Record heat spawns mold outbreaks across the country

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported last week that this past July has been the hottest ever recorded in the United States. These high temps have led to strange weather patterns across the country, including the recent Derecho storm that swept through the Mid-Atlantic and crop-destroying droughts throughout the US.

Strange weather may lead to unforeseen damage in homes and businesses, as elevated humidity levels prompt the development of mold in vulnerable spaces that could potentially cause health hazards. This has proved troublesome in properties across the country.

In Manatee, Florida, a coastal haven facing the Gulf of Mexico, extreme humidity has spawned a widespread mold outbreak in one condo development. So far, two townhouses in the Willowbrook development have been deemed unsafe, and inspections currently underway have found fungus in several others according to the Bradenton Herald.

On the other side of the Florida Panhandle, NBC affiliate WPTV reported on August 1 that a government building in West Palm Beach has also been deemed hazardous as high moisture levels in the air throughout the facility have produced toxic mold.

College students at Texas A&M are feeling the repercussions of the abnormal summer weather also, as a weather-related mold outbreak forced 23 residents to move out of the school's Bringle Lake Village following an inspection.

With incidents such as these on the rise nationwide, homeowners should seek mold inspections for their properties before an outbreak gets out of control and causes health problems for inhabitants.