JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – When Hurricane Irma's surge pushed the St. Johns River out of its banks, the water that receded out of the streets brought with it more than debris. There are chemicals in the river at levels well above normal levels.
"When you're inundated with floodwaters like this, you get gasoline, you get oil, you get chemicals from Superfund sites, you get sewage," St. Johns County Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman said. "It's just a toxic soup right now."
Over time, the river will clean itself out, but that could be a lengthy process. Because of how slow the river flows, some of the toxins and debris will be around for a while, making it potentially hazardous for boaters.
"I would say be cautious," Rinaman said. "You need to really focus on looking out for that debris because it moves around with the tide."
The Riverkeeper told said there was a large fish kill in the DeLand area earlier this week. She is hopeful the Jacksonville area doesn't see the same thing.