COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Clean-up was happening around Lowndes County Monday.

Homeowners that saw a wave of floodwaters come into their homes are now left with a dangerous mess.

Now, some are even having to find a new place to live right now.

Mason Street and Curtis Drive in east Columbus saw the most homes impacted from the nearly five inches of rain that recently fell.

It may not be something most people worry about but these homeowners live in fear each time there’s a storm.

“It’s kind of overwhelming and you can’t process it,” said homeowner Eva Hollis.

Everywhere Hollis looks in her house, she sees mold.

The toxic walls and floors were created after wave after wave of rain fell outside her neighborhood.

“Anytime water crosses the street we just know we are about to the flood,” said Hollis.

Hollis’ home sits just beyond the Magby Creek, which is known to flood during heavy rain.

“It was trickling into the ditch, so I was like hey ditches are moving and it wasn’t high up in the ditch so I didn’t suspect anything,” said Hollis.

But soon enough, she was met with water at her doorstep.

“I came home sat on my bed and played with my two-year-old with some alphabet cards and literally ten minutes and water was coming in my house,” said Hollis.

That’s when she and her family used whatever they could to stop the rising water.

“We were trying to put towels and things at the doors thinking if it comes in it won’t be bad, but it flooded in and it came all the way around the house. It actually started seeping under the walls. You start putting things up on beds as high as you can get it and it’s still coming in,” said Hollis.

The rising waters caught Hollis and others off guard.

Lowndes County EMA Director Cindy Lawrence said the once overflowing ditches have to be cleaned out.

“Public works and road department going around making sure the covers are clean there is no debris in the ditches that would cause damages like backwater from the floods,” said Lawrence.

In the meantime, the Hollis family had to find a temporary place to live while the dangerous mold is removed.

“We have a great church family who came out and immediately and started to help,” said Hollis.

Several rescues happened in the county this weekend.

If you live in a flood-prone area, EMA Director Cindy Lawrence said it’s best to always have a plan in case the water starts to quickly rise.

source https://www.wcbi.com/homeowners-begin-cleanup-after-flood-damage/

By Ben Beckman

Hay put up too wet can lead to a number of issues, most notably mold and heat. Moisture keeps otherwise dormant microbes and fungi active, decreasing forage quality and creating heat. Too much heat can create risk of combustion.

Related: A game-changer for hay and forage bagging

However, even heat that doesn’t reach the level of combustion can cause issues with hay. Since hay is not protected from oxygen like most anaerobic fermented feedstuffs (silage, haylage, etc.), high temperatures, moisture and oxygen allow aerobic bacteria to grow, using plant protein and sugars for growth and producing carbon dioxide, water and heat. Too much of this and temperatures can rise high enough to kick off a process called the Maillard reaction.

Even if you’ve never heard of the Maillard reaction, you probably are familiar with it. First described in 1912 by the French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard, the Maillard reaction is the browning process that happens between amino acids (proteins) and sugars under heat.

Related: Hay pads mean no more mud

We use it all the time when cooking. From searing a steak to baking bread, the Maillard reaction is what produces that flavorful browned or golden outer portion of most cooked foods.

What does this have to do with hay? While it’s typical to have bales generate heat after harvest because of the curing process, too much moisture has the dual issue of, first, helping trap heat already created instead of letting it dissipate quickly, and second, acting as a catalyst for the Maillard reaction once it kicks off at about 170 degrees F.

The Maillard reaction takes normal proteins and sugars and changes them through a series of chemical reactions into something called the Maillard polymer. The resulting hay is sweet-tobacco smelling and golden-caramel in color, and cows love it.

The problem is that the resulting Maillard polymer, while tasty to animals, isn’t great nutritionally. The chemical reactions actually have tied up proteins and lowered the forage’s true crude protein content.

A standard crude protein feed analysis won’t be able to pick up this difference, however, and will report the number like nothing is wrong, resulting in overestimating the available protein in forage and underfeeding animals.

Luckily, the solution is fairly simple. If you suspect you have bales that have had some caramelization occur, add on a test for heat-damaged proteins (HDP) or acid detergent insoluble crude protein (ADICP).

While adding a bit more to the cost of the forage analysis, this additional test will show how much unavailable protein content there is because of the Maillard reaction, and rations can be adjusted accordingly. At some labs, this test also will be shown with the adjusted crude protein content after damage has been factored in.

While we are on the lookout for hay that could be heat damaged, it’s also a great time to look bales over for excessive mold growth. The same wet conditions that allow the Maillard reaction to occur also can be great for mold.

While not always toxic, mold can reduce hay quality and palatability, so allowing animals the freedom to pick through heavily molded bales is a great option. For more information on considerations when working with moldy hay, check out the November BeefWatch article «What to Do with Wet Hay.»

After last winter’s cold weather, and a wet summer, using every last bit of hay available to its fullest potential is going to be important. Testing forage quality of your hay, whether it’s your own or purchased, is a critical first step to optimizing hay use, but make sure to take a closer look when taking those samples.

