BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Even though children and pets may be tempted to play in the flood waters, it is probably best to avoid those waters as much as possible.
The Kern County Public Health Department is warning the public of the dangers of standing water. According to the department, standing water is dangerous because a person never knows what they could be exposed to while in it.
"So exposure to the potentially contaminated floodwater, it can cause everything," said Michelle Corson of Kern County Public Health. "If you have an open wound, a wound infection can develop. You can even get a skin rash, or gastrointestinal illness if you were to ingest."
"Again, it's very unknown the kinds of things you could be potentially ingesting," she continued. "Even things like tetanus. These are all things that you could potentially become exposed to if you come into contact with and or even ingest some of these floodwaters."
Health officials say that if a person accidentally or intentionally goes into flood waters, they should try to wash their hands or shower immediately, depending on how much of their body was exposed. They also want to remind the public to never open their mouths while in flood water or drink it.
