SAN JOSE — 1st the flood, now the mold — and for abundant San Jose residents the coughing and sneezing has already begun.

More than a week after Joan Rivas-Cosby fled that person Olinder neighborhood home with that person cats Persimmon and Fri in tow, the ceiling of that person basement — where standing water festered for days — turned into a petri dish, dotted with tiny light blue and green fuzzy spores growing on practically every panel.

“It’s heart-wrenching,’’ remarked the twice-widowed mother of 2 grown children. “Nothing is the same anymore. Everything for me has changed overnight.’’

HOW TO PREVENT MOLD IF YOU HAVE A FLOOD