The destructive force of hurricanes Helene and Milton have brought the risk of toxic industrial releases back to the fore.

James R. Elliott, Dominic Boyer and Phylicia Lee Brown write for The Conversation.

In short:

• Hundreds of industrial facilities in Milton’s path, including the center of Florida's phosphate mining and sites manufacturing rubber, plastics and fiberglass, housed toxic chemicals.
• Previous hurricanes like Helene and Ian caused severe environmental contamination from chemical spills, with significant health risks to nearby communities.
• Communities often remain unaware of these risks due to weak disclosure laws and delayed notifications of toxic releases during hurricanes.

Key quote:

“This limited public information on rising chemical threats from our changing climate should be front-page news every hurricane season.”

— Rice University’s Center for Coastal Futures and Adaptive Resilience

Why this matters:

Just a few weeks ago floodwaters from Hurricane Helene breached factories and released chemicals into nearby neighborhoods. Many of Florida's industrial areas are stocked with chemicals used in making everything from boats to plastic products, all of which can be washed into local water systems. Read more: Flood survivors find common ground in a divided nation.