Hurricane Winds and Historic Rains Leave Behind Mold in Commercial & Residential Buildings across Puerto Rico

When Hurricane Maria made landfall on the coast of Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm, it was one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever hit the islands. A Category 4 hurricane has sustained winds of 130 to 156 mph which can easily cause severe damage to many building types.
 
In addition to the powerful hurricane winds, Hurricane Maria also dropped near record amounts of rain in many parts of the islands. Some areas saw dozens of inches of precipitation that fell in a short period of time. This heavy rainfall resulted in widespread flooding that caused havoc in areas already damaged by hours of battering winds.
 
The one-two punch of wind and rain left tens of thousands of residential, commercial and institutional properties with varying degrees of interior water damage. With little to no electricity in many areas still, property owners, managers and tenants have not been able to completely remove all of the water and moisture in many circumstances. This has resulted in additional damage to building materials, furnishing and personal belongings due to the rapid growth of mold in many instances.
 
“Mold is a serious exposure concern as people across the islands repair their homes and begin to reopen businesses, schools, government institutions and healthcare facilities,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “Mold is a known allergen, respiratory irritants, asthma trigger for some with the condition, and some types can even cause opportunistic infections in people with a weakened or suppressed immune system.”
 
Helping communities and businesses inspect and safely repair and rebuild are the building science experts at Zimmetry Environmental. Zimmetry opened their doors in Puerto Rico over 15 years ago and have been serving the islands’ residents ever since. Their professionals offer indoor environmental quality (IEQ) testing and monitoring services for mold, lead, asbestos, sewage, chemicals and other indoor environmental contaminants, pollutants and exposure hazards associated with hurricane damage.  These services help to protect workers and building occupants today and in the future.     
 
To learn more about Zimmetry Environmental and their building science, indoor environmental quality, compliance and consulting services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .
 
About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals and Fortune 500 companies.  The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America.  The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs and general environmental consulting services.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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