Experts have warned residents in Virginia of a potentially harmful side effect of extreme weather that many wouldn't even consider. 

What's happening?

Just ahead of the start of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, meteorologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a prediction of "above-normal hurricane activity" in the Atlantic basin. 

In fact, the agency reported that there was a 60% chance of more named tropical systems developing than average, with anywhere between 13 and 19 named storms reportedly possible. 

To make matters worse, up to five of those storms may develop into major hurricanes. This could bring catastrophic damage thanks to extreme winds, torrential rainfall, and intense storm surge. 

However, environmental groups are now warning Virginia residents of the potential for these storms to cause widespread water contamination brought by animal waste. 

An Environmental Protection Agency report notes that Virginia is home to over 200 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation facilities. This includes agricultural meat, dairy, or egg facilities where animals are kept and raised in confinement as opposed to larger grazing fields. 

While efficient for production, CAFOs can often lead to significant waste production and management challenges that raise concerns regarding pollution and public health. Common management plans include storing waste in lagoons and composting fields.  

Why is animal waste contamination important?

As some of the most severe climate events that Mother Nature has to offer, tropical systems can bring a wide array of devastating effects to both inland and coastal communities.

On average, Virginia can expect to be impacted by a tropical storm or its remnants at least once per year. The state can experience the full brunt of a hurricane about every 2.3 years. With a forecast for an above-average Atlantic hurricane season in 2025, Virginia may receive one or more heavy rainfall events. 

Although Virginia has had a long history dealing with tropical systems, the rising global temperature has led to the formation of more powerful storms in recent years. With stronger winds and more widespread flooding potential, this could spell major trouble for waste management locations at the state's CAFOs. 

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John Rumpler, clean water director for the advocacy group Environment America, described a worst-case scenario that could happen if a storm passed over a CAFO. 

"There's massive amounts of rainwater," Rumpler told Williamsburg Yorktown Daily. "What you get is the problem of overflow. These manure lagoons can overflow and all that animal waste can then wash out into a nearby river, lake and stream." 

When animal waste washes into water, it can lead to several significant water-quality problems, including the introduction of harmful pathogens and increased nutrient levels that cause algal blooms. Not only can this destroy marine ecosystems, but it could ultimately affect fishing industries and the overall food supply.    

What's being done about animal waste storage?

As reported by Williamsburg Yorktown Daily, Virginia sought to proactively address the growing concern with animal waste storage by drawing up updated regulations that aimed to tighten up how farmers handle their operations. 

Many of the new regulations were included to better prevent groundwater contamination, such as ensuring there are no direct access points from wastewater storage to surface waters in the state. 

According to Rumpler, the best practice would be to do away with CAFOs altogether. 

"We would say the prudent thing would be to grow our food in other ways and to help farms transition away from these massive operations that produce so much manure in the first place," he explained. "These massive manure lagoons are accidents waiting to happen."

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