Mold in Mississippi

[Guest guest]

I thought that bleach was not effective with mold

removal?

Mold and bacteria present problems for relief

By Amber Trueblood/Journal Staff Writer

LONG BEACH, Miss. - As rescue operations cease and

rebuilding efforts begin, this town just west of

Biloxi is battling two formidable challenges; mold and

infections.

Red Cross nurses have set up stations within the town

and offered tetanus vaccinations to volunteer workers

on the spot. The vaccinations, given free of charge,

are intended to protect workers against the deadly

rust and torn metal that covers the city. There is no

protection, however, from the city's second largest

foe.

Black mold is infecting the city and taking over the

homes that still stand in Long Beach, which faced the

wrath of Hurricane Katrina. Symptoms of the mold that

is overcoming many homes still standing include

respiratory ailments such as stuffy nose, itchy

throat, wheezing and shortness of breath to more usual

complaints of ear infection, asthma, and bronchitis.

The mold, which occurs in circular black spires,

smears easily and spreads quickly.

Volunteer workers are battling the mold with cases of

bleach that have poured in from donations. The mold

has proved a formidable threat to homes that are still

structurally sound and have sustained minimal to

moderate flood damage. Volunteers outsid! e a home in

Long Beach's Red Zone carried everything from drywall

to carpet outside as they gutted a home close to the

deadly waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The gutting,

which involves removing everything in the house down

to the beams holding up the structure, is essential to

preserve homes that have any chance of surviving

demolition. This helps prevent mold from spreading and

growing underneath the porous drywall or absorbent

carpeting.

The Red Zone, which includes all parts of Long Beach

south of Railroad Street, is being guarded by military

police and provides limited access to the area. Passes

are valid after the fire chief's signature and

prohibit workers from being in the zone after 6 p.m.

On Thursday, passes were issued to residents of the

devastated area. The residents were given temporary

passes from ! morning until 6 p.m. to retrieve any

belongings they could salvage. After Sunday, the area

will be permanently closed off until Health Department

officials give the all-clear to return to the area. No

estimate has been given on how long the evacuees will

be barred from their town that faces heavy demolition

and structural gutting.

Carla Zinner, a volunteer worker from Hannibal, Mo.,

jumped in with both feet to tackle the job at a

parsonage home that was slated for " gutting " on

Friday.

" It's something that just has to be done. It's a

little scary...it smells bad and looks bad, but it's a

service that I can provide for people who might not

get it done themselves, " she said. Donning rubber

gloves, heavy work gloves, and a mask, she headed

inside to battle the mold. Casting a wary eye at the

house, she added, " But I'm throwing these clothes away

when I'm done. "

" I'm doing okay. I'm just, well, I'm doing okay, " said

Don Lambert, pastor of the Long Beach Nazarene Church

and parsonage that was gutted by Zinner and almost 20

other volunteers. Walking through the people and a

growing pile of debris against the road, his stride

was slowed as he stopped to question volunteers how

they were doing. With a long and measured gaze, he

looked at the pile of church pews mounting against the

street as his church was also gutted.

A volunteer worker from New Jersey, identified as

Jack, lined up at one Red Cross station for a tetanus

booster and was given an unpleasant surprise.

" They gave me these, " he said, holding a large plastic

bag of colored pills. " They're antibiotics, and the

nurses said all these scratches I've got were

infected. "

No matter how grim the infection or toxic the mold,

signs of hope still showed themselves in the city.

Outside the parsonage that was systematically taken

apart on Friday, a brave symbol flapped defiantly in

the meager breeze.

An American f! lag was placed next to an overturned

tree and one-story hi gh pile of debris. The flag

waved its red, white, and blue as demolition efforts continued.

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