Poor in GA struggle with mold infested homes

[Guest guest]

Poor in GA struggle with

mold infested homes

http://www.disasternews.net/news/news.php?articleid=2477

HEATHER MOYER

FOLKSTON, GA (November 15, 2004) —

Black mold is invading the homes of some of Georgia's poorest

families.

Black mold covers the walls in a Georgia home flooded in Hurricane

Jeanne. Local officials say they are unable to assist homeowners.

(Photo courtesy of Bob Tribble, GAVOAD)

" We've got 81 homes with problems down here – people are having to

live

in homes full of black mold, " said Monroe " Bo " Todd, Charlton

County,

Ga., emergency manager. Flooding from this season's four hurricanes

seriously damaged homes in southern Georgia's poorest counties.

The St. 's River separates Charlton County from northeast

Florida.

Last week local officials learned the county was one of 13 southern

Georgia counties that did not receive a federal disaster declaration

for Hurricane Jeanne.

Across the counties, a preliminary damage assessment showed

approximately 100 homes that were either destroyed or suffering

major

damage – but that was just a preliminary estimate, said one Federal

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official.

The region had already been hit hard with unemployment before the

hurricanes struck. " People here are in very bad need of homes and

money, " said Todd. " Many don't have jobs. And we have no money to

help

these folks. "

Nearly 20% of the county's families live below the poverty level. In

Folkston, the county seat and Charton County's only major city,

census

data shows more than 26% of families live below the poverty level.

Representatives from the Georgia chapter of Voluntary Organizations

Active in Disasters (GAVOAD) toured some of the homes. " The scene

was

very disheartening, " wrote GAVOAD vice president Bob Tribble in an

appeal letter. " The smell of mold was in every house we visited, the

walls were covered with ugly black mold, and floors (were) turning

up. "

According to FEMA Spokesman McIntyre, federal disaster

declarations for individual assistance are determined on a case-by-

case

basis. He said preliminary damage inspections done by state and

federal

officials, the number of insured residents, and the state's ability

to

assist in the area's recovery are all used to determine a county's

eligibility for assistance.

Across Georgia, 550 requests for aid have come from non-declared

counties. The other 12 counties denied the federal declaration last

Tuesday were , , Lowndes, Echols, Clinch, Ware, Camden,

Berrien, Atkinson, Irwin, Crisp, and Tattnall.

Similar to Charlton County's economic make-up, US Census Bureau data

from the year 2000 shows that almost all of these 12 counties have

18-20% of their populations living below the US poverty level. The

highest numbers of aid requests came from , Camden, Lowndes,

and

Charlton Counties.

Todd said without the federal declaration, Charlton County

commissioners and the City of Folkston are not able to do much for

the

affected families. The flooding that hit the county is the worst

Todd

has ever seen.

" There are a lot of frustrations down here. Housing is the biggest

need

right now. "

Todd is now appealing to other organizations for assistance.

Tribble, who also serves as the disaster response coordinator for

Lutheran Disaster Response in Georgia, said the news of the denied

federal declaration is very disheartening.

" These people are on their own now. The only possibility for help

for

them is for long term recovery committees – which I'm working on

right

now. We plan on covering every county that has a need. "

Forming the long term recovery teams will not be an easy task. " It's

going to be tough because these are very rural counties without many

assets, " Tribble added.

Posted November 16, 2004 10:03 AM

[Guest guest]

Why can't these counties be added to the federal disaster declaration

now? Sounds like some government officials (elected and non-elected)

have fallen down on the job. Shame on them.

Thank God for the other agencies who are trying to help now.

--- In , " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2C@n...>

wrote:

>

> Poor in GA struggle with

> mold infested homes

>

> http://www.disasternews.net/news/news.php?articleid=2477

>

> HEATHER MOYER

>

>

> FOLKSTON, GA (November 15, 2004) —

> Black mold is invading the homes of some of Georgia's poorest

> families.

