Flood/ Hurrican Damage Restoration

As a storm damage restoration expert, I have been on the site of the aftermath of floods, tornadoes, hurricane and other natural disasters. When a storm or other natural disaster hits, personal safety is our first priority, and this often means that nature has its way with our beloved possessions.

Storm damage restoration can be a grueling process. Woodard’s storm damage restoration crews give 110 percent when called to the job of any storm incident. Often times, when we talk to the residents of a damaged area, we find that those people are in a vulnerable state of shock where everything they knew has been lost within a few hours — sometimes minutes or seconds.

Small, beloved possessions such as pictures, diplomas, letters and other documents can have a significant impact when they can be restored and returned to the owner. It is a small piece of the life they once knew. These “treasures” can truly help a person get through the rest of the restoration process. This explains why Woodard’s storm damage restoration experts take the utmost care of small details.

At Woodard, we can help with restoring some of these objects, however, if a storm hits your home, here are some steps from our storm damage restoration specialists on how to protect those small precious possessions:

Protect yourself: A storm’s aftermath can include mold, bacteria, chemicals, or other harmful substances. Make sure to wear gloves and other protective gear when trying to rescue items from a home or business.
Mold is the enemy: Be sure to clean, dry and disinfect the objects as soon as possible to prevent mold from spreading throughout your precious objects. Remember mold can form and spread in less than 48 hours.
Use gentle air: Many people will use hair dryers, ovens or other heat sources to quickly dry objects that have been soaked in water. The heat, even from the sun, can damage pictures, paintings, documents and other items. It is better to let less extreme air from an indoor fan do the job.
Be careful: Most objects become very fragile after storm damage. Make sure to carfully separate damp items so they don’t stick together, for example, get pictures out of a wet photo album, remove paintings and documents from their frames and place paper towels between the pages of wet books. Avoid rubbing your objects harshly when cleaning, rather use soft brushes to remove dust and dirt.
Rinse and hang: Rinse photos gently with water and hang them on a line like your mom used to with your clothes.
Saving what matters: Remember that in a disaster situation, not everything can be saved. That is why it is important to prioritize those objects that have the most value to you.
Frozen in time: If you can’t get photos, papers, books, and textiles dry within 48 hours before mold begins to grow, try to freeze these objects. When you are ready to dry them, take them out and do some of the steps already mentioned.

By John Sadl, Operations Manager, Water Restoration

It has been a busy year at Woodard with storm damage repair work. During the first half of 2011, Woodard has worked with more than 100 different insurance companies, traveled throughout the country, and mobilized hundreds of crews to assist with storm damage repair in areas severely hit by the recent wave of storms.

In what the National Weather Service has deemed an “unusual year” of natural disasters, the country has been shocked by catastrophic tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes, leaving many homes and businesses in need of restoration work.

From the Joplin tornado, to Hurricane Irene, one aspect these forces of nature have had in common is their unpredictability. No matter how many predictions are made, few people can fully prepare for the devastation brought by a flood, tornado or hurricane. Woodard understands getting life and businesses back together quickly is imperative in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

Thanks to Woodard’s large equipment and crew capacity, together with years of experience, and our ability to organize and mobilize many crews at once, we have been at the forefront of the battle, assisting communities near and far in their storm damage repair efforts. From several separate tornados in St. Louis, to flooding in Southern Illinois, to tornados in central Missouri and Joplin, to flooding in Chicago, to Hurricane Irene – Woodard crews have assisted with each of these storm damage restoration efforts.

One secret to our success is that all of our technicians are cross-trained and are capable of addressing restoration needs from fire, water, or storm damage repair. Our company’s core values are ingrained in all of our employees – so we focus how we can best address our customer’s needs with our legendary service.

That is why everyday of the week and around the clock, Woodard is ready to deploy its crews to the site of any storm damage situation. At Woodard, we will not be able to predict where communities will need us next for storm damage repair, but you can rest assured we will be there fast and we will complete our jobs in a manner the owner and insurance company will both appreciate.

Tag Archives: Flood/ Hurrican Damage Restoration

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