Homeowner’s and Renter’s Guide to Mold Cleanup After Disasters

From the CDC:

Was your home flooded? If so, and you were not able to dry your home (including furniture and other items) within 24-48 hours, you should assume you have mold growth.

You and your family should wait to re-enter your home until professionals tell you it is safe, with no structural, electrical or other hazards. Before you start cleanup activities, contact your insurance company and take pictures of the home and your belongings. Remember – drying your home and removing water-damaged items is your most important step for preventing mold damage.

 See the CDC site for more.

Flash Flooding

A tragic event: at least nine people were killed by a flash flood in Arizona. It was sunny with no sign of rain, but a storm upriver generated it.

Video

Here is advice from the National Weather Service:

FLASH FLOOD SAFETY
http://www.floodsafety.noaa.gov/

On average, more people are killed by flooding than by any other single severe weather hazard, including tornadoes, lightning, and hurricanes. Most of these deaths occur at night, when it is more difficult to recognize flood dangers, and when people are trapped in vehicles.

Remember…

Hurricane Agnes Anniversary

The picture at right looks like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, but it was Elkridge, Maryland 40 years ago, after Hurricane Agnes.

Agnes did tremendous damage to the Mid-Atlantic, even though it had weakened to a tropical storm by then. At the time, it was the most costly storm ever, doing over $11 billion in damage (in 2011 dollars). It also killed 128 people.

In Florida, Agnes spawned 28 tornadoes. In DC, it flooded the National Zoo, and the Potomac River rose 15½ feet next to Georgetown. It also caused the greatest flooding ever recorded in Maryland, with bridges washed out in Laurel, and Ellicott City under as much as 14½ feet of water. The entire state of Pennsylvania was declared a disaster area.

A slideshow is after the jump.

Preparing for Tsunamis in the U.S.

After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) added to its tsunami sensors so they now ring most of the Pacific Ocean. As a result, Hawaii was warned about the recent Japan tsunami 7 hours before it reached them.

Sensors are also in the Atlantic. It's highly unlikely one will happen there -- but one possible scenario could dwarf what happened in Japan.

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Dramatic tsunami during-and-after photos [The Atlantic]

Slideshow of satellite before-and-after photos [Picasa]

Video of the earthquake happening - views from streets and inside various buildings [Russia Today]

Aerial view of tsunami approaching the shore, bulldozing Sendai, and spreading across farmland. [Russia Today] [AP] [BBC]