>

>

> Black mold covers the walls in a Georgia home flooded in Hurricane

>

> Jeanne. Local officials say they are unable to assist homeowners.

>

> (Photo courtesy of Bob Tribble, GAVOAD)

>

>

> " We've got 81 homes with problems down here – people are having to

> live

>

> in homes full of black mold, " said Monroe " Bo " Todd, Charlton

> County,

>

> Ga., emergency manager. Flooding from this season's four hurricanes

>

> seriously damaged homes in southern Georgia's poorest counties.

>

>

> The St. 's River separates Charlton County from northeast

> Florida.

>

> Last week local officials learned the county was one of 13 southern

>

> Georgia counties that did not receive a federal disaster

declaration

>

> for Hurricane Jeanne.

>

>

> Across the counties, a preliminary damage assessment showed

>

> approximately 100 homes that were either destroyed or suffering

> major

>

> damage – but that was just a preliminary estimate, said one Federal

>

> Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official.

>

>

> The region had already been hit hard with unemployment before the

>

> hurricanes struck. " People here are in very bad need of homes and

>

> money, " said Todd. " Many don't have jobs. And we have no money to

> help

>

> these folks. "

>

>

> Nearly 20% of the county's families live below the poverty level.

In

>

> Folkston, the county seat and Charton County's only major city,

> census

>

> data shows more than 26% of families live below the poverty level.

>

>

> Representatives from the Georgia chapter of Voluntary Organizations

>

> Active in Disasters (GAVOAD) toured some of the homes. " The scene

> was

>

> very disheartening, " wrote GAVOAD vice president Bob Tribble in an

>

> appeal letter. " The smell of mold was in every house we visited,

the

>

> walls were covered with ugly black mold, and floors (were) turning

> up. "

>

>

> According to FEMA Spokesman McIntyre, federal disaster

>

> declarations for individual assistance are determined on a case-by-

> case

>

> basis. He said preliminary damage inspections done by state and

> federal

>

> officials, the number of insured residents, and the state's ability

> to

>

> assist in the area's recovery are all used to determine a county's

>

> eligibility for assistance.

>

>

> Across Georgia, 550 requests for aid have come from non-declared

>

> counties. The other 12 counties denied the federal declaration last

>

> Tuesday were , , Lowndes, Echols, Clinch, Ware, Camden,

>

> Berrien, Atkinson, Irwin, Crisp, and Tattnall.

>

>

> Similar to Charlton County's economic make-up, US Census Bureau

data

>

> from the year 2000 shows that almost all of these 12 counties have

>

> 18-20% of their populations living below the US poverty level. The

>

> highest numbers of aid requests came from , Camden, Lowndes,

> and

>

> Charlton Counties.

>

>

> Todd said without the federal declaration, Charlton County

>

> commissioners and the City of Folkston are not able to do much for

> the

>

> affected families. The flooding that hit the county is the worst

> Todd

>

> has ever seen.

>

>

> " There are a lot of frustrations down here. Housing is the biggest

> need

>

> right now. "

>

>

> Todd is now appealing to other organizations for assistance.

>

>

> Tribble, who also serves as the disaster response coordinator for

>

> Lutheran Disaster Response in Georgia, said the news of the denied

>

> federal declaration is very disheartening.

>

>

> " These people are on their own now. The only possibility for help

> for

>

> them is for long term recovery committees – which I'm working on

> right

>

> now. We plan on covering every county that has a need. "

>

>

> Forming the long term recovery teams will not be an easy

task. " It's

>

> going to be tough because these are very rural counties without

many

>

> assets, " Tribble added.

>

>

>

> Posted November 16, 2004 10:03 AM

[Guest guest]

Why can't these counties be added to the federal disaster declaration

now? Sounds like some government officials (elected and non-elected)

have fallen down on the job. Shame on them.

Thank God for the other agencies who are trying to help now.

