Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Houston and their families during this tremendously tough time as they are at the mercy of Mother Nature, watching the water rise around them.
Those of us familiar with natural disasters and emergency response know all too well that flooding is only the beginning of the battle. As the flood waters recede mold will move in, infesting homes and causing health problems in unsuspecting people.
After hurricanes Katrina and Matthew we saw stunning examples of how bad mold infestations can be (check out some amazing photos here), but it also gave us the opportunity to learn from the mistakes made in dealing with it, namely, ignoring it. Many people overlook mold dismissing it as harmless, but in reality even the types of mold that aren’t specifically toxic can cause health issues.
Lack of awareness is one of the biggest issues with mold according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/08/mold-city/538224/). We need to start thinking about mold in the way we think about other environmental hazards, such as asbestos and lead. Just because the mold infestation isn’t “that bad” doesn’t mean it’s safe to ignore it.
We urge everyone whose homes have been exposed to flooding or water damage to take care when reentering their homes and to seek professional help in dealing with mold problems. Doing so can literally save you the headaches (among other things) that mold can cause. The Atlantic published an interesting article by James Hamblin called “The Looming Consequences of Breathing Mold” please take the time to check it out!
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