HANALEI — Consider putting a towel or blanket between yourself and the sand on the beaches, especially if the area smells like sewage, according to the Department of Health.
That’s in response to citizen reports of rashes and irritated skin after spending time in the sand at Hanalei Bay, though DOH hasn’t received any indication of flood-related outbreaks.
“If an area smells like it is contaminated by sewage or other foul-smelling materials, it can be assumed to be contaminated,” said DOH spokesperson Anna Koethe on Friday.
The medical team deployed to Haena by the Hawaii
Department of Health, Hawaii Healthcare Emergency Management, and the Kauai Emergency Operations Center, has been operating out of Hanalei Colony Resort since April 20.
In the first week, the team treated 212 residents for skin and wound infections, abrasions and other injuries that are common following flooding events. In addition, they have also seen many patients for chronic health conditions, resupply of prescription medications and tetanus boosters.
While DOH says they haven’t received any indications of flood-related outbreaks on the island, volunteers with Malama Kauai are reporting an uptick in keiki illness in Ha’ena.
Symptoms include runny noses and respiratory issues, Malama Kauai volunteers said.
Workers have already delivered Children’s Dimetapp to the area to help treat, as well as an additional case of Hibiclens Antiseptic Skin Cleanser to clean cuts, wounds.
“The healthcare team in Haena is fully equipped to evaluate and treat acute illnesses including respiratory illnesses in children,” Koethe said. “We have no indication of flood-related disease outbreaks in the area, although routine childhood illnesses are expected to occur as time goes on.”
Multiple brown water advisories remain in effect for Kauai and a brown water advisory for Hanalei Bay was issued by DOH Friday following Thursday night’s rainfall.
“While DOH does not test sand quality, it does actively monitor the quality of coastal waters,” Koethe said. “DOH recommendations to stay out of flood and storm waters also apply to areas that have been in contact with those potentially contaminated waters.”
The appropriate precautions include: avoiding contact as much as possible, using protective clothing and covering up if contact is necessary, washing off immediately with soap and clean water after contact, and seeking prompt medical attention if skin irritation or signs of infection develop.
•••
Jessica Else, environmental reporter, can be reached at 245-0452 or jelse@thegardenisland.com.
What does Malama Kauai know about diagnosing illnesses? And where is Surfrider? Why aren’t they screaming for signs to warn about bacteria? Oh, that’s right. They only target agricultural activities, not human sewage.
What do you expect after such flooding that probably damaged all cesspool type holding storage and the fact that people need to pass waste since April 15. It all flows back into the ocean
Aloha Kakou,
The Hawaii State Health DEPT says put a towel between you and the sand if the area smells like sewage…! ! ! ? ? ?
Well, any doctor knows and all people should know and would know if they were allowed to be educated, that if you can smell something that means that it is already in your blood stream via your nose or mouth, thus into your lungs and then into your blood stream and on to your brain and all of your body’s organs.
If you smell sewage get away as far as possible and as quick as possible as you are being contaminated as much as the area you are in is contaminated. And while the area that you can smell sewage has been contaminated by water in this case of flooding, in order to have a smell, the contamination must be producing a gas for it to be in the air and actually be “smell-able”.
But once in the air and you smell sewage those sewage molecules are in your blood stream.
When you smell cigarettes or pakalolo, as soon as you smell it, you already have tobacco-nicotine or cannabis in your body. And that is why 2nd hand tobacco smoke gives non smokers lung cancers and the others an unwanted micro high…smell anything offensive and it is in your blood stream immediately via the above anatomical and physiological pathway into your body.
And who in their right mind would sit on the beach, towel or not, and remain there with a sewage smell around them or go in the water.
Things smell bad because they are bad. You are smelling the molecules of what you are smelling. Though I did meet someone in a foreign country who said that they enjoyed sewage smell. Some people, unfortunately, can get used to anything, especially if they are not informed.
Nature brought us the deluge, and has before, and nature will as always clean up her mess and contamination over time. However the clean up can and is being accelerated by good people.
You have just been informed.
Mahalo,
Charles
Jessica Else. Why don’t you forward your story to the national newspapers and kill the tourism on the north shore for the rest of 2018.
I wish you much Aloha, Kauai- I am so sorry this deluge of rain and flooding has so affected so many. I will be visiting in the Fall; I am confident Mother Nature will cleanse and restore Kauai just as she created this unwanted havoc !!!
We are planning a trip to Hanalei and like so many of you are super concerned about the water and sand. I have spoken to two experts and both are in disagreement, which makes matters harder for those of us not on the island.
1) Hanalei Health Department – Myron who is in charge of the state DOH water monitoring program, said there is a whole bunch of Brown Water advisories and Hanalei has been hard hit. He does not expect the advisory to lift for some time. He said there is an elevated risk. In his opinion, Hanalei is probably the worst place on the island.
2) The Surfrider Foundation – Carl heads up testing for the Blue Water Task Force and they are testing frequently and posting data here: https://kauai.surfrider.org/what-we-do-old/blue-water-task-force-map/. They are doing another test tomorrow and will post the results. He feels that the water quality is probably fine.
Sadly our rental company has not been at all helpful in discussions about the possibility of canceling our trip. Since the town is open they don’t see any reason why we should not come… even if we are unable to use the beach, which is frankly a bunch of bull.