State health officials are telling residents to avoid floodwaters amid fears of infections from bacterial, chemical, animal and human waste carried through the water.
Director of the State Department of Health Bruce Anderson said: “Health risks include leptospirosis, a bacteria shared by animals, that sits in the mud and then gets washed into the streams and people are exposed.
“If you have an open cut or wound, it’s particularly risky to be in flood waters.”
Hawaii’s residents in populated areas are more at risk of being exposed to chemical or infectious diseases as the water washes through those areas.
Floodwater is not just rainwater.
It is also made up of sewage, chemicals and even hazardous human waste like nails.
Even after the water stops rushing the risk hasn’t gone away.
There are also health risks in the contaminants that the water leaves behind.
Dr Dave Baglow writes that when in contact with the skin, sewage can cause skin infections such as “weeping pus” and painful itchy rashes.
Furthermore, ear and eye infections are possible if the contaminated water isn’t cleaned away from the body part for a long period of time.
Health officials also warn residents to avoid going near open floodwater especially if they have cuts, lesions or open wounds.
Floodwaters can also carry diseases such as cholera or yellow fever, according to the World Health Organisation.
However, this is not a threat directly posed to Hawaii.
Hurricane Lane has caused major floods as more than two feet of rain has fallen so far on the Big Island.
The Category 2 storm is moving at a slow speed which means that dangerous heavy rains and flooding could continue “for a period of time” on the Big Islands, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPNC) warned.
Writing on the Hawaii Tracker Facebook page, Ryan Finlay told fellow users: “Flooding has been very bad on the Big Island so far.
“Lots of flooded-out roads. Be extremely careful and know that things could continue to get worse.
“Best to not be driving around unless you have to.”