Post-Flood Mold Removal in Bacliff, TX

Bacliff sits up higher than some of the shoreline. Do we still need to worry?

Elevation helps, but it doesn't make a house waterproof. Bacliff began as the seaside resort and fishing town of Clifton-by-the-Sea on Galveston Bay's western shore, and most of the community lies along the bay east of SH 146, part of the Bayshore area with San Leon and Bayview. The 1915 hurricane destroyed many early improvements, and after the 1943 storm the bathhouse and pavilion were never rebuilt. During Hurricane Ike, Bacliff's relatively high elevation of about 16 feet reduced flooding, though Galveston County still ran a debris-removal program for unincorporated areas including Bacliff. Wind-driven rain through a damaged roof, a broken window or a failed supply line can soak a house without any rising water at all.

How fast do we need to move after water gets in?

Quickly. EPA says wet materials should be dried within 24 to 48 hours, and that a flooded home not dried in that window should be assumed to have mold. Bay humidity slows drying further. Stop the water, start drying, photograph the damage and keep children out of the cleanup. If you handle wet, moldy material yourself, wear at least an N-95 respirator. Leave the AC off if the air handler or ducts took water. Then a mold assessment consultant can measure moisture, map the affected rooms and write a protocol so the removal is scoped in writing before anyone starts cutting.

Bacliff isn't a city. Who do we deal with?

Residents voted down incorporation in the 1980s, so county offices apply. Galveston County's Engineering, Floodplain and Right-of-Way section handles floodplain applications for unincorporated areas from its office at 722 Moody in Galveston (409-770-5552); ask there about what your rebuild needs. The Galveston County Health District lists mold among complaints outside its jurisdiction and refers indoor air issues to local government or the Texas Department of State Health Services. For the cleanup itself, the TDLR process is what protects you: a written protocol, a separate remediator, a post-remediation assessment and a Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation.

A local note

Many Bacliff residents commute to Houston, so a wet house can sit closed up all day. Running dehumidifiers and keeping air moving while you wait for the assessment helps limit how far growth spreads.