Mold Ups Number of Uninhabitable Homes After Hurricane Michael
Parker, Fla., Mayor Rich Musgrave estimates that one third of the roughly 2,500 homes in the city did not survive the impact of Hurricane Michael, but many more houses are being affected by a byproduct of the storm: mold. He says, "I would have probably said just a third if it was wind only, but because of intrusion and mold I would push that up to a half. I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up 60 percent." Thousands of homes across the region sustained major structural damage from the storm, but even homes that are relatively unscathed face the dangers of mold as days without power and humidity add up. Mold technician Andy Passanise says mold typically shows up in 72 hours, and rain in the forecast heightens those odds. Mold remediation experts recommend ripping out everything affected by mold, especially if the materials are permeable.