Disaster Recovery News

Graphic from Central Michigan University

A leak that began on June 4, 2010 from a damaged pipe in Central Michigan University’s Brooks Hall will cost the educational institution $975,000 to repair. According to “Central Michigan Life,” up to 50 gallons of water, the equivalent of a medium-sized swimming pool, started on the third floor and damaged 90 rooms in the building.

David Burdette, the university’s vice president of Finance and Administrative Services, stated that the drywall, ceiling tiles, carpet, insulation and the electrical wiring in the Brooks Hall all suffered water damage and need repairs. “Central Michigan Life” states, “The wall next to the leaking pipe was completely damaged.”

Brooks Hall was renovated in 2008, and it is speculated that mistakes were made during the facelift, but the university is not publicly pointing fingers. Central Michigan University has hired a professional cleaning and restoration service to clean the building and aid in business continuity in an attempt to have the building ready for fall classes, which start on August 23, 2010.

Read more about this story.

When a place of business has a leak, it is vital that repairs be done right away. The more time water has to flow and soak into a building, the worse the water damage and mold gets, especially on items such as wet documents and wet books.

Learn more about cleaning water damage.

Several residents of Dundalk in Baltimore County were rescued recently when flood waters trapped them inside their homes. The cause of the flood was not due to bad weather. Rather, it was caused by a break in a 6-foot-wide water main. USA Today reports about 100 homes and several businesses were damaged by the flood waters that were sometimes “chest-deep”.  Many roads were also damaged by the high waters. Although many people had to be rescued, no one was injured.

Residents are back in their homes and businesses, beginning the restoration process. Inevitably, many wet documents and personal items are going to have to be dried out by professionals.

“The state would assist families with property damage, similar to aid offered after Tropical Storm Isabel damaged homes in 2003, also in eastern Baltimore County, the spokesman said.

“…O’Malley visited the scene and pledged state resources to help the county and those affected recover, saying officials from the Maryland Insurance Administration would help residents make claims.”

More on this story from The Baltimore Sun.

Homes and businesses can flood in moments, without a notice or storm to precede the flooding. It is vital that homes and businesses have a disaster plan set up that outlines what is to be done before there is a problem.

When there is a flood, one may think all wet documents and data are lost. This is not so. Disaster recovery specialists can help restore wet documents and recover data after an incident such as the one in Baltimore County.

When snow melts quickly in the warming spring temperatures, the chances of flooding increases exponentially. This is the case for the Red River Basin in North Dakota: experts watching the water are 100% certain the warming temperatures will cause major flooding.

Residents in Breckenridge and surrounding towns experienced similar flooding in 1997 when the river crested at 54 feet. It is uncertain how high the waters will be this time around, but it is certain they will be high enough to cause damage.

More on this story. Check out flood information for the city of Fargo.

If flooding is predicted for the area in which you live, contact your insurance agent to make sure your home and/or business is properly covered. Have the number for a disaster recovery specialist on hand as well.

Recovery specialists can help dry-out wet items to prevent mold damage. Wet documents, pictures, business files, etc. can also be restored and refiled.

Read more about recovering from a flood.

The staff of the Surry County Chapter of the Red Cross in North Carolina found they were the ones needing help this weekend. Pipes in the ceiling burst and flooded the whole building. Frigid temperatures caused the break in the pipes.

The executive director of the Red Cross Chapter took measures to prevent the break in the pipes by turning up the heat in the building. She also left the lights in the attic of the building on in hopes that the heat produced would keep the pipes warm enough. Nevertheless, leaving lights on in a building is not enough to prevent pipes from bursting. This was made obvious from the ceiling tiles and insulation that were destroyed by the water.

Read the full story.

If you have a small business or run a small office, find out how one can prepare for flooding. One can also see tips about how to recover wet documents after a flood.