems get tested, they are still expensive to fix. And that's just not realistic for a lot of homeowners.
A new septic system in Ga. requires two feet of separation from the current groundwater level, but there is nothing in place in that state requiring future projected groundwater levels to be taken into consideration.
Flooding of septic tanks and sewage systems is also a problem in North Carolina, as reported by our friends at @Coastal_Review: https://www.coastalreview.org/2020/06/sea-level-rise-puts-septic-sewers-at-risk/
Tony Bartelme is now describing how Post & Courier teams have sampled floodwaters around the city.
"What we found was, in a word, disgusting," Bartleme says, adding that what they found was 60x what's acceptable in a lake.
"What we found was, in a word, disgusting," Bartleme says, adding that what they found was 60x what's acceptable in a lake.
Nobody measures what's found in flood waters, Bartelme said, adding that local governments just tell people to stay out.
Here's one of the Post & Courier's stories: https://www.postandcourier.com/rising-waters/charlestons-floodwaters-carry-dangerous-levels-of-bacteria-even-when-its-sunny/article_1e4536a0-0353-11eb-8304-7fb4057a8d15.html
Here's one of the Post & Courier's stories: https://www.postandcourier.com/rising-waters/charlestons-floodwaters-carry-dangerous-levels-of-bacteria-even-when-its-sunny/article_1e4536a0-0353-11eb-8304-7fb4057a8d15.html
. @sfretwell83 is talking about the Danger Beyond the Beach series he put together along with @Lynn_Bonner, @aaronsguerra and me.
"We thought one of the most interesting aspects of climate change is how it's affecting health," he said.
"We thought one of the most interesting aspects of climate change is how it's affecting health," he said.
Sammy mentions reporting on farmworkers in North Carolina. Those stories can be found here: https://www.newsobserver.com/living/article246280395.html
And here: https://www.newsobserver.com/living/article246260485.html
And here: https://www.newsobserver.com/living/article246260485.html
He also mentions how increased flooding and repeated storms are leading to more mold. Sammy's reporting in Sellers can be found here: https://www.thestate.com/news/local/environment/article246392770.html#storylink=series
And @Lynn_Bonner's, which focuses on the link between mold and asthma is here: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article244970985.html
And @Lynn_Bonner's, which focuses on the link between mold and asthma is here: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article244970985.html
Sammy is telling the story of a man he featured who was infected with vibrio and died less than 10 days after he was cut on the hand checking a crab trap.
"The next thing he knows he's in a hospital, he's got all kinds of health problems, and they ended up killing him."
"The next thing he knows he's in a hospital, he's got all kinds of health problems, and they ended up killing him."
The threat of vibrio is increasing, said @sfretwell83, noting data shows a rising caseload at the same time science is showing that vibrio is booming after hurricanes. Rachel Noble of @UNCims found increased levels of vibrio after Florence: https://college.unc.edu/2019/06/noble-rapid-water-tests/
The moderator asks if people on the ground make the links between what they're seeing and climate change.
@sfretwell83: People who experience the impacts of climate change know something is different without necessarily connecting what they're experiencing to the phenomenon.
@sfretwell83: People who experience the impacts of climate change know something is different without necessarily connecting what they're experiencing to the phenomenon.
And we're wrapping up! For more stories from the Connected Coastlines initiative, go here: https://pulitzercenter.org/connected-coastlines-initiative