Keep an eye out for signs that a Maillard reaction could have occurred, and if significant, running the additional HDP test will be essential. With a true idea of available crude protein, making the right decisions on how much hay to feed this winter and when to start supplementing will be that much easier.

Beckman is a Nebraska Extension educator.

source https://www.beefmagazine.com/hay/how-hot-hay-changes-forage-quality

Ice and the icicles that form on the sides of homes might look beautiful, but they can actually be a sign of danger for a home. And we don’t just mean the danger of falling icicles.

We’re talking about ice dams. Ice dams form on the sides of many roofs and can lead to serious and long-lasting damage to your home. And, unfortunately, they’re quite common here in New England. As professional roofers in the area, we’ve seen quite a few.

So what is an ice dam, exactly? How do they form? What damage can they cause?

We’re going to answer all of those questions in this post and give you some actionable ice dam prevention tips.

What Is an Ice Dam?

An ice dam is ice that forms a ridge at the edges of your roof. This forms a sort of hump or ledge of ice that prevents water and debris from draining off of your roof properly.

What Causes Ice Dams to Form?

Ice dams form under specific snowy or freezing conditions. When there is snowfall, it will accumulate on your roof. The heat from inside your home and attic can then cause the lowermost layer of snow to melt.

As this melted snow trickles down your roof to the eaves, it gets farther away from the home’s heat. The eaves and ridges of the roof are much colder than other points on your roof because they extend away from the home, avoiding the heat and staying the cold temperature of the air outside.

This results in that melted snow refreezing at the very edge of the roof as ice. Over time, the ice will accumulate into an ice dam. You can see a diagram of this here.

What Damage Can an Ice Dam Cause?

When the heat from the home causes the snow to melt on your roof, the water often is trapped under the rest of the snow that didn’t melt. Excess water can pool, seep, and leak into your home.

Internally, this can result in water, paint, and drywall damage, leading to mold and mildew growth in the home.

Externally, your roof, gutters, plants, walls, and exterior paint can be damaged. Ice dams and the excess water that causes them can also lead to lifted or damaged shingles, which bring a whole slew of issues.

If the ice dam or accompanying icicles come loose, not only can they tear down and damage window sills, chimneys, gutters, and shingles — they can also severely injure someone if it falls on them.

Ice Dam Prevention Tips: Short-Term

You should know that one thing you should NOT do is remove ice dams once they form with a hammer, chisel or any other tool. This could cause serious injury to yourself or others.

That said, the good news is there are ice dam prevention methods to keep your roof dam-free.

Ice Dam Removal

You might be wondering why we haven’t suggested simply removing the dams when they form with a hammer, chisel, ax, or another tool. That’s because you should not do that under any circumstances.

Using a tool to remove the ice yourself can cause serious damage to your room and home. It’s also dangerous as the ice can fall on you, leading to serious injury. This type of work takes skill and is dangerous for non-professionals.

Luckily, there are professionals that can remove ice dams for you. Contact us today to learn more about roof ice dam removal.

Clear Roof and Gutters of Snow

This takes some dedication, but it’s worth it to prevent ice dam formation if you have a roof prone to ice dam formation. Each time there’s a snowstorm or snowfall, try to take the time to remove the snow from the roof. This will prevent the snow from melting and forming an ice dam.

However, you need to be careful doing this. Inexperience can cause you to accidentally rip off shingles or damage your roof while attempting to remove the snow. You could also injure yourself by pulling the snow on top of you if you’re on the ground, or you could fall off the roof if you do it from above.

A roofing expert will be able to do this skillfully without damaging your roof.

Heated Cables

Heated cables can equalize the temperature on your roof, which can prevent in unequal melting that causes ice dams. Install heated cables in a wide and zig-zagging pattern throughout the roof to ensure that the temperature is evenly distributed.

Also keep in mind that this needs to be done before any storms or snowfall.

Ice Dam Prevention Tips: Long-Term

The methods we mentioned above are temporary, quick fixes. The following are long-term fixes that will prevent ice dam formation in years to come, not just prevent a current one from getting worse.

Improved Roof Ventilation and Insulation

Improving your ventilation and insulation systems in your roof and your house in general will lead to more temperature equality on your roof. This prevents unequal heating from melting snow on the roof, which will, in turn, prevent ice dam formation.

Certain roof repair methods can allow for cold air to be ventilated under the roof, reducing the risk of snow melting because of the home’s heat. Attic ventilation is another method to improve ventilation as well as other natural roof ventilation techniques.

Increasing your roof and/or attic insulation has the same effect. This keeps the heat from the home insulated inside, which reduces the amount of heat transferred to the home’s exterior. Less heat escaping your home means less heat to melt the snow on your roof which, yes, means ice dam prevention.

Seal, Caulk, and Weatherstrip

Sealing, caulking, and weatherstripping serves to further insulate the heat in your home. As we said earlier, this insulation prevents heat from reaching the snow on the roof, which can prevent melting and ice dam formation.

Be sure to do this for ducts, vents, chimneys, skylights, HVAC areas, areas with electrical wiring, and lights.

