The Dees Diversion: There's a bad smell all over

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

There's a bad smell all over

Those of us who evacuated from Katrina and left food in our refrigerators and freezers came home to a bad smell. A couple of days of baking soda or charcoal took care of that. But people whose houses were flooded were lucky if they found their refrigerators on top of their kitchen counters or floating in their yards. They will probably get replacement appliances.

Those who can still plug in their refrigerators, washing machines, and dryers may be out of luck. Many have already been denied replacement appliances by FEMA because their appliances "still work." Those appliances, of course, will not work for long, for their vents are filled with toxins and mold.

2 Comments:

The mold situation really freaks me out! Even a little of it here after the rains can give me asthmatic allergies (and that's in Los Angeles!). What are people going to do? It's nearly impossible to get rid of, isn't it?

As if just the structural damage and threat of disease from standing water weren't enough! What is FEMA doing about the mold, anything?

By Unknown, at 11:15 AM

There is nothing you can do about the appliances in most cases, but wait for them to die. The mold in the walls can be removed by ripping out all of the sheetrock and treating the beams. People use bleach, but professionals say that bleach is insufficient-that you have to have other chemicals as well. I don't know. I'm wondering if TA-20 would work just as well as what the pros sell--a lot cheaper.

I don't know if homeowners insurance pays for mold treatment; I've never had to deal with that because I've never had a flooded house. If insurance doesn't cover it, FEMA would have to, and good luck.

By Anonymous, at 11:39 AM