As the waters slowly receded, building inspectors began the long process of evaluating the damage. Hundreds of other houses were still days away from inspection. With no foundation or patio or front steps visible, they seemed to float on pools of still, black water. For weeks, millions of dead chickens and hogs have floated in that water as well, creating health hazards that will last far longer than the river's flood stage. Tap water is undrinkable.
Tetanus shots are mandatory.
Entire counties reek of moldy carpet, dead animals, and sulfur. For those back in their homes by the end of September, the clean-up effort had just begun. Snakes and other animals flushed from their own homes were a real danger as residents unlocked their doors for the first time. Yards were scarred by evergreen trees that had fallen, the ground too soaked to support their shallow root systems. One tobacco warehouse near Belvoir had flooded, sending 500-pound bales of tobacco floating into gardens hundreds of yards away.