Warm weather can trigger very powerful storms. Anyone living in the Ozarks must always be prepared for potential flood damage. You’ll need a plan in place whenever a flood becomes possible.
Floodwater can do extensive damage in just minutes. As flood water rushes into your home, it saturates everything that it encounters. This often leaves the home uninhabitable. Fixing this flood damage can be expensive and the restoration process can feel overwhelming.
If your home is ever damaged by flood waters, you’ll want to hire the experts for flood restoration in Springfield Missouri.
How Does Floodwater Enter Homes?
Floodwaters can enter your home through any cracks that they find. Doors and windows can allow the water in, as will cracks in your home’s foundation. When the storm sewers get overloaded, the sewer system can serve as another source of floodwater.
The Damage Floodwater Causes
Floodwater can compromise your home’s foundation by eroding soil around the foundation. This results in cracks and leaks. If the flood water is high enough, the foundation may begin to wash away, leading to the need for major structural repairs.
Any drywall that comes into contact with flood water may swell and deteriorate. A ceiling may collapse or a floor might buckle from the pressure of the water. Flood waters can also destroy your personal belongings.
Mold and mildew become concerns whenever floodwater enters your home. Flood water may contaminate your water supply, damage electrical wiring or even your home’s plumbing system.
Preparing Your Home
Homeowners should take steps ahead of time to minimize potential flood damage. A properly installed sump pump is one way to do so. A homeowner might raise their appliances off the ground or anchor fuel tanks in the basement for safety reasons. A flood emergency plan needs to be in place.
Every homeowner should know their potential flood risk and invest in flood insurance if they are in an area that is prone to this type of natural disaster. Otherwise the flood restoration work might not be covered by your standard homeowners insurance.
Flood Types
Flash floods occur with little warning and result from heavy rains in a short period. When a river overflows its banks, a riverine flood occurs. Melting snow, heavy rains, or a break in a nearby dam or levy are major causes of this type of flood. This flooding may occur over a period of days or weeks.
When the stormwater system in a metropolitan area becomes overwhelmed, urban floods occur and can disrupt transportation systems and cause property damage.
If a sewer system cannot handle heavy rains or flooding, a sewer flood may occur. In the Ozarks, we have a lot of clay in our soil which prevents heavy rains from soaking into the ground. When this limit is reached, a pluvial flood occurs.
Staying Safe During a Flood
Never drive through a flooded area, as the road underneath the water may be washed out. In addition, avoid walking through floodwater, as it could contain germs and diseases. Avoid touching wet electrical equipment or any electrical equipment when standing in water.
Hire The Experts For Flood Restoration
Restoring your home and minimizing the flood damage should be your top priority. Industrial fans and dehumidifiers are needed to complete this task, and a professional flood restoration company will have these types of specialized equipment.
Mold can start to form in the first 24 to 48 hours after floodwater enters your home. The sooner the flood restoration process begins, the more effective the structural drying efforts will be. This reduces the need for large-scale demolition and reconstruction.
PuroClean Certified Restoration works with our customers to repair their flood damaged structures through the use of psychometric science. Our flood restoration team monitors the temperature and dehumidification, so drying and evaporation take less time.
We use high-capacity air movers that establish an air vortex in your home. Our LGR dehumidifiers pull this wet, cold air and replace it with warm, dry air.
If activated rapidly, our QuickDry system can save everything in your home. Call to learn more about how our expert team can help restore your home to its pre-flood condition.