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.
Motorists and residents left stranded in heavy flood waters had to be rescued with motorboats on Friday as heavy rains poured down on the north eastern part of Oklahoma. More than a dozen roads have been closed off as seven inches of precipitation fell over the counties of Cherokee, Delaware, Rogers, and Mayes. Roads with closures included U.S. Highway 412, U.S. 69 and State Highways 28 and 29.
Homes and business, according to USA Today, have been affected by the flood waters. Some of the lower lying area had up to three feet of water creep into buildings. Even a local courthouse has experienced flooding within the building.
Some people think that just because a book, photo, or document got wet from flood water they are forever damaged and need to be thrown out. The reality is that restoration specialist can dry wet documents and restore wet books and photos. More on flood restoration.
More than 31 square miles have been torched by the recent wildfires that started a week ago outside the Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina, a popular tourist spot. Thousands of people have been or were evacuated from their homes.
More than 70 homes have been destroyed and 100 damaged. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported. Officials are hoping the predicted calm winds and high humidity will help contain the fire.
“State workers and fire crews knocked down trees and plowed firebreaks in the hopes of keeping the fire contained. Officials opened some roads near the charred areas and said the blaze was 85 percent under control thanks in part to workers dousing hot spots in an effort to keep expected late-day winds from blowing embers toward houses.”
Wildfire damage prevention is the key to protecting your home and family. If there is a wildfire near your neck of the woods, call the local fire department for suggestions, evacuation routes and road closures. If appropriate, remove any combustibles from your home and secure any fuel sources. Then secure doors and windows and set up water barriers. Finally, evacuate. Learn more about preparing for a wildfire.
Do not worry about trying to pack up non-essential personal items. Instead, worry about getting to safety safely. Items that are damaged many times can be restored by a restoration specialist. Fire restoration specialists can help restore fire damaged books, documents, and fire-damaged pictures. They can also help restore items that got wet, such as documents. Learn more about wildfire recovery.
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.
A home in a Sacramento suburb exploded on Christmas Eve. Officials believe the explosion, which killed a man and injured five other people, was caused by a natural gas leak. It is not yet clear what ignited the gas. The home in which the explosion occurred was completely destroyed as the surrounding houses have been severely damaged.
The Associated Press reports 40 of the surrounding homes in the neighborhood were voluntarily evacuated as a safety precaution. Pacific Gas & Electric crews had been called into the neighborhood a day prior to the incident after residents reported smelling gas. The UPI NewsTrack states: “A PG&E spokesman said the crews could not shut off gas in an isolated area until they determined the exact location of the leak.”
Officials later returned to the neighborhood on Christmas day after residents reported smelling a gas leak. It was determined the second gas leak was caused by a propane tank, which was then sealed.
The National Transportation Safety Board, rather than PG&E, is investigating the cause of the initial, devastating gas leak as the gas pipelines run beneath the streets.
