Public health officials in Washington state warned residents of the potential for “toilet rats” after record-setting floods hit the state earlier this month.
According to an advisory posted on Facebook on Thursday from the Seattle and King County public health department, floodwaters can displace rodents, sweeping them through combined sewer systems and occasionally into homes.
The Context
Historic flooding this month in Washington strained local infrastructure, broke levees, and prompted nearly 1,000 evacuations across the state.
With that flooding came renewed warnings about public sanitation and the need for community awareness—especially for homeowners in flood-prone neighborhoods. Modern plumbing design has reduced some risks, but the region’s older, combined sewers remain vulnerable when overwhelmed by heavy rain…