Nature Averts a Disaster

Photo: Susan L. EggertSo much rain fell on North Carolina during the 1999 hurricanes that the water that normally stays in the sound for about a year flushed out to sea in only two months. Has Pamlico Sound become another 'Dead Zone,' a twin of the infamous dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico?1 According to researchers tracking water quality in the sound over the past year, the answer is a resounding "No." One year ago, three hurricanes--Dennis, Floyd, then Irene--slammed into the North Caro

Susan Eggert

| 8 min read

Listen with Speechify

0:00

8:00

Photo: Susan L. Eggert

So much rain fell on North Carolina during the 1999 hurricanes that the water that normally stays in the sound for about a year flushed out to sea in only two months.

Has Pamlico Sound become another 'Dead Zone,' a twin of the infamous dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico?¹ According to researchers tracking water quality in the sound over the past year, the answer is a resounding "No."

One year ago, three hurricanes--Dennis, Floyd, then Irene--slammed into the North Carolina coast, bringing torrents of rain. Floyd, the worst of the lot, alone dropped 20 inches. Runoff from the triple whammy sent a witches' brew of sewage and animal carcasses--thousands of gallons of urban and agricultural waste--into waterways such as the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico Rivers, which empty into Pamlico Sound. More than 30,000 dead hogs and 2.5 million poultry floated in the muck, according to North ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!

Join for free today

Already a member? Login Here