Hurricane Irma leaves behind foul stink across Central Florida

Not content to damage homes, toss trees and knock out power to millions, Hurricane Irma has left behind a noxious brew of funk, too.

Residents across the region Tuesday reported catching a whiff of a foul, rancid smell that officials blamed on dead fish, stagnant water, flooded ponds and rotting debris — but likely not sewage.

Juliana Calloway said she started to notice the smell Sunday — an acrid odor in the air outside her home in Altamonte Springs, like spent fireworks. At first, she feared a neighbor was burning debris. Soon, Calloway realized the stink wasn’t just in her neighborhood — it was outside her office in Winter Park, too, and at her son’s preschool.

“This morning, it was just so bad,” she said. “I have a 4-year-old, and he was like, ‘It smells like rotten eggs out here, Mommy.’ ”

The stench was reported in Orlando, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Oviedo and Lake County, among other communities. Many took to social media Tuesday to complain.