Water Damage after Hurricane Sandy

6/21/2018 (Permalink)

Prepare for Weather Damage Before It Happens

HOW WOULD YOUR PROPERTY WEATHER A HURRICANE? You see it on the news. The flooded streets and people being rescued from their homes. Like rushing rivers flowing through towns and cities, the water of a hurricane knows no mercy. Quickly rising waters will destroy the contents of a residential home and business quickly, but the damage is often not assessed until the waters subside. For example, Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as Superstorm Sandy) was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season. Inflicting nearly $70 billion (2012 USD) in damage, it was the second-costliest hurricane on record in the United States.

Water damage seeps into the porous structures of the contents of a home, and nothing is immune to what will come next. But what if the damage is not as intense as from a hurricane? What about a leaky pipe or minor water damage to flooring or furniture? The damage incurred can be minimal or it can be total. As a homeowner, you owe it to yourself and to our precious belongings, to remediate mold and think about what you would do if this should happen – even before the time comes to need water damage services.

Many homeowners simply don’t want to plan for water damage to their homes, because they do not feel it will happen. In Pennsylvania, there have not been many named hurricanes or tropical storms, but recently, in the last 6 months, the floods in Maryland, not related to a tropical storm, did the same water damage as a hurricane. In May 2018, devastating flood waters ravaged Ellicott City, Maryland an area that had just recently gotten its feet after similar floods two years ago.  This town was torn to shreds after just recovering from torrential rains from 2 years prior. Maryland is also not on the hurricane map, yet the water damage may never be fully cleaned.

How do you prepare now for the potential of water damage?

The truth is that you never know when this type of disaster is going to strike, but no home and no area is immune to the potential. To mitigate this situation years before it may or may not happen, have a plan in place and a “What If” checklist. Here are 5 Tips to Planning for Water Damage Due to Flooding.

1. First, take stock of your heirlooms and valuables. Put all photos of ancestors into a water proof box and make digital copies of them for preservation. This will save you a lifetime of heartache by ensuring family moments are always protected.
2. Secondly, make your “What we will do if our house is flooded” preparedness list. What can you move to the top floor even before a flood such as with a storm? What can you cover with a tarp?
3. Follow up with your insurance company with foolproof plan for mold-remediation in the event your home sustains flooding in Butler County, PA. What does it cover? What does it not cover? Fill in the insurance gaps related to flooding and insurance. This will save you so much time if flooding happens in your home.
4. Re-Enforce the floor structure of your home so it will take longer for any water to get inside. The longer it takes, the more likely it is that the water will recede, and the water damage of your home will be decreased.
5. Prepared to act quickly when the water recedes, and you have access to your belongings by calling a water damage specialist that can be there quickly. While a water damage specialist cannot replace your belongings, a water damage specialist can restore most belongings as if the damage never happened.