Widespread Flooding in Tampa Causes Property Damage and Health Concerns

The first three days of August brought a month’s worth of rain to Tampa.  Parts of the metro area reportedly received up to 18 inches of rain and the region recorded measurable rain for 14 days straight.

With the area soaked, the rain had nowhere to go. In many parts of the city, flooding and leaking homes and buildings resulted in extensive property damage.   Now that the floodwaters have receded, residents with soaked properties have been making repairs.  

“It’s important that people recognize that standing water and wet materials in buildings are a breeding ground for microorganisms, including mold,” said Joseph Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “In fact, mold will begin to grow in less than 48 hours if materials stay wet and it’s not enough to just dry and clean visible areas. Crawl spaces, wall cavities, attics and other areas that are wet and out of sight can quickly become breeding grounds for mold.  Also, any existing mold can become airborne during cleanup and rebuilding efforts.  If inhaled, it could cause disease or trigger asthma and allergic reactions in some people.” 

Additional health and safety concerns for those with water-damaged properties include the possible presence of lead-based paints and asbestos-containing materials. Residents should be aware of these hazards that can still be found in many older residential and commercial buildings.

To help identify these and other indoor environmental hazards, EMSL has multiple laboratories located across Florida to serve Tampa’s flood damage victims. Sampling supplies, easy-to-use test kits and a comprehensive array of testing services are available. To learn more about EMSL’s indoor environmental test kits, please visit www.EMSLTestKits.com. EMSL also recently sponsored a video about flood cleanup and indoor air quality issues that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/3Q1tnHFkPF0.

To learn more about mold, indoor air quality or other environmental, health and safety issues, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com.

 

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

(1) (856) 303-2503

Contact via E-mail