Heavy Rains and Hurricanes Clear a Path for Supercharged Mold

This year's rainy season was record-breaking, with nearly 60 inches of rain in Wilmington, North Carolina, and broken rainfall records in Scranton, Pennsylvania., Wisconsin, Colorado, and Maryland. With the rain comes mold, and mold can cause serious health problems for residents. Many molds are associated with allergy or asthma attacks; some have been linked to serious complications in immune-compromised populations and cancer. The rainy season has helped increase mold growth, and many homeowners have shelled out hundreds of dollars on tests. "This year there's just a lot of mold tests being done," says Michael Berg of EMLab P&K, one of the biggest U.S. mold-testing companies. He says staffing has become a challenge after two hurricanes and relentless storms along the Eastern Seaboard, noting that "we are struggling, as far as having enough hands on deck in a year like this." Another problem with mold today is that many energy-efficient homes are designed to capture and conserve heat, which means they can trap moisture and prevent ventilation, creating the perfect environment for mold.

Scientific American (12/04/18) Erik Vance; Michael Berg; Naresh Magan; et al.