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.
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.
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:
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."
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.'"