An Open Letter To The People Playing In The Floodwater In Downtown Davenport
To the folks splashing around in the overflown river in downtown Davenport, maybe don't.
Look, I hate to crap on anyone's fun. I've done ridiculous, quite possibly ill-advised stuff too. But I looked out of my apartment window this week and happened to see you walking by and splashing in the floodwater on the river side of River Drive.
This seems like a pretty bad idea.
I love swimming, I've spent time on lakes and rivers but standing floodwater is nasty. And plus in this case, it's the Mighty Mississippi so the current is heavy and you don't want to risk being swept away. It only takes a few inches of water to knock you off your feet.
The Literal Crap In The Water
I live downtown and I can all but promise you there's poop in that water since few dog owners in my building ever pick up after their dogs. It's like standing in a jungle juice of contaminants, essentially. You have no idea what's in that water. When it comes to floodwater, the CDC says you could feel the results of stuff like downed power lines, snakes from the actual river, chemicals, debris, and God knows what else.
The possible sewage and overall gross in that water is what can cause infections like E. coli and salmonella.
The river hasn't crested quite yet and it's still a dangerous situation on the riverfront. If you want to go swimming, go to a pool.