Disaster Recovery News

Three floors of the Humboldt County Courthouse in California flooded after a water pipe broke at about 12:30 pm on Wednesday. A maintenance worker was attempting to fix a broken valve on the second floor that was near the women’s restroom. It appears the valve was on a pipe leading to a toilet in the restroom. It took maintenance workers at least 20 minutes to shut the water off. By then, water had leaked through the floor and damaged ceiling tiles and electrical fixtures, had run down the stairs, and took a trip in the elevator shafts.

The courthouse was evacuated, but some business was conducted in the building of the next-door jail. Restoration specialists and clean-up crews are at the California courthouse to get the building back in working order.

More on the Humboldt Co. Courthouse Flood.

There are many things business can do to prevent and prepare for flood damage. When the unexpected happens, restoration specialists can come in to help assess the damage, help dry and clean-up, and restore documents damaged by the flood.

Learn more about flood disaster planning for businesses.

 After what is considered “massive amounts of snow” by Seattle residents, the area is now under a flood watch as it all begins to melt.

Seattlepi.com reports: “Meteorologists predict that the combination of rising temperatures, rainfall and the last week’s snowfall could cause flooding in the city.” City officials are anxious about the costs the floods could incur after already having spent nearly $1 million during the recent snowfall and ice development in the city.

The temperature is expected to rise this weekend in the Pacific Northwest. This is a problem because there could be a lot of standing water on the roads as drains are clogged by sand and gravel placed to provide traction in the snow and ice.

It is also feared that rain falling into the snow could weigh-down flat roofs, therefore causing them to collapse.

Read the full story.

Click below to learn about the following about flooding:

• How to prevent mold
• Steps to take after a flood
• Flood restoration specialists