24/7 Emergency Service
What Actions Should You Take After a Major Storm? | SERVPRO® of East Mecklenburg/Matthews
5/19/2022 (Permalink)
In the unfortunate event that your home has sustained damage, you can count on SERVPRO® of East Mecklenburg/Matthews to help.
While it’s always important to prepare yourself and your home before a storm arrives, that option sometimes gets forgotten or neglected, so knowing what to do afterward is crucial. A lot of homeowners feel helpless after a natural disaster, but you can avoid that by having a good plan.
In North Carolina, we are no strangers to extreme weather. Between hurricanes, thunderstorms, flooding and the occasional snowstorm, we see our fair share of disasters around here. However, extreme weather is putting people all over our region at risk, with over 30 million people at risk of storms every day across the southeastern United States.
The procedure of handling storm aftermath will depend primarily on if you were forced to evacuate or if you sheltered in place. Regardless of your specific situation, here are some basic steps to take after you face extreme storms.
If you are back at your home after the storm, it’s important to check with local authorities and news for updates around your area.
Those resources will help you identify any dangers that you may face if you have to travel or leave the property. This would include things like fallen trees or power lines, washed-out roads, flooding, and extensive debris that may be strewn about the city.
Additionally, if your home itself has suffered damage, be extremely cautious when maneuvering around inside or moving things around. The structural integrity of your house could be compromised, and if so, could put you at risk of personal injury.
Also, be aware of any damaged trees around your land, which often take significant damage during storms and can fall over hours or days after it has passed.
As long as your home is safe to move around in, it’s a good idea to collect any personal items that are savable. For example, when homes sustain heavy flooding, any item that can be damaged from contact with water should be moved to a higher location, or out of the home altogether.
Don’t waste all of your energy trying to move every single item though, assessing the totality of the damage during this step is also important. Take photographs with your cellphone for later, and write down the estimated cost of any items you notice are substantially damaged.
Many people believe that flooding is exclusive to the coasts, but there are more than 450,000 at risk of flooding in the inland part of North Carolina alone. Don’t underestimate your risk of damage, and be sure to pay attention to your local emergency alerts when storms are coming.
Without receiving the go-ahead from your local government, it’s highly risky to drink from your home’s water. Many times during storms, cities’ water supply will be compromised from storm damage, and can even contain sewage with enough destruction to the pipelines.
When you do leave your home, be sure to buy nonperishable foods and plenty of bottled water until you’re sure that the water at home is safe.
In the unfortunate event that your home has sustained damage, it’s critical to act immediately to get the best results. By choosing SERVPRO of East Mecklenburg/Matthews, you’ll be guaranteed a quick response time, allowing us to get you back in your home as quickly as possible.
If you discover storm damage to your home or business, you can count on SERVPRO to handle the restoration. We’re here 24⁄7 to spring into action—get in touch with us today.