Once Hurricane Sandy has passed through your area, you may be thinking the worst is over. But the aftermath of the hurricane brings hazards of its own.
WYTV.com has passed on advice and information from WebMD in dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. As the water from flooding recedes, mold and bacteria remains.
Mold is dangerous even for normally healthy people. If you have any breathing problems like asthma or allergies, you must be even more careful about mold.
Mold exposure can cause pain and aching, fatigue, sore throat, a well as shortness of breath and wheezing.
According to the Huffington Post, the New York State Department of Health said that organic material like some carpet padding and ceiling tile are ideal havens for mold spores to germinate.
Breathing in mold spores can cause breathing problems, congestion, coughing and sinus infections. It can also cause skin and eye infections. Lung disease can be exacerbated.
Those whose immune systems are compromised by certain health conditions or chemotherapy can be especially vulnerable.
WebMD cautioned that if you were subject to flooding, sewage may have caused an influx of bacteria to your home. Infection to your skin and gastrointestinal tract can be the result.
Rebecca Morley, executive director of the nonprofit organization National Center for Healthy Housing, advised that you need to work fast if you can, ideally cleaning up within the first 24 to 36 hours.
Some things you may be able to do yourself. Soak up or pump away standing water in your home. But you would be safer to get emergency workers to go in first if flooding has been in contact with electrical circuitry like fuse boxes.
A restoration company may be the right choice if you have deep water. If sewage is an element of the floodwaters in your home, professional help can be the safest, fastest way to clean up.
Some of your belongings may have been blown away, destroyed or floated away. But some of what you have left may also have to go for safety's sake.
Carpets may just need to be treated with a dry vac or steamcleaned. Fans and dehumidifiers will help with moisture -- the bigger the better. Moving air will help to dry things out.
Moldings and baseboards should be disposed of. Cutting opening on wall bases will help things air out.
In moderate cases, detergent and hot water will clean hard surfaces.
If you can't get to the mold quick enough, take the advice from the CDC and the EPA and have a professional come and take on mold that is spread over more than an area of 10 feet by 10 feet, or 100 square feet.
The EPA cautions against use of biocides like chlorine bleach. Biocides are chemicals that will kill off living organisms. If you do opt for bleach, use no more than a cup per each gallon of water. Do not under any circumstances use ammonia with bleach.
Some things just can't be salvaged. If these have been immersed under water or if they have a look or odor of mold, be tough and throw them out.
Saturated rugs, including padding, and upholstered furniture should go. Paper and books that were soaked are also unsafe. Air conditioners, computers and microwaves that have been submerged or sitting in moldy areas, are not fit to keep. Food is now toxic.
You may be able to hang on to hard objects that can be cleaned off and have not absorbed toxins. Appliances and electronics that have not been immersed or in contact with mold may be safe. Some paper and books may be alright but don't take chances if there is any doubt as to their condition.
Don't breathe in the mold while you are working to get rid of it. You can get an N95 respirator mask from the hardware store. Work boots and gloves that are puncture-proof offer protection.
You have survived Hurricane Sandy. Stay safe during the cleanup of its aftermath.
Sources:
Act Quickly to Beat Mold After a Flood. WYTV.com. Retrieved Oct. 30, 2012.
http://www.wytv.com/webmd/health/story/Act-Quickly-to-Beat-Mold-After-a-...
Mold After Flooding Could Pose Health Risk, Cause Respiratory Symptoms. Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved Oct. 30, 2012.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/30/mold-flooding-health-respirator...
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Reviewed October 31, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN