Spring Storms Begin To Occur Down South As Florida Residents Gear Up

Properties that have suffered from heavy rain flooding may need a significant amount of restoration. It is greatly dependent upon how long the water was present and whether there are still large amounts of water that need to be removed from the property. One of the first services that should be called in is a water restoration company.

The water restoration company will be able to walk through the property and assess all of the damage. This includes looking at carpeting, floors, as well as drywall to see if there has been any kind of damage. There will also be tests conducted to see if there is any mold or mildew in place which will need to be removed.

The first service that needs to be performed is removing any debris. After a significant amount of water has flooded into the property, there will be some obvious debris, such as what has come off of a wall or parts of the floor that have peeled up from becoming too water-logged.

If there is any mold or mildew in place, carpeting will need to be discarded, drywall will need to be removed and wooden floor boards may need to be replaced. This is all based upon how much mold and mildew is around the property. Once the mold and mildew is removed, the property can be rebuilt so that it looks as though nothing happened.

If there is no mold or mildew, the process is a little easier. One of the services that can be used is wet carpet drying and cleaning. In many cases, if the restoration company is called in quickly enough, they will be able to save the carpeting from mold and mildew by extracting all of the water from the carpets, drying them and even cleaning them so they do not smell of any rain water or dirt.

Another service that can be used to restore a property is drying any kind of drywall that has become wet because of the heavy rain flooding. Wet drywall must be dealt with immediately as it is not structurally sound and can harbor bacteria as well as mold. The drywall can be dried and any un-salvageable pieces can be removed to ensure the property is safe as well as clean.

When it comes to flooding as a result of heavy rain, insurance will cover many of the services that are needed to restore the property. There are services that can help appraise the damage and provide the necessary estimates that should be submitted into the insurance company. This makes it easier for the property owner to have all of the repairs made without any money being spent out of pocket – or very little.

There are many services available to help restore properties. It is all greatly dependent upon the extent of the damage and how long a property owner waits to place a call. A restoration company typically offers all of the services needed in order to restore the property to its beauty prior to the heavy rain.

Jarvis provides help to florida residents who have been victimized by flooding and storm damages. You can connect with a representative from Jarvis at one of their local response hubs to coordinate emergency services. 

Iowa Has A Long History Of Flooding Challenges Flood Awareness Begins In Earnest

Notable Historic Iowa Floods

The climate and geography of Iowa produce many floods. Iowa is bounded on the east by the Mississippi River and on the west by the Missouri River. The Des Moines River cuts across the whole state north to south. Precipitation in Iowa tends to be concentrated within the four months from May to August, when there are a lot of thunderstorms. During the summer months, heavy rainfall often causes the rivers to overflow their banks, leading to flooding.

Iowa began to be officially settled by the United States in 1833. While still sparsely populated, the state was hit by the Great Flood of 1851, and the Des Moines River basin was heavily flooded. The nascent city of Des Moines was wiped out almost completely. Many farmers lost their entire crop and countless buildings were destroyed. This was the first flood experienced by the residents of Iowa. Their preparations had been very poor. Towns had not foreseen the need to construct levees or sturdy bridges and consequently suffered severe damage.

On the morning of May 18, 1892, residents of Sioux City were startled to discover water coursing through the streets of their city. The Floyd River, which local residents had believed was safely contained, had, in fact, overrun its banks. The city suffered millions of dollars of damage and about 25 people died along with thousands of livestock.

More recently, 1993 produced one of the largest floods on record, not just in Iowa, but throughout the entire Midwest. There had been heavy snowfall the previous winter, which saturated the ground when it melted. Additional precipitation could not be absorbed, and instead drained into the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, which both flooded between May and August. All 99 counties of Iowa were declared disaster areas, and billions of dollars of damage was suffered, along with seven deaths.

While the 2008 Mississippi River flood was not as severe nationwide as that of 1993, it was considerably worse for Iowa, which saw significant flooding in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Lessons learned from the 1993 flood were applied in many cities, saving lives and property, yet Cedar Rapids still suffered considerable damage, which will take many years to repair.

Iowa has suffered greatly from floods for over 150 years. It is likely that it will continue to be hit with more floods in the future as well. Every time there is a flood, new lessons are learned, and flood-management technology is always improving. Cutting-edge flood inundation maps now allow officials and property owners to see what sections of their city will be affected by floods first, allowing better evacuation plans and utility service decisions to be made. Mayors and city councils have learned that it is best to create a plan for emergencies before they occur. By taking proactive steps towards disaster prevention and mitigation, communities in Iowa can reduce the cost and disruption of future floods.

Contributions to this article were provided by the disaster recovery team from Jarvis Iowa, a leading local property restoration firm that specializes in flood damage cleanup services. Jarvis offers local services in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and Iowa City.