Mold takes over Punta Gorda woman’s apartment after Irma

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PUNTA GORDA, Fla. Mold is showing up in homes across Southwest Florida after Hurricane Irma.

It covers the walls of Christie Spadacinni’s home at Seven Palms Apartments on 1200 Slash Pine Circle.

“The entire top was filled with black mold, there was mold on the studs there,” Spadacinni said.

Management at the apartment complex told the mother of three the problem was taken care of, but Spadacinni believes otherwise.

“My concerns are the fact that this is not treated properly,” she said. “What am I supposed to do? How can I live here safely?”

Mold can create serious health concerns, according to Kevin Koch, owner of AA Disaster Restoration and Remodeling.

“If you can smell it, you’re breathing it and if you’re breathing it, then it goes deeper into your lungs,” Koch said.

Koch advises Southwest Florida residents to fully inspect their homes and to call a professional if mold is spotted.

“Even if you wipe up that area, the problem is still in the air, so its circulating through your AC. It’s circulating throughout your whole place, so you really need professional air scrubbers, expensive filters and really the proper equipment to do it with,” he said.

Spadacinni and her children are living in a hotel on FEMA vouchers until the issue can be resolved.

“I’m at a loss for words, we need help. Somebody needs to help us, this is wrong,” Spadacinni said.

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