Hurricane Helene flooding: Mold in your home could cause severe health risks, experts say

The aftermath of Hurricane Helene has brought terrible flooding to the southeast.

With excess water successful the home, there’s an accrued hazard of mold growth, which tin pb to superior wellness risks.

Mold successful your location tin look similar multicolored spots and tin odor musty, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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Mold tin origin a assortment of symptoms, specified arsenic stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing, wheezing, burning eyes and skin rash.

Flood waters inundate the main thoroughfare aft Hurricane Helene passed offshore connected Sept. 27, 2024, successful Tarpon Springs, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

In an quality connected "Fox & Friends," Fox News elder aesculapian expert Dr. Marc Siegel noted that bedewed walls tin pb to mold that mightiness not ever beryllium visible.

Siegel called retired 2 "very superior molds" that he’s astir disquieted about: achromatic mold and aspergillus.

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Black mold tin look arsenic achromatic oregon acheronian greenish splotches, Siegel detailed.

Aspergillus is invasive and tin origin aspergillosis, an corruption that's usually respiratory, according to Mayo Clinic.

Aspergillus mold is invasive and tin origin a respiratory corruption called aspergillosis, according to experts. (iStock)

Both molds tin provoke allergy symptoms and infections, arsenic good arsenic conditions similar hypersensitivity pneumonitis, an allergic absorption that causes inflammation successful the lungs, according to Siegel.

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Mold tin besides trigger breathing conditions similar emphysema oregon asthma, the doc added.

"I’m disquieted astir radical who are immunocompromised and person chronic illnesses," helium said.

For those experiencing allergy symptoms, similar coughing and sneezing, the culprit could beryllium mold, the doc said. (iStock)

"It tin beryllium fatal if you’re immunocompromised oregon if you’ve had a transplant — you tin get a terrible lawsuit of corruption from mold."

People with conditions similar chronic lung illness tin make an corruption successful the lungs, the CDC stated.

How to remedy mold

Mold tin make successful arsenic small arsenic 24 hours, Cleveland Clinic experts reported successful a quality release.

The sooner h2o harm is cleared up, the little hazard determination is for mold to grow, according to Maeve MacMurdo, MD, a pulmonologist for Cleveland Clinic successful Ohio.

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"Obviously, the sooner the better, and it’s hard," she said successful the release. "People are dealing with a lot, but cleaning up the h2o and mold remediation is simply a truly large portion of it."

For those who person regained powerfulness successful their home, Siegel recommends plugging successful a dehumidifier oregon aerial conditioner to adust retired the space.

"Even if it’s chill outside, you privation air-conditioning due to the fact that you privation to get escaped of the humidity," helium said. "The humidity is wherever mold grows."

Employees cleanable up the International Moulding framework store successful Morganton, North Carolina, which was damaged by flood h2o from Hurricane Helene successful September 2024. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

The doc besides recommends utilizing bleach oregon vinegar to hitch down mold spots connected walls – oregon hiring a nonrecreational to observe and region mold.

"There are nonrecreational organizations that tin spot the mold that’s hiding successful the nooks and crannies," Siegel said.

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For mold prevention, the CDC recommends keeping humidity levels astatine nary higher than 50% successful the home.

Air should "flow freely," helped by exhaust fans successful the room and bathroom, according to the aforesaid source.

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Fixing leaks successful the roof, walls and plumbing volition assistance guarantee that nary moisture successful the location turns into mold, experts advise.

Some whitethorn take to prosecute a nonrecreational work to observe and region mold. (iStock)

The CDC besides recommends not utilizing carpet successful rooms wherever determination is much moisture, specified arsenic bathrooms and basements, and replacing carpets and upholstery that person been soaked.

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When cleaning mold spots, ne'er premix bleach with ammonia oregon different cleaners, the bureau warned, arsenic this volition nutrient a poisonous gas.

The CDC warned ne'er to premix bleach with ammonia oregon different cleaners, arsenic this volition nutrient a poisonous gas. (iStock)

It is champion signifier to travel the manufacturer's instructions connected the bleach container's label, unfastened windows to supply caller air, and deterioration rubber boots, gloves and goggles during cleanup, experts advise.

People with persistent symptoms should question medical attention, MacMurdo urged. While the flu play volition bring impermanent viruses, mold symptoms volition proceed to linger.