An increase in venomous snake bites, carbon monoxide poisoning and medication errors after storms like Hurricane Erin can lead to illness or even death, a North Carolina Poison Control expert warns.
Dr. Michael Beuhler, medical director with N.C. Poison Control, explains storm survivors need to be vigilant after hurricanes, ice storms and other natural disasters.
Medication errors during a storm
One of the most surprising dangers during a storm is medication mix-ups, which can easily happen when bags are hurriedly packed during an evacuation order.
>> Checklist: Hurricane survival kit
“When
they go to evacuate or they’re disrupted in their household, their medications
aren’t put in labeled containers — or they’re put in other bags or someone else
is giving them,” Beuhler said. “Make sure the medications are labeled and clear for everybody.”
Severe weather can throw off schedules. In addition to labeling all medications, Beuhler recommends setting an alarm to remember when it’s time to take a dose.
Snake bites after hurricanes
Another hidden danger after a storm? Snake bites.
“Venomous snakes are everywhere in North Carolina,” Beuhler said. “In general, as long as
we leave them alone, they leave us alone. The problem is during a hurricane
everything is disrupted. They are where they aren’t normally, and we are where
we aren’t normally, and unfortunately we do meet up.”
According to Beuhler, the venomous snake that causes the most poisonings in North Carolina is the copperhead.
“The copperhead is the king in North Carolina,” he said. “We’re pushing 600 to 700 bites a year from copperheads.”
Rattlesnakes are also of concern during hurricanes, especially the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, which lives at the coast.
“They are one I’d be a little more worried about during a hurricane,” Beuhler said. “Rattlesnakes in general are worse than copperheads. For every rattlesnake [bite], you’re going to need to go to the emergency department for evaluation.”
Read about how to identify North Carolina’s venomous snakes and steer clear of them.
After a bite, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you:
- Take a photo of the snake from a safe distance to help physicians determine the species.
- Remove any jewelry near the affected area, since you may experience swelling.
- Wash the bite gently with soap and water.
- Do not apply ice or a tourniquet and do not try to suck out the venom.
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Finally, carbon monoxide poisoning is possible during power outages, which were isolated during Hurricane Erin but are likely with winter and ice storms.
According to Beuhler, calls about carbon monoxide poisoning come in year-round but peak during the cooler months when people turn on their furnaces or use generators.
Generators need to be run outside between 20 to 30 feet away from a living area, Beuhler advises. Opening doors and windows or using fans does not prevent carbon monoxide buildup inside a home. Read more about generator safety.
“Sometimes [people] put generators under an awning or close to the house because it’s raining, and that also can be a significant problem because the carbon monoxide finds its way in and can poison potentially the whole household,” Beuhler said. “Once carbon monoxide gets into the house, it can move through the house in ways that are hard to predict and can cause a lot of
injury and, potentially, death.”
Additionally, charcoal grills should never be moved into a garage or indoor space during a storm.
“They are very significant producers of
carbon monoxide,” Beuhler said. “It pours off it. The problem comes when people take these and
try to move them into their garage. It is an absolutely terrible idea because
it keeps the carbon monoxide in there, even with the door open.”
It’s important to make sure your home has carbon monoxide detectors that are working properly.
“Ideally, you’d like to have one closest to the area where people sleep and another
closest to the area likely to be the source,” Beuhler said.
The best carbon monoxide detectors have a battery backup so you can still be alerted during a power outage.
High levels of carbon monoxide over time can produce symptoms like headache,
dizziness or nausea, ending in loss of consciousness. Carbon monoxide poisoning can result in permanent
injury, even if you survive.
“Carbon monoxide can affect everybody, No matter how
strong or healthy you are,” Beuhler said. “The sad thing about carbon monoxide is, if you
survive a critical event of carbon monoxide, you may not be the same person
that you were before that. That’s really tragic when it happens, especially
where it could be avoided.”
When to call poison control
Critical poison symptoms including chest pain, difficulty
breathing or loss of consciousness warrant a trip to your hospital’s emergency department.
Non-critical symptoms can be reported to the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222, especially if storm conditions make leaving home difficult.
“We will help you and
try and figure out what you need to do and if you need to get care, especially
during an event like this,” Beuhler said. “We’ll know what’s going on and we can say, ‘That
hospital is closed and you shouldn’t go there.'”
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