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PAGE 12 • OCTOBER 10 - OCTOBER 16, 2024<br />
Deeply Rooted<br />
www.thewestsidegazette.com<br />
How to prevent toxic chemical sickness and mold after storm flooding<br />
By Jessica Meszaros |<br />
WUSF (Source: Florida<br />
Courier)<br />
If you still have moisture<br />
from Hurricane Helene<br />
in your home or business,<br />
an expert shares some<br />
important tips on how to<br />
prevent health impacts from<br />
flooding and the cleanup<br />
afterward.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re’s one critical thing<br />
people can do to prevent<br />
Lauderhill Signs<br />
Historic<br />
Three-Year Police<br />
Union Contract<br />
L to R: President Sgt. Joseph Nistor and City Manager<br />
Desorae Giles-Smith, Vice President Det. Sam Smith<br />
and FOP Representative Sean Kelly.<br />
City Manager Desorae Giles-Smith and<br />
FOP President Sgt. Joseph Nistor sealed<br />
the deal on September 30th, alongside<br />
key negotiators Vice President Det.<br />
Sam Smith and FOP Representative<br />
Sean Kelly. This mutually beneficial<br />
agreement outlines employment terms<br />
and conditions, fostering a stronger citylaw<br />
enforcement partnership.”<br />
mold build-up after flooding:<br />
“Anywhere you have<br />
drywall on the floor, and if<br />
water touched that area,<br />
all of that area must be<br />
removed with drywalls right<br />
away, at least going couple<br />
of feet higher than wherever<br />
you have the water,” said<br />
Naresh Kumar, a researcher<br />
at the University of Miami<br />
studying the health effects<br />
of flooding from hurricanes.<br />
After you remove all<br />
the wet dry-wall, wood and<br />
fibers, use floor fans so the<br />
area can dry out as soon as<br />
possible.<br />
“And if you don’t do that,<br />
within three to seven days,<br />
when moisture will begin<br />
to build up, you will begin<br />
to see mold spores will be<br />
CARTLTON B. MOORE<br />
FRIENDS AND FAMILY DAY<br />
<strong>The</strong> community came<br />
out on this past Saturday<br />
to join Carlton B. Moore<br />
Freedom Foundation, along<br />
with the HOT105 family,<br />
and legendary #chicothevirgo<br />
at Osswald Park in Fort<br />
Lauderdale as we celebrated<br />
the Fifth Annual Friends and<br />
Family Day in honor of the<br />
late Fort Lauderdale City<br />
Commissioner Carlton B.<br />
Moore.<br />
*Event Highlights:*<br />
*Live Music_ to get you<br />
grooving<br />
*Food Trucks_ serving up<br />
delicious eats<br />
*Games_ and activities for all<br />
ages<br />
*Marketplace_ featuring local<br />
vendors<br />
*Kids’ Zone_ for the little ones<br />
to enjoy<br />
<strong>The</strong> community Came out<br />
and show love while having a<br />
blast with the whole family!<br />
L to r: Carlton B. Moore Forrest Moore’s son of the late<br />
Carlton B. Moore; City of Fort Lauderdale Commissioner<br />
Pam Beasley-Pittman, holdingand presented the Plaque<br />
and City of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis and<br />
Chico the Virgo Sylvester Wesley from HOT105 Radio.<br />
<strong>The</strong> floor of a hallway is stripped to treat the mold<br />
infestation.<br />
(GABRIELLA PAUL/WUSF)<br />
popping up,” Kumar said.<br />
Rather than run your air<br />
conditioner, open windows<br />
and doors while using the<br />
floor fans.<br />
Black mold can form in<br />
your home or business after<br />
extreme flooding events, like<br />
Helene.<br />
Allergic reactions include<br />
headache, runny nose, and<br />
coughing.<br />
“And if you have<br />
pulmonary disease, that’s<br />
going to further exacerbate<br />
the effect of this mold,” said<br />
Kumar.<br />
He said the architectural<br />
designs and building<br />
materials typically used in<br />
Florida are not appropriate<br />
for the amount of moisture<br />
we get here.<br />
“Instead of using a simple,<br />
cheap drywall, use Durock.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y are made of cement.<br />
So even if water hits them,<br />
it will absorb and mold will<br />
not pop up,” Kumar said.<br />
Safe versus hazardous<br />
cleaning<br />
During the height of the<br />
COVID-19 pandemic, Kumar<br />
and his team in- stalled<br />
sensors in residents’ homes.<br />
He said people were using<br />
more strong disinfectants<br />
during that time, which led<br />
to ammonium concentration<br />
increasing dramatically in<br />
the air.<br />
And people were<br />
complaining about allergylike<br />
symptoms.<br />
“Any person I talk to,<br />
they complain about their<br />
allergy symptoms, and one<br />
of the reasons is without<br />
even paying close attention<br />
to these strong disinfectants<br />
which are very hazardous,<br />
somewhat. Most of them are<br />
chlorine-based ammonia,”<br />
Kumar said.<br />
Unless you ventilate the<br />
space while using chlorinebased<br />
ammonia products,<br />
Kumar said they are<br />
extremely dangerous.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>y react very abruptly,<br />
onset allergy, asthma, all<br />
these symptoms will flare up<br />
… Do not enter in that space<br />
unless you can run a sensor<br />
that detects the chlorine,<br />
ammonium chloride and<br />
other free radicals,” Kumar<br />
said.<br />
Alternate non-toxic<br />
cleaning options include<br />
using vinegar and baking<br />
soda, or soapy water.