If you still have moisture from Hurricane Helene in your home or business, an expert shares some important tips on how to prevent harmful health effects from the flooding and cleanup.
Preventing black mold
There's one critical thing people can do to prevent mold buildup after flooding:
"Anywhere you have drywall on the floor, and if water touched that area, all of that area must be removed ... right away, at least going (a) couple of feet higher than wherever you have the water,” said Naresh Kumar, a researcher at the University of Miami studying the health effects of flooding from hurricanes.
After you remove all the wet drywall, wood and fibers, use floor fans so the area can dry out as soon as possible.
"And if you don't do that, within three to seven days, when moisture will begin to build up, you will begin to see mold spores will be popping up," Kumar said.
Rather than run your air conditioner, open windows and doors while using the floor fans.
Black mold can form in your home or business after extreme flooding events, like Helene.
Allergic reactions include headache, runny nose, and coughing.
"And if you have pulmonary disease, that's going to further exacerbate the effect of this mold," said Kumar.
He said the architectural designs and building materials typically used in Florida are not appropriate for the amount of moisture the region receives.
"Instead of using a simple, cheap drywall, use Durock. They are made of cement. So even if water hits them, it will absorb and mold will not pop up," Kumar said.
Safe versus hazardous cleaning
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kumar and his team installed sensors in residents’ homes. He said people were using more strong disinfectants during that time, which led to ammonium concentration increasing dramatically in the air.
And people were complaining about allergy-like symptoms.
“Any person I talk to, they complain about their allergy symptoms, and one of the reasons is without even paying close attention to these strong disinfectants, which are very hazardous, somewhat, most of them are chlorine-based ammonia,” Kumar said.
Unless you ventilate the space while using chlorine-based ammonia products, Kumar said they are extremely dangerous.
“They react very abruptly; onset allergy, asthma, all these symptoms will flare up. … Do not enter in that space unless you can run a sensor that detects the chlorine, ammonium chloride and other free radicals,” Kumar said.
Alternate nontoxic cleaning options include using vinegar and baking soda, or soapy water.
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