Disaster Recovery News

Image from the National Hurricane Center

“LARGE HURRICANE EARL CONTINUES RELENTLESSLY TOWARD THE NORTHWEST…POSES A THREAT TO THE MID ATLANTIC COAST…” This statement tops the National Hurricane Center’s section on Hurricane Earl, the latest tropical storm to hit the U.S. Hurricane Earl is expected to make landfall on the East Coast within the next 48 hours, promoting thousands of residents and tourists in the coastal areas North Carolina and the surrounding states, such as Virginia, to evacuate.

MSNBC reports:

“Earl’s effect on the East Coast will depend on when it makes its expected turn to the northeast.

“A later-than-expected turn could mean the storm’s eye makes landfall on the extreme eastern tip of North Carolina as a Category 3 storm late Thursday or early Friday.

“If that happens, hurricane-force winds also could reach New York’s Long Island and Cape Cod in Massachusetts.”

The National Hurricane Center recommends you take the following actions when a hurricane is predicted for your area:

BEFORE a Hurricane:

• Put your emergency disaster kit together. Make sure they are in one location in your home.
• Prepare an emergency plan for your business.
• Write out your emergency disaster plan. Discuss the plan with your family, nominate an out-of-town family contact, and decide on an evacuation area and meet-up spot should you get separated.

During a Hurricane WATCH:

• Double-check your emergency disaster kit. Replenish anything in it that may be low, such as water, medications and batteries for flashlights and radios.
• Take protective and preventative measures that may take extra time. Such measures may include filling your car with gas, securing your boat or boarding up the windows of your home or place of business.

During a Hurricane WARNING:

• Have your emergency disaster kit ready to grab and go.
• Put your emergency disaster plan into action. Decide on the safest location to wait-out the hurricane.
• Evacuate if told by officials to do so.

Learn more about preparing for a hurricane.

What to do after a hurricane.

Image from the National Hurricane Center

A look at the weather map shows three storms swirling in the Atlantic Ocean today: Danielle, Earl and the latest, Fiona. Danielle, once just a tropical storm, is now a category 4 hurricane—the first major one of the season. Hurricane Danielle is reported to have 135 mph winds and a path that leads it east of Bermuda at the moment. Tropical Storm Earl only has 45 mph winds, but MSNBC reports its path looks a little more problematic and is worth watching closely. Tropical Storm Fiona just developed off the east coast of Africa and few details are known about it right now.

Prepare Your Home against Hurricane Water Damage

With storms starting late in the hurricane season, home and business owners need to keep back-to-school preparations and hurricane preparations in the back of their minds. A common misconception about hurricanes is that their winds cause the most damage. However, the truth is that water is a hurricane’s most damaging factor. Two-inches of water flooding a home can cost up to $8,000 in repairs.

‘Tis the season for hurricanes, and it’s up to you to be prepared:

• Talk to your insurance agent about flood insurance.
• Know the most vulnerable places in your building or home. Find cracks and seal them ASAP, even if the weather forecast is nice. Make sure you focus on cracks around windows and doors since those can make a little bit of water turn into a big problem.
• Have sandbags ready. Even if you are not technically in a flood zone, it’s always smart to place sandbags in the areas under the doors of your home and business when the weather is nasty.
• Place important items and items you do not want getting wet on the second story of a business or home. If you have heavy furniture, raise it onto cinderblocks.
• Cover your belongings with a plastic tarp; your electronic equipment will thank you. Though a room may not flood, there is always the potential for a leak in the roof.
• Call a professional ASPAP if there is any water damage after a storm. The longer water damaged items and wet documents sit around, the more damage they will experience. Additionally, bacteria and mold thrive in and on wet or damp items, which could put your family’s health at risk.

It only takes a couple hours of work to protect your belongings from water damage and save you thousands of dollars. Make an emergency preparedness checklist today.

Learn more about preparing for hurricanes.

