Mold Remediation in New Port Richey, FL

What to do if Helene-type flooding reaches your home

1. Treat floodwater as contaminated. In the Tropic Shores subdivision, residents reported floodwater plus wastewater and sewage backing up into homes during Helene. The city said rising water from the river and the Gulf pushed saltwater into the system through manholes and storm drains.
2. Get wet materials out. DOH-Pasco advises discarding items soaked by floodwater that can't be cleaned and dried within 24 to 48 hours.
3. Ventilate and protect yourself. Open the house while removing wet or moldy materials, and wear at least an N-95 respirator, as EPA recommends. Keep children out of the cleanup.
4. Don't cover it up. Remove visible mold before painting or caulking.

Elsewhere in the area, one resident reported a four-foot water line inside her home, and most of the nearly 200 overnight high-water rescues in Pasco came from the Gulf Harbors neighborhood. Some Tropic Shores neighbors installed backflow valves on their own property afterward.

About New Port Richey

New Port Richey is a city in Pasco County, about 26 miles from Tampa, incorporated in 1924. Its historic downtown along the river includes the Hacienda Hotel and the Richey Suncoast Theatre, with Sims Park and Orange Lake nearby. The city sits at roughly 20 feet of elevation. The median home was built around 1980; about 56 percent are single-family, 29 percent multi-family and 15 percent mobile homes. Roughly 42 percent of households rent.

Outside of storms, older homes here get mold from roof leaks, aging plumbing, AC drain lines and humid apartments without good ventilation.

City offices

The City of New Port Richey Building Division on Main Street handles permits, plan review and inspections inside city limits. Mold removal doesn't need a permit, but rebuilding walls, floors or structure afterward may. Pasco County's Find My Flood Zone lookup shows a property's FEMA zone and base flood elevation.

With so many renters, code enforcement matters. The city's Code Enforcement unit is part of the Police Department and takes complaints online or by phone; the city also issues Residential Rental Permits. Tenants with leaks a landlord hasn't fixed can start there. Health questions go to the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County.

Calling for help

You'll be connected with an independent local company. Mention whether sewage was involved. Under Florida's s. 468.8419, an assessor can't remediate a structure it assessed within 12 months, and the remediator can't assess one it remediated, so these are normally separate companies. Check licenses on DBPR's online search.