Yep, that Hurricane Sandy induced mold issue in the Rockaways isn't going away

Image source: NYDN

A few weeks ago we wrote about the mold and black mold that is developing in the soaked materials and structures in the still storm ravaged Rockaways. According to the NY Daily News, on Saturday 12/15 Far Rockaway residents marched through their community “to call on Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to fix dangerous conditions caused by the mold, lack of heat and absence of electricity they are enduring.”

One of the problems with mold is that it doesn’t usually stay put. It send out spores and propagates that way, and when an entire neighborhood is mold-ridden, the whole area can feel saturated. There is a cough that has developed, too – locals are calling it the Sandy Cough – which has been encouraged by both the mold spores in the air as well as all the dust churned up.

Pete Nagy, campaign director for New York Communities for Change, and one of the march organizers, said, “The mold is making people sick. It’s creating a dangerous situation for the families here.”

It is still a difficult life in the Rockaways. The FEMA/NYC project Rapid Repair – a free program to help residential property owners affected by Hurricane Sandy make emergency repairs – has been implemented but people are still feeling forgotten.

Hurricane Sandy victims in Far Rockaway call on city to fix the mold before it gets cold [NYDN]
More Hurricane Sandy aftereffects – do not mess with the black mold [QNYC]