Image from FEMA

With fears of impending large-scale natural disasters, top climate scientists from the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), UK Met Office and US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will meet in Boulder, Colorado during the week for the first full session of ACE, the Attribution of Climate-related Events. The meeting is not a brainstorming session to try to prevent catastrophic events. Rather, My Fox Atlanta reports the professionals will put their heads together in an attempt to create a warning system to help predict meteorological disasters.

With the recent deadly flood in Pakistan, Moscow heat waves, Atlantic Ocean storms and severe winter weather, which some are saying is a result of “global weirding,” are trepidations about more frequent and deadlier natural disasters. The goal is to create a reliable warning system that would have the ability to identify the location and indicate the severity of future extreme weather events in a timely manner and, thus, save thousands of lives.

Peter Stott, head of climate monitoring at the UK Met Office, told “The Guardian”:

“These are the sorts of things we need to understand. We need to be able to forecast events weeks or months ahead of their occurrence so people can mitigate their worst impacts. We also need to consider the longer-term context and see if we need to build better sea defenses at a particular location and assess how high dykes or walls need to be. Certainly, one thing is clear: there is no time to waste. The effects of global warming are already upon us.”

While severe weather is an important concern for many, you do not need to be a scientist to plan for it. You can prepare your home and business for the unthinkable today by creating an emergency preparedness plan that includes steps to get you back on your feet and dry wet documents.

Learn more about disaster preparedness.

Image from FEMA

In addition to the 50 Iowa counties that have already received a Presidential disaster declaration, 29 more were added on August 15, 2010. This order will support more state and local recovery efforts that are helping residents clean-up after the aftermath of the severe summer weather that began on June 1, 2010. Iowa residents have had to endure tornadoes, severe storms and floods, and this recent declaration will bring much-needed relief.

FEMA states that individuals, families and businesses are eligible to receive federal funding. Also available are grants to provide temporary housing, home-repair aid and low-cost loans to assist those who are dealing with uninsured property losses.

The 29 latest areas added to the disaster declaration include the Black Hawk, Cherokee, Clayton, Decatur, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Franklin, Hamilton, Howard, Humboldt, Ida, Jackson, Jones, Kossuth, Lee, Lucas, Lyon, Marion, O’Brien, Osceola, Ringgold, Sioux, Story, Taylor, Union, Warren, Webster, and Wright counties.

On their website, FEMA states:

“Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties may immediately begin registering for assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time). Those registering for aid should be prepared to provide basic information about themselves, details on insurance coverage, and any other information to help substantiate losses.”

Homeowners, learn more about recovering from a storm.

Business owners, read about business continuity and getting back on your feet quickly after a disaster.

Logo from the Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens Home website

The Manor House at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens had water damage and mold problems in the 1990s. A small stream would flow through the basement because of poor drainage, causing plaster to crumble and other damage to the estate. In addition, the wall and balustrade that formed the outer boundary of the West Terrace also suffered water damage. Instead of just fixing the water damage and removing the growing mold, those who managed the estate saw the problem as an opportunity to make big improvements.

A Decade Later

$10 million and thirteen years later, the historical site in West Akron, Ohio is nearly finished with its water-management project with the much-anticipated West Terrace and Japanese Garden. The project allowed for the repair of the building’s water damage and the restoration of other areas of the estate. Photos found of the estate’s original landscaping, which the original owner’s son took, guided those who planned the restoration and renovation of the site.

Water-damage restoration techniques included creating a drainage system under terrace steps and repairing the reflecting pool, which had leaks and faulty repairs.

Read more about this restoration project.

More Time=More Money

Leaks, water damage and mold, when they are not taken care of promptly and correctly, have high costs. Waiting to repair such issues will deem more expensive the longer it is put-off, can affect the health of those exposed to the mold and can cause structural damage to a building. As soon as you see mold, a leak or water damage in a building, immediately investigate the source of the water damage and repair it as soon as you can. Not doing so will cost you more in the end.

Learn more about water damage restoration.