Recent Storm Damage Posts

Failure to Prepare is Preparing to Fail!

6/23/2020 (Permalink)

There are different alerts for floods, depending on the type of and immediacy of the potential danger. Educate your family and yourself about your community's flood warnings:

  • Flood watches are issued when rain is heavy enough to cause rivers to overflow.
  • Flood warnings describe the severity of the situation and indicate when and where the flood will begin.
  • Flash flood watches are issued when heavy rain is occurring or is expected to occur.
  • Flash flood warnings are issued when flooding is occurring suddenly. In the event of flash flooding in your area, move immediately to high ground.

Take practical measures to protect yourself, your family and your property

Preparedness is paramount when it comes to encroaching floodwaters. Here are precautionary steps to take well before the threat of a flood is upon you.

  • Maintain a supply of emergency provisions, such as flashlights, batteries, a battery-operated radio, a first aid kit, medication, sturdy shoes, emergency food and water, cash and credit cards.
  • Maintain a supply of building materials and tools so you can fortify your house from a storm. These would include plywood, plastic sheeting, nails, hammer, shovels and sandbags.
  • Make a home inventory listing all of your possessions to help facilitate the claim filing process if your belongings are damaged or destroyed.
  • Locate switches for gas, electricity and water and know how to shut them off. In the event of an evacuation, you'll want to turn these off before you leave.

For more preparedness tips, handy checklists (including ones you can personalize yourself) and evacuation planning advice to cover a variety of disasters, get the I.I.I.’s Know Your Plan app. It's a great tool to help get you and your family—including pets—organized and ready to act more quickly if an emergency strikes.

Wind-Storm Damage Tips

6/23/2020 (Permalink)

Severe weather is always on everyone’s radar, particularly this time of the year. With severe weather come strong winds, thunderstorms and even hail.  No matter the season, it does not hurt to be aware of the damage that high winds can cause to your home or business.  Prevention is easy.

Keep outdoor items from becoming projectile weaponry

High winds, tornadoes, and hurricanes can make something as simple as a trashcan or child’s toy into an airborne rocket!  When you hear of wind and storm warnings, make sure to bring in anything that could be picked up and blown into vulnerable areas of your home or business – such as windows or doors.  Outdoor building such as storage sheds should also be anchored appropriately to the ground.

Reinforce vulnerable areas

Garage doors are particularly susceptible to wind damage.  High winds, tornadoes, and hurricanes can damage or blow them, creating a high pressure situation which can damage the roof as well.  Strengthen the door by using braces across the back or replace with a stronger door and tracks.  (Note – any alterations should be done by an professional.)

Pay attention to your trees and landscaping

Trees can cause debris that can damage your home in a windstorm.  Maintain trees having them trimmed and debris raked and disposed of regularly to help minimize damage from a storm.

Like Benjamin Franklin said , “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

Pet Disaster Preparedness

6/15/2020 (Permalink)

Emergencies come in many forms. It may require small changes, such as a brief absence from your home, to much larger changes, such as permanent evacuations. Each type of disaster requires different measures to keep your pets safe. Being prepared is the best thing you can do in these situations!

Some Pet Disaster preparedness options include –

  • Creating a buddy system with your neighbors. In case of an emergency, you will have a trusted neighbor who can check on your animals.
  • Identify shelters or pet friendly hotels that will accept pets, as not all of them do.
  • Locate a veterinarian or animal hospital in the area where you may be seeking temporary shelter, in case medical care is needed for your pets.
  • Have your pet microchipped and make sure that you not only keep your address and phone number up-to-date, but that you also include contact info for an emergency contact outside of your immediate area.
  • If you are unable to return to your home right away, you may need to board your pet. Find out where pet boarding facilities are located.
  • Most boarding kennels, veterinarians and animal shelters will need your pet's medical records to make sure all vaccinations are current.

Remember – By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. Always make sure you have an Emergency plan on hand, even for your pets!

Storm Damage Restoration

5/20/2020 (Permalink)

Vicious weather, such as high winds and heavy rain can cause mayhem on building structures and greenery. Heavy winds can loosen or damage the shingles and tiles on the roof, which would result in moisture, such as rain and snow, to permeate into the protective exterior of the roof. This would eventually lead to wood swelling and probable mold.  Because this outcome could contribute to a collapsing ceiling, and further issues – having a storm damage restoration company service you in this situation would be a great option. If contacted in a timely manner, SERVPRO can rescue your building from greater structural issues and restore it to its former condition. SERVPRO of Del Mar is locally owned and operated, so we’re already close by and ready to respond immediately when you need us. We’re also part of a national network of over 1,700 Franchises, which gives us access to more resources for larger cleaning or restoration projects or major storm scenarios.