Roof Ice Dam Removal and Prevention: Talk to Professionals

If your home is prone to ice dam formation, it’s best to speak with a professional roofer to determine the best way to prevent or remove them.

Every roof is different; what works for one home to prevent ice dams might not work for another. The problem could be as simple as needing more insulation, or it could be as complex as needing a roof replacement.

Hopefully this article has helped you answer «what is an ice dam» and more. If you still have questions, need more information, or want a consultation on your home’s ice dams, don’t hesitate to contact us.

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This post is an advertorial piece contributed by a Patch Community Partner, a local sponsor. The views expressed in this post are the author’s own.

For more about Community Partner, click here.

source https://patch.com/massachusetts/arlington/what-ice-dam-ice-dam-prevention-removal-tips-winter

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Water Damage Restoration Services Now Available In St. Louis  StreetInsider.com

source https://www.streetinsider.com/Press+Advantage/Water+Damage+Restoration+Services+Now+Available+In+St.+Louis/16305834.html

PANAMA CITY — Upon stepping from the elevator onto the fifth floor of Ascension Sacred Heart Bay’s south tower, the scent was immediately apparent.

The smell of newness.

Like, new car smell new.

“You cannot get a safer hospital,” Health Evans, president of Ascension Sacred Heart Bay, said on Friday in reference to the scent. “We had more industrial hygienists than anywhere you can find.”

The Panama City hospital, previously known as Bay Medical Center, was in full recovery mode all last year from the significant damage wrought by 2018’s Hurricane Michael. Early in the recovery process, hospital administrators projected that they’d reopen 144 beds and hire more employees by the end of 2019.

They more or less succeeded.

“Just before Christmas we had clearance from the state to have a full refill of all our beds … we had 144 beds restored by the end of the year … we’re very excited to have a remodeled facility,” Evans said. “We’ve been working to recruit employees … we’ve got about 140 hired so far.”

In March, the Ascension Sacred Heart Health System unveiled its $47 million investment plan to rebuild, within days after finalizing a months-long deal to take operational control of the hospital from Ardent Health Services.

In Florida, Ascension operates Sacred Heart Health System based in Pensacola and St. Vincent’s HealthCare based in Jacksonville. Prior to the deal, the Panama City hospital was a joint venture between Ascension and Ardent, with Ardent acting as the hospital’s operator. Ardent announced in December 2018 that it would sell its controlling interest in the hospital to Ascension because of uncertainty following the hurricane.

“Had Ascension not come in, this hospital would not be here,” Evans said as he stood in the hospital’s lobby.

Indeed, before Ascension took over, Ardent had decided to lay off around 600 hospital employees. At the start of 2019, the hospital also only had 75 beds available for use.

Ascension had plenty of work to do.

The south tower required much remediation from water damage. Crews had to drill into walls and check for mold, then repair damage. New ceiling tiles and furniture were added.

Every patient room inside was restored, but also upgraded to be fully private.

“All of the rooms are now private, that’s huge for the patients,” said Dr. Lynn Seto, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the hospital.

Seto said the hospital’s restoration has been a boon for patients and employees.

“It’s amazing, you can just tell the difference in everybody’s mood.” Seto said. “Nurses have been incredible, working in battleship conditions and then when they were able to move back in here, it’s like they could see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Still, the hospital has plenty of work to do this year before it is fully restored.

For instance, though the hospital has many more beds available, it still can’t use them all because it simply doesn’t have the staff to manage them yet. As such, the hospital plans to continue its hiring surge through this year, Evans said.

Renovations have begun for the hospital’s cancer center. Repairs will be ongoing this year at the campus’ medical office building. The plan is to move doctors and staff back into the nearby office space around April.

“The past year was definitely difficult for doctors … they needed space that wasn’t available,” Evans said.

Evans said five small buildings on the campus that were unsalvageable were demolished and several more buildings have been slated for razing. The hope is that those buildings can be removed this year so the hospital can address its long-time parking constraints.

“When those buildings come down, we’ll have a lot more parking options,” Evans said.

To Brandy McIver, nurse practitioner at the hospital, the facility has persevered through the worst conditions.

“The staff are great, the docs are great … I truly believe in this program,” McIver said.

source https://www.newsherald.com/business/20200105/bay-hospital-ended-2019-with-more-beds-workers-as-planned

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida health officials say there were nearly 3,400 hepatitis A cases in 2019. According to statistics through Saturday, there were 3,395 cases _ included 63 new cases reported the prior week. The state totaled 1,175 reported cases of hepatitis A in the five previous years combined — with 548 of those cases in 2018. Hepatitis A can cause liver damage and is spread through such things as fecal matter. That can include transmission by people not properly washing their hands after going to the bathroom and contaminating food or drinks. Health officials urge people to get vaccinated against the disease. As of Saturday, Pasco County had the most cases in the state in 2019, with 414.

source https://www.mysuncoast.com/2020/01/05/latest-florida-news-sports-business-entertainment-am-est/