Plant City residents left with unbearable smell in homes after Hurricanes Helene, Milton

Homeowner concerned about contaminated floodwater

In the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, a Plant City man who lives near a former battery recycling facility says he's worried water that entered his home may have been contaminated.

PLANT CITY, Fla. - Many families have scars left behind on their homes after the one-two punch from mother nature. Water lines stretch along their walls because water flowed inside, but some neighbors in Plant City said the floodwater that got into their homes may have been toxic.

The stench inside Robert Tatum's Plant City home is nearly unbearable.

"I've never smelled that smell before. Like I said, it's never flooded," Tatum said.

READ: 'Hurricane Angel': Plant City native helps eastern Hillsborough County residents after Milton

His home sits across the street from the former site of Schuylkill Metals Corp., a battery recycling facility that operated from 1972 to 1986, which was later shut down by the EPA. Tatum and his neighbor worry the water that flooded their homes may have been contaminated with toxins from the old battery recycling site.

"It was just unreal. I mean, I just couldn't imagine. Like I said, I've never seen water stand like this or come up like this," Tatum said.

Several spots of mold can be seen throughout Tatum's home. It's a similar story at his next door neighbor's house, where his pool was destroyed. Inside, his floors are water damaged, as well as several walls.

"It has a different smell. It has a certain smell to it. The best way to describe it is like a dead animal and once you get it in your nose, you can't get it out for days," neighbor Wayne Shelton said.

MORE: Plant City mobile home community devastated in wake of Hurricane Milton

According to a message posted on the EPA's webpage for the former battery recycling site, it reads "The EPA has evaluated this Site and determined that no storm related impacts have occurred because of Hurricanes Helene or Milton," but did not offer any more details about when the evaluation took place or details about the results.

Tatum and his neighbors said they want more information about the evaluation.

"It's been hard to breathe, which is with the smell in here, I had to go to doctor and get some antibiotics," Tatum said.

They said they've yet to hear directly from EPA about their concerns, which is why they said they're now turning to the city for answers.

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