Hurricane Floyd Impacts on Pamlico Sound  and Fisheries BY Dr. Joe Luczkovich Institute for Coastal and Marine Reources East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858 luczkovichj@mail.ecu.edu http://drjoe.biology.ecu.edu

NOAA GOES Satellite View on 15 Sep 1999 as Hurricane Floyd approached the SC and NC coasts. Rain from Floyd extended into New England and caused the worst flooding in US history.

• NEW! NASA Earth Observatory Article: "Hurricane Floyd: Fearing the Worst" (20 Mar 2000)

Images of the flooding in Greenville courtesy of the Greenville Daily Reflector (See website: refector.com)

Impacts of this Category 4 hurricane on the Pamlico River and estuarine environment are still apparent in North Carolina:

• Water quality: Water conditions in Pamlico Sound and River have changed after the storm and floods, now being fresher, colder, and having less dissolved oxygen.  Only one small fish kill (121 fish of various species due to the low dissolved oxygen) has been reported, with no reports of Pfiesteria-related fish kills.
• Sewage:For several days after the storm and flooding, sewage was discharged without treatment, raising levels of coliform bacteria in the Pamlico River and tributaries to high levels. This situation has been corrected by the cities along the river (Rocky Mount, Tarboro, and Greenville) and coliform levels have dropped below normal.
• Drinking Water: Water for drinking normally originates in the Tar River for these cities. Post-storm tests for pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants are below the Maximum Contaminant Levels set by the US EPA.
• Fisheries: Long-term data are being collected now on the Pamlico Sound Ecosystem and fishery impacts. Oysters, blue crabs, and flounder are currently being harvested and are safe for consumption (if properly handled and prepared).

Water quality

A photograph of the plume of water entering Pamlico Sound from the Neuse River. This water carried much sediment, wastes, and was mostly freshwater.  The vast amount of freshwater will have a diluting effect on the pollutants entering the sound, and could improve the long-term health of the sound. It is too soon to tell exactly how the flood waters will effect the ecosystem in Pamlico Sound. Source: Neuse River ModMon Program  http://www.marine.unc.edu/neuse/modmon/

Satellite Imagery Reveals impacts of Floyd on coast (CNN Report). The image sequence (box on left) taken by NASA's Landsat 7 satellite shows the plumes of Sound water streaming into the Atlantic Ocean along the NC outer banks. Dark flood waters in the Pamlico and Neuse Rivers on the western side of Pamlico Sound are clearly visible in the 23 Sep and 26 Oct images.  FLOYD effects on Surface Temperature as seen from a NOAA satellite View an animation of the Sea Surface Temperatures before and after the storm.  Note how Pamlico Sound becomes cooler (more blue colors) after 17 Sep 1999. This cooler fresher water can be seen "leaking" into the Atlantic Ocean through the inlets.  Data courtesy of Rutgers Marine Remote Sensing Laboratory. Visit the NC Division of Water Quality Pamlico Repsonse Team home page. There you can view animated graphs showing the decline in salinity (almost freshwater 50 km beyond the US Route 17 bridge at Washington, NC) and low dissolved oxygen levels after the storm. Current Water Quality in the rivers/estuaries: USGS Pamlico River Water Quality Conditions  USGS Neuse River Water Quality Conditions Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, Salinity, pH  Continuous monitoring remote stations; updated every day

Sewage

• Fecal coliforms are normally associated with human or animal sewage, and they increase after any rainfall event, and are used by health agencies as an indicator of pollution. Fecal coliforms were high  in the Pamlico River and tributaries immediately after the storm (2000 - 30,000 cells/100ml on 27 Sep 1999). One week later, they were all normal.  A normal fecal coliform count is < 200 cells/100 ml.
• Beaches are closed if the water coliform count exceeds 200 cells/100 ml.  Most beaches and waters tested normal with a week after the floods began.

Drinking Water

• City of Greenville, NC has tested the water using USEPA protocols and independent laboratories.  The Tar River water, after treatment, is cleaner than it has ever been.  This may be due to the dilution effects of the vast amount of flood water. See the results of the tests here.

Fisheries

• Shellfish harvests were opened on 6 October 1999, after the tests above indicated safe levels of fecal coliforms.  Particular areas remained closed and are listed on the NC DENR web page.  See the announcement by Governor Jim Hunt reopening most shellfish areas (and listing the closed sites) here.
• The North Carolina Director of Public Health, Dennis McBride, has declared that seafood from NC is safe for consumption.
• The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has tested fish and shellfish. According to the DMF, the initial round of samplestaken from 10 different coastal locations indicate that both the water and the tissue samples tested within normal limits, confirming that fish,shrimp and crabs are safe to consume. Tests will continue throughout October.  Read the complete NC DENR press release.
• The DMF also confirms that no major coastal fish kills have been reported in association with the flood waters. You can see for yourself: NCDENR Fish kill database.
• Click here to listen to the on-line radio interview with Drs. Larry Crowder (Duke University Marine Lab) and Hans Paerl (UNC Institute of Marine Science) about the impacts of the River Pollution on Pamlico Sound fishes, which aired 25 Oct 1999. Note: you will need to have the Real Audio Player, available at  http://www.npr.org/inside/realaudio.html.
• Data are still being collected on the long-term impacts of Hurricane Floyd and the flooding on the sound's ecosystem. The "Dead Zone" hypothesis is being investigated by many univeristy and state of North Carolina scientists.  Many areas in Pamlico Sound were stressed with low dissolved oxygen prior to the storm; it is possible that the long-term data may show an improvement or a decline in the sound's health, although it is too early to tell. This improvement may be due to the "flushing effect" that could occur reduce the pollutant load that had been accumulating in the sound.  The normal flushing time for the Pamlico Estuary of 2 months to 1 year could be reduced somewhat due to the storm's water exchange. The enhanced flushing effect may be limited by the fact that the flood waters, being lighter, fresher water, flooded over the surface of the sound and then out of the sound, but did not mix with the bottom of the sound waters. Only long-term studies will tell.

• State of North Carolina Hurricane Floyd Relief Page (http://www.ehnr.state.nc.us/EHNR/floyd/index.htm)