Flood zones fight to get back to normal; mold a danger

[Guest guest]

I just posted this same article on the New Orleans forum. It was

deleted immediately. You think the reason may be they are not

telling the public down there the truth?

Flood zones fight to get back to normal; mold a danger

http://www.ecnnews.com/cgi-bin/15/etstory.pl?-sec-News+fn-fn-fn-fn-

fn-floodupdate.mvo-20060522-fn

By Mark E. Vogler

Staff Writer

One week after one of the most destructive floods this century, the

lower Merrimack Valley is determined to get back to normal.

Schools were to reopen today in Lawrence and Methuen for the first

time in 10 days.

Officials also hoped to close the emergency shelter at the Methuen

High School field house and relocate about 80 people who still

remained homeless as of last night.

The American Red Cross of the Merrimack Valley over the weekend

began distributing several thousand " clean-up kits " of gloves,

brooms, hoses, buckets, rags, cleaning agents and other items to

help clean up the damp, wet cellars that are a breeding ground for

mold.

" The hardest thing in the weeks ahead is for people to understand

this is not going to be a quick fix — but a very challenging thing

to deal with, " said Zincola, executive director of the area

Red Cross office, based in Haverhill.

" It's really going to take a community solution for the recovery

effort. We've only just begun. It should be 'all hands on deck' for

the many weeks ahead, " she said.

Officials in Haverhill, Lawrence and Methuen are also counting on

help from the federal and state emergency management and other

agencies to provide financial assistance to business operators, home

owners and others.

They were hoping to hear by today whether the federal government had

declared Massachusetts eligible for disaster relief.

" The governor is confident that the state of Massachusetts will

qualify, " said Myles Burke, Lawrence Mayor Sullivan's chief

of staff, one of several area officials who met in a two-hour

briefing session that Gov. Mitt Romney had yesterday with

representatives of 27 communities affected by the flood.

Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey was expected to be in Lawrence early today,

followed by U.S. Sen. Kerry, both of whom wanted to survey the

toll of the flooding on the city firsthand and see how they could

bolster the city's application for assistance and other resources,

according to Burke.

Methuen Mayor Manzi said yesterday's meeting with the

governor and representatives of the Federal Emergency Management

Agency and other government agencies involved in the relief effort

helped to clarify misconceptions about how much FEMA will help

business and residential flood victims.

" FEMA is not an insurance company, and that's an important concept

for people to realize, " Manzi said last night.

" The governor cited $27,000 as the maximum they can give you whether

you're a business or an individual, " he said.

But a FEMA official attending the meeting indicated it was very rare

that anyone got the full $27,000, and the average was about $5,000.

" Their job is to get you back in your home, but they're not a

secondary insurer, " Manzi said.

Meanwhile, the state is holding up on what kind of assistance it

will guarantee to cities and towns, pending commitments from FEMA,

Manzi said.

" The state is not willing to unveil any package until after FEMA

acts, " he said.

" After FEMA acts, the state guarantees some action in areas where

FEMA was deficient. After the federal declaration, which appears to

be almost a certainty, it's a little bit complex about how FEMA will

help out. But we got a few more details today, " he said.

Another issue confronting cities and towns is how to close their

books on the fiscal budget year, which ends June 30th. With complete

damage estimates still up in the air and other flood-related costs —

like overtime and road repairs — still undetermined, the state will

have to make special allowances this year for the communities

hardest hit by the floods.

" We submitted a preliminary estimate of $1.3 million on municipal

side for overtime and other costs — but that's very preliminary, "

Manzi said.

Burke estimated the flooding's toll on municipal government in

Lawrence to be $11 million to $12 million, primarily for damage to

roads and overtime costs.

" We're looking at potential rebuilding of three bridges — the Falls

Bridge, Hampshire Bridge and Daisy/Holly Street Bridge, " Burke said.

When the lieutenant governor arrives this morning, she is expected

to bring with her help from the Massachusetts Highway Department to

aid in the cleanup of Lawrence streets: a fleet of front end

loaders, dump truck and drivers, Burke said.

A team of 20 volunteers from the Trauma Intervention Program of the

Merrimack Valley has adopted a new role to add to his customary

tasks of providing blankets, teddy bears, quilts, information and

counseling services to Merrimack Valley flood victims.

Besides working with the local first responders and municipal

employees in assisting people traumatized by the floods, the group

is also helping to circulate literature prepared by the federal

government on how to respond to mold problems, according to TIP's

executive director Jayan Landry Conlin.

" As most of the residents have power restored, we are beginning to

see evidence of black mold exposure, which is a health concern, "

Conlin said.

" We're seeing a lot of the symptoms: the head aches, the watery

eyes, people having difficulty concentrating, runny noses, aches and

pains and eye irritation. We're particularly concerned about

respiratory problems with children who suffer from asthma, " she said.

Burke estimated that about 1,200 homes and 300 businesses were

affected one way or another by the flooding in Lawrence, and most

could be facing mold problems.

" We have a community with high incidence rate of asthma, lead paint

and lung issues. So, we need to make sure our people are kept well-

informed about potential problems of mold, " Burke said.