--- In , " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2C@n...>

wrote:

>

> Poor in GA struggle with

> mold infested homes

>

> http://www.disasternews.net/news/news.php?articleid=2477

>

> HEATHER MOYER

>

>

> FOLKSTON, GA (November 15, 2004) —

> Black mold is invading the homes of some of Georgia's poorest

> families.

>

>

> Black mold covers the walls in a Georgia home flooded in Hurricane

>

> Jeanne. Local officials say they are unable to assist homeowners.

>

> (Photo courtesy of Bob Tribble, GAVOAD)

>

>

> " We've got 81 homes with problems down here – people are having to

> live

>

> in homes full of black mold, " said Monroe " Bo " Todd, Charlton

> County,

>

> Ga., emergency manager. Flooding from this season's four hurricanes

>

> seriously damaged homes in southern Georgia's poorest counties.

>

>

> The St. 's River separates Charlton County from northeast

> Florida.

>

> Last week local officials learned the county was one of 13 southern

>

> Georgia counties that did not receive a federal disaster

declaration

>

> for Hurricane Jeanne.

>

>

> Across the counties, a preliminary damage assessment showed

>

> approximately 100 homes that were either destroyed or suffering

> major

>

> damage – but that was just a preliminary estimate, said one Federal

>

> Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official.

>

>

> The region had already been hit hard with unemployment before the

>

> hurricanes struck. " People here are in very bad need of homes and

>

> money, " said Todd. " Many don't have jobs. And we have no money to

> help

>

> these folks. "

>

>

> Nearly 20% of the county's families live below the poverty level.

In

>

> Folkston, the county seat and Charton County's only major city,

> census

>

> data shows more than 26% of families live below the poverty level.

>

>

> Representatives from the Georgia chapter of Voluntary Organizations

>

> Active in Disasters (GAVOAD) toured some of the homes. " The scene

> was

>

> very disheartening, " wrote GAVOAD vice president Bob Tribble in an

>

> appeal letter. " The smell of mold was in every house we visited,

the

>

> walls were covered with ugly black mold, and floors (were) turning

> up. "

>

>

> According to FEMA Spokesman McIntyre, federal disaster

>

> declarations for individual assistance are determined on a case-by-

> case

>

> basis. He said preliminary damage inspections done by state and

> federal

>

> officials, the number of insured residents, and the state's ability

> to

>

> assist in the area's recovery are all used to determine a county's

>

> eligibility for assistance.

>

>

> Across Georgia, 550 requests for aid have come from non-declared

>

> counties. The other 12 counties denied the federal declaration last

>

> Tuesday were , , Lowndes, Echols, Clinch, Ware, Camden,

>

> Berrien, Atkinson, Irwin, Crisp, and Tattnall.

>

>

> Similar to Charlton County's economic make-up, US Census Bureau

data

>

> from the year 2000 shows that almost all of these 12 counties have

>

> 18-20% of their populations living below the US poverty level. The

>

> highest numbers of aid requests came from , Camden, Lowndes,

> and

>

> Charlton Counties.

>

>

> Todd said without the federal declaration, Charlton County

>

> commissioners and the City of Folkston are not able to do much for

> the

>

> affected families. The flooding that hit the county is the worst

> Todd

>

> has ever seen.

>

>

> " There are a lot of frustrations down here. Housing is the biggest

> need

>

> right now. "

>

>

> Todd is now appealing to other organizations for assistance.

>

>

> Tribble, who also serves as the disaster response coordinator for

>

> Lutheran Disaster Response in Georgia, said the news of the denied

>

> federal declaration is very disheartening.

>

>

> " These people are on their own now. The only possibility for help

> for

>

> them is for long term recovery committees – which I'm working on

> right

>

> now. We plan on covering every county that has a need. "

>

>

> Forming the long term recovery teams will not be an easy

task. " It's

>

> going to be tough because these are very rural counties without

many

>

> assets, " Tribble added.

>

>

>

> Posted November 16, 2004 10:03 AM