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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.

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