When Hurricane Katrina caused extensive flooding in the state of Louisiana in 2005, the waters were an equal-opportunity offender. As a result, the St. Bernard Parish Courthouse also received extensive flood water damageas 3 feet of water just sat in the building.
In an attempt to keep business operating, courthouse staff found other parts of the building to work in as they picked through important wet documents in an attempt to salvage them. Business continuity led the courthouse staff to another worksite after extensive mold damage was discovered in the 70-year-old building’s walls and air ducts, and the chronically leaky roof did not make matters any better.
Humboldt State’s geology department is raising awareness about the frequency and danger of tsunamis and earthquakes, which are known as a “natural warning”. Knowing what to do in the event of a tsunami can help avoid a repeat of the 2004 tsunami where 200,000 people lost their lives.
Humboldt State is trying to educate the public by letting them know that tsunamis are just as dangerous as earthquakes. Booklets were placed in the Sunday papers of Northern California counties, but the information can also be found online.
The article from PressDemocrat.com reports rangers, air patrol planes, emergency first responders, and radio and TV warning will be given, in addition to the natural warnings, to let the public know about the impending danger. The report also provides examples of when tsunamis have hit U.S. ground.
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Tips for preparing for a disaster like tsunami or water damage include:
Strengthen your home before the next disaster and make and necessary repairs. This includes making repairs to a building’s foundation.
The people of Wethersfield, Connecticut braced themselves as winds ripped through their town at speeds of up to 100 mph on Friday. If any of the residents suspected a tornado must have passed through the town, they would have been right.
As a result of the strong storm, officials of Hartford County opened up shelters to help those displaced. The tornado toppled trees into houses and roads and caused devastation the people of the town would have never expected. Most people lost power for most of the day-not the ideal way for one to start the weekend. Many people throughout the county are still without power today, but it will hopefully be restored by the end of Sunday.
The debris and fallen trees caused damage to numerous homes. If these homes are not repaired quickly and correctly, they could see damages that extend past what just the trees did. Vulnerable areas of a home are more at risk to be affected by water and mold damage in the future.
Shingles on a roof that are torn or blown-off after a storm can allow water to seep through. If the water does not properly dry or there is a lot of moisture in the affected area, the roof’s integrity could be compromised. The damage could even extend to ceilings within a building, causing them to collapse.
After a week of solid rain in central Florida, residents are coming home to find their homes and businesses to have suffered not only from water damage, but also the resulting mold that has moved in. Bunnell and Flagler County have received up to 28 inches and some people are wading waist-deep in this disaster. Those in the neighborhoods east of the International Speedway in Daytona had to evacuate in boats.
WESH.com tells what some have resorted to in the aftermath of the rains:
“…What the residents found wasn’t pretty–stains on the walls of homes…showed that a foot of rain had been there.
The floodwater isn’t all gone just yet. There are still inches to mop up and furniture, clothes and files to throw out.
…Local businesses opened their doors only to clean up. It won’t be until later this week when most said they think they may be able to take customers again.”
But WAIT! Keep those files! They can be saved!
After a flood, a restoration specialist can be your best friend–especially when it comes to business continuity. Restoration specialists are able to salvage wet documents and those affected by mold.Water-damaged books, photos, blueprints, and other business documents can also be restored. Properly restoring wet documents will prevent mold growth and unnecessary loss of business.
The Emergency Email & Wireless Network is a service that is provided free of charge that will notify a person of emergencies in their area of choice. Notices are sent via email, text message, or fax.
Notifications one can become aware of include weather notices, Homeland Security information, Amber Alerts, health alerts, etc. If one wishes, they can also sign up to receive notifications of school closings, emergencies, and special events through the K12Email service. This service is secure and quick.
To sign up to receive notifications, go to EmergencyEmail.org, click on a state/area from their list, and add your email address and/or cell phone/pager/fax number.
