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Hurricane Irma had slowed down by the time she reached Georgia, reducing the amount of expected structural damage to homes, but flood waters may have left behind a sneaky and dangerous after-effect: mold.

Hurricanes and tropical storms can cause structural damage, but flood waters can harm families by tainting water supplies. Cities and counties alert citizens with boil advisories when municipal water supplies are affected, but those who rely on wells for water have to monitor their water themselves.

Hurricane Irma strengthened to a Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 175 mph as of Monday, Sept. 5. It’s moving west-northwest on its present track, but longer-term models project that it will make a sharp turn to the north later this week, which could threaten parts of the Southeast, including Georgia.

As Atlantic hurricane season peaks, Georgians may be uncertain about how to prepare for an emergency. The state may not be directly affected by a hurricane, floods or high winds from a storm this year, but it’s always good to be prepared. September is National Preparedness Month, and University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency have resources available to help Georgians prepare for an emergency.

School is back in session in many Georgia systems. It may seem like summer is coming to a close, but peak summer mosquito season is just starting.

For the past 20 years, Spalding County has been without a University of Georgia Extension Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) agent. Sweda filled that gap last December when she joined the local Extension staff. Wade Hutcheson, coordinator of the Spalding County Extension office, said the position was eliminated during a time period when the state was undergoing drastic budget cuts.

If you own a pet, chances are you’ve dealt with fleas in some form or fashion. Unfortunately, our yards are fleas’ resorts, and they consider our pets to be their own personal valets and moving diners. Even wild animals can become a traveling flea circus.

Georgia homeowners have the information that they need to make sure their houses are safe and healthy thanks to University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and the Rural Georgia Healthy Homes Advisory Board. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development designated June as National Healthy Homes Month to encourage homeowners to inspect their homes for hidden hazards, like mold, radon and lead.

The risk of serious illness from a tick bite is low in Georgia, but there’s no reason to give them a free meal.

The way UGA Extension offers trainings, exams and continuing education classes for pesticide applicators’ license renewals will change in the coming months. This change will ensure that UGA Extension can continue to provide pesticide safety education throughout the state, while staying in line with changes mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).