TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — After returning from what felt like the best internship of her life, Danae Daniels was excited to unwind and settle into a new semester at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. But when she opened the door to her off-campus apartment, she was met with an overwhelming smell — and a devastating reality.
“There was mold in my bedroom, on my bed, mold in my expensive purse,” Daniels said. “Mold in my closet, my bathroom — literally everywhere.”
During her absence, a series of severe natural disasters had swept through the Tallahassee area, leaving widespread damage. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, those storms in summer 2024 caused billions of dollars in destruction, displacing families and leaving businesses in ruin.
It caused more than just property damage. While the community worked to recover, mold took hold in homes and other buildings across the city, turning the natural disaster into a prolonged crisis with public health implications.
“If any part of a home is exposed to flooding or leaks and is not fully dried within 24 to 48 hours, mold growth is almost certain,” said Parham Azimi, a research associate at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who studies the link between mold exposure and respiratory health, particularly in the wake of natural disasters. “After major storms, we often see spikes in respiratory illnesses, particularly in homes that were affected by flooding.”
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