Take actions now to limit flooding's damage

4/30/2018 (Permalink)

Furnishings lost due to extreme flooding.

You don’t need to be near a body of water (lake, river, or stream) to experience flooding.  Hurricane Harvey is a recent example of that; areas around Houston, TX received 50 inches of rain!

In this area, we can have excessive snow melt, severe storms, extensive power outages, etc., that can cause flooding.  It seems lately that more and more extreme weather is the new normal.

What can you do to protect your property from the hazards of flooding?

• Know the risks. Is there any part of your property where the slope is incorrect; water slopes towards your home instead of away from your home.  Try to correct that issue as soon as possible.
• Have an emergency kit already prepared. You can read more about making an emergency kit in another blog on this website, or you can go to Ready.gov for more information.
• Check your insurance policy. Most insurance policies do not cover floods, or water that doesn’t come up from the drains nor from a broken pipe.  Talk it over with your insurance professional.
• Direct as much water away from your foundation as possible. Downspout extensions are a cheap and easy way to accomplish this feat.  And keep your gutters clean of debris.
• Put utilities on blocks if located in lower level.  Place your wash machine, dryer, water softener, etc up on blocks to keep them out of the water in case your lower level sustains flooding issues.
• Plug SERVPRO of Bedford Park/Burbank’s number into your phone. When you have discovered water damages in your home, time is critical!  By having 708-430-3600 already installed on your phone means you can talk to us while the water damages are still in the early stages.  Our trucks are loaded with equipment and ready to assist extracting, removing, and/or drying out your home as quick as possible!