AUSTIN (KXAN) – Hundreds—if not thousands—of homes across Central Texas have been destroyed or severely damaged over the last two weeks. Experts warn homeowners who have sustained damage to be wary of mold, which can grow rapidly in the humid Texas heat.
“When it starts growing, it starts spreading really fast, and it can get really bad,” said TJ McAvoy, who is currently in Kerr County with the veteran-led disaster relief group Team Rubicon.
“There’s the mold that you see on something you’ve left in your refrigerator. This isn’t that mold,” McAvoy continued. “This is different in this Texas humidity.”
McAvoy and the rest of Team Rubicon are helping clean out flooded homes to prepare homeowners for rebuilding. One of their main priorities has been curbing mold from taking over still-damp residential structures.
“Get the sheet rock out. Get the insulation out. Get the carpet out. Get everything out so we can get bleach sprayed to prevent that mold,” McAvoy said.
“If we can stop the progression of that mold for them, they’re able to get back in and start rebuilding from one of their worst moments,” he added.
Josh Lasch with the Steam Team, an Austin-based water damage restoration company, said mold can begin growing in as little as 48 to 72 hours after a flood.
“If it’s an area without climate control, high humidity, heat—especially right now, given the fact that we’re in the summer,” Lasch said.
He recommends homeowners contact a mold consultant soon after flooding to help preserve the home’s resale value and protect the health of those living there.
“It can cause some significant damage, so it needs to be looked at fairly quickly.”