Tornado victims warned to watch for mold

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February 09, 2007

Tornado victims warned to watch for mold

Daytona Beach News-Journal - Daytona,FL

By BRITTNEY BOOTH

Staff Writer

http://www.news-

journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD03020907.ht

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DELAND -- Amid applying for federal disaster assistance, making an

auto insurance claim and fending off opportunistic contractors, mold

is one more thing on tornado victim Kidd's mind.

The Feb. 2 tornado knocked half a dozen trees on Kidd's manufactured

home. Water seeped in through the ceiling and soaked his belongings.

" We worried about the wetness, " he said. " We've kept the windows

open, because there's no glass in them, and (we've had) fans

running. "

Volusia County Health Department officials are warning those, like

Kidd, affected by the tornado to watch for mold growth.

Florida's humid climate doesn't allow materials to dry quickly,

before people pack up their rescued goods in dark storage places,

providing the optimal mold growing conditions, said

Maglievaz, a indoor air specialist for the Volusia County Health

Department.

" What I see a lot of people doing is trying to get things packed up

as soon as possible, " he said.

The cold days following the tornado may have stunted mold

production, but warmer temperatures will spur the growth, he said.

When the mold dies, it turns to a powdery form and " that's the stuff

that does people in as far as giving them the allergy or cold

symptoms, " he said. " Sometimes the dust won't smell or you can't see

it. "

The Health Department's DeLand office damaged in the storm is

relying on dehumidifiers to dry doused items. Washing moldy clothing

often alleviates the problem, as does freezing items like books or

papers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Specialized remediation equipment, such as a water extraction

vacuum, may be necessary to dry carpets or cinder block surfaces.

" If you have a catastrophic level of damage, that's when you might

want a specialist, " Maglievaz said.

brittney.booth@...

TIPS ON MOLD

Wet or damp items should not be stored.

For detailed mold information, visit www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.html.

For cleanup and mold prevention, visit www.epa.gov/mold/table1.html

and www.epa.gov/mold/table2.html

For more information, contact the Volusia County Health Department

at (386) 274-0694, the Florida Department of Health's Indoor Air

Toxics hotline at (800) 543-8279 or the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency's Indoor Air Quality hotline at (800) 438-4318.