MOLD, FUMES, TOXIC WATER GREET THOSE WHO RETURN
Residents of Harris County, Texas, returning to an estimated 156,000 homes flooded by Harvey face dangers from mold, electrical hazards, and deadly fumes and toxins in the receding water.
The death toll has risen to 42, with a house- by- house search for survivors continuing. President Trump has asked Congress for about $ 7.9 billion in federal disaster relief.
More than 440,000 people have applied for financial assistance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday. An estimated 156,000 dwellings in Harris County — more than 10% of all structures — were damaged by flooding, according to the flood control district.
“We’re going to miss this place,” Silvia Casas said as she and her family surveyed the destruction in their neighborhood near Crosby, northeast of downtown Houston.
Inside her house, a pile of furniture and splintered belongings sat in the middle of the floor. Dangers remain as the water recedes. Mold can cause coughing and asthma attacks when spores are inhaled, making it dangerous for people with chronic breathing conditions. Mold can start growing a day or two after flooding, and the hurricane arrived Aug. 25, more than a week ago.
Experts urge residents to dry out their homes as soon as possible. Waterlogged material such as carpet and drywall must be removed. Hard surfaces should be disinfected by scrubbing with a cup of bleach in every gallon of water.
“That little spot of mold can grow in the home, especially in the heat of the South,” said Parham Jaberi of the Louisiana Department of Health.
But this advice could be difficult to carry out: Parts of Houston are expected to remain flooded for two weeks as Harris County releases water from the Addicks Reservoir.
Sagging ceilings, slippery floors and rough edges of debris represent threats of wounds from cuts or punctures.
For anyone who does suffer an injury, such as a cut or puncture wound, the Texas Department of State Health Services is urging tetanus shots for those who haven’t gotten them in the last 10 years.
At least one person died in Harvey’s aftermath from stepping on a live electrical wire in ankle- deep water.
Another risk is that carbon monoxide fumes from generators could build up in homes without electricity, said Renee Funk of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Charcoal grills and camp stoves, if used indoors, also could produce dangerous buildup.
“Any sort of roof over a generator is actually a problem,” Funk said.
The floodwater isn’t safe for children to play in. It can have high levels of sewage or other hazardous substances, which cause flu- like ailments such as intestinal problems and headaches, the Environmental Protection Agency warns.
One of the chemical risks was illustrated by the explosions and fire at a chemical plant in Crosby. Emergency officials evacuated about 5,000 people Tuesday from an area within 1.5 miles of the plant.
Explosions echoed from the plant as floodwaters engulfed it and cut off its emergency generators.
Flames and thick black smoke poured out Friday after unstable compounds stored in two trailers blew up, after the generators failed to refrigerate organic peroxides used to make plastics and paints.
Six more trailers are expected to catch fire within days, according to spokeswoman Janet Smith.