CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WNCN) — Tropical Depression Chantal sent waves of flooding into homes and businesses across the Triangle area.
While the water may be gone, it could be leaving behind a growing health risk with mold.
There was flooding and destruction just over a week ago at the Eastgate Crossing shopping center in Chapel Hill, where Amal Zonca owns Waxing the City.
Right now, Zonca is doing her best to clean up and avoid any unhealthy after effects of the storm.
“All the equipment is gone, every single thing is gone,” Zonca said. “Seeing the mud and the destruction, it was just shocking.”
Restoration crews across the area are already noticing a prevalent presence of mold in businesses, apartments and houses.
That’s the case for Oliver George with Voda Cleaning & Restoration, who said the fungus can start growing quickly, especially where there’s a lot of moisture.
“That’s a big concern, especially moving forward, trying to get to everybody,” George said. “It’s starting to hit now. We’ll start to see that increase over the next couple months as people start to see things happen.”
Experts tell community members to get on top of mold as soon as possible as it can cause a number of health issues.
Zonca is concerned, but she’s taking precautions.
“We’re ripping out all the flooring in the space,” Zonca said. “We’re ripping out all the walls. We’re going up eight feet on the walls to avoid any potential mold down the road.”
Experts also caution that sometimes it can take months for mold to grow into a problem if all the water isn’t removed properly.
“They might not realize they got all of it out,” George said. “It can be still wet in certain areas. Your insulation can hold moisture for a very long time. It’s like a sponge.”
Cleanup efforts are still in full force at Eastgate Crossing and around Chapel Hill in the wake of Chantal. Several local businesses, such as Waxing the City, have set up GoFundMe accounts for recovery.