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Fourteen months after Hurricane Sandy struck the New Jersey coast, residents on Mystic Island are still battling against many consequences of the storm, not least among them insidious toxic mold.
While some have moved back into their residences in the months after the superstorm, others aren’t sure how to move forward as the walls of their houses blacken with mold, and as experts tell them that the air quality of the interior may be harmful to human health.
Joanne Irvolino has repaired her home and moved back in following the storm. She reports that while her home is now free of mold, her neighbors’ unoccupied homes suffer from so much mold damage that she can’t open her windows due to the smell. What began as water damage last year has turned into a huge fungi takeover that involves many types of mold.
Currently, the New Jersey Health Department is offering training sessions to homeowners and volunteers regarding the safe and effective removal of mold.
At the same time, researchers are studying what the long-term effects of mold might be, as well as how mold presents in different regions of the country after a severe storm or flooding incident. Specifically, researchers at Rutgers University are comparing mold growth in Mystic Island homes to mold growth in New Orleans homes affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Plant biology professor Arati Inamdar, who moved to New Jersey after being displaced by Katrina, is contrasting samples of mold from her old home with samples found just miles from her new one.
Mold damage is covered by insurance policies in limited scenarios. To learn more about your own Hurricane Sandy claim or mold claim, contact The Voss Law Firm today: 888-614-7730.
