SERVPRO Can Provide Fast Water Mitigation for Santa Rosa Homes After Pipe Separations

3/2/2023 (Permalink)

Water damage in Santa Rosa County home is restored by SERVPRO experts.

SERVPRO Can Provide Fast Water Mitigation for Santa Rosa Homes After Pipe Separations

Pipe bursts from aging or pressure fluctuations can be highly destructive for homes and businesses. Considering the high volume of water damage that results, our SERVPRO team responds with urgency to these situations to begin mitigation services like water removal and content relocation.

The Damage of a Broken Pipe

The heart of water mitigation for Santa Rosa homes is a thorough inspection of the property to determine its damage and what must be done to return the structure to preloss conditions. Quick action is needed to prevent damage to building materials like wall systems and ceilings following pipe bursts. Beyond structural damage, substantial standing water concerns are also likely to result. 

Controlled Demolition and Cleanup

The earliest action we must take after water damage to structural elements in the house is the removal of these water damaged components. Our general contractor license is essential and allows us to complete controlled demolition where required. Our goal is to remove any harmful or challenging debris from the property that could amplify loss effects or make restoration more challenging to complete moving forward. This process allows efforts like drying and water removal to start. 

Thorough Drying and Water Removal

We can get cleanup and water removal services underway with exposed damaged areas. We have dozens of extraction devices to help in this effort, including wet vacuums and submersible pumps. Drying these cavities involves several of our high-efficiency tools from the inventory as well, including:

• Positive pressure systems
• Low-profile centrifugal air movers
• Portable electric heaters

A pipe burst can be among the most threatening situations for homes and businesses. Because of the high volume of water these situations present, it is essential to mitigate loss however possible.

SERVPRO Can Help You Assess the Damage and Make the Right Decision

2/21/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Santa Rosa County arrives at a commercial water damage to restore the property.

SERVPRO Can Help You Assess the Damage and Make the Right Decision

Whenever your commercial office space needs water removal, our SERVPRO technicians are here to help. We are on call 24/7 to respond swiftly to your emergency and help us minimize your damages. Like you, we understand that every minute you remain closed represents issues in revenue.

Why Do I Need to Call a Professional Team to Extract The Water?

Using a wet-dry vacuum and humidifiers will certainly help you evaporate water damage in your Santa Rosa office, but it may not be enough. As professionals in the industry at SERVPRO, we have at our fingertips several tools that help us measure moisture levels and take action to restore them back to normal. Failure to extract all water can leave you with a suitable environment for bacteria, such as mold, to reproduce. Tackling the problem in a timely manner helps prevent future complications.

What Are My Options to Save My Carpet?
The situation and our observations will help determine what happens to your carpet. In some instances, we can dry it in place as long as it has not been wet for more than 72 hours. Some advantages of this technique include the following:

-Less disruption to the flow of your business

-Less damage to the carpet

-Furniture may be able to stay in place

Alternatively, our SERVPRO crew can have a frank conversation and recommend the full removal of the carpet, if the damage is too far gone. When this happens, we work within local guidelines and ordinances to dispose of the carpet as recommended.

When our SERVPRO of Santa Rosa County is at your side, we can discuss the benefits of each of the options available to you. Together, we can leave your office, "Like it never even happened."

Why does Florida have so much precipitation?

8/23/2022 (Permalink)

Thunder heads rolling in on beach.

Why does Florida have so much precipitation?

Torrential rain in Florida primarily results from the passing of low pressure systems through or close to it. The most well known low pressure system is the tropical hurricane, which is capable of producing truly enormous amounts of precipitation over a short period of time.

Which area gets the most precipitation in Florida?

Pensacola

Rainiest Days In The History of Florida These four Florida cities, ranked by average annual precipitation, are Tallahassee, Pensacola, Miami and West Palm Beach. It’s the Gulf of Mexico’s warm waters that create storms that often soak the state, particularly between June and November.

Why do some areas get more precipitation than others?

The tropics receive a great amount of direct solar energy, which produces more evaporation than higher latitudes. The warm, moist air rises, condenses into clouds and thunderstorms, and falls back to earth as precipitation. More evaporation results in more precipitation.

Is Florida the rainiest state?

Hawaii overall is the rainiest state in the US, with a state-wide average of 63.7 inches (1618 millimeters) of rain a year. But few places in Hawaii fit the state’s average….Rainiest States in America.

Rank 1
Year Hawaii
Winter Hawaii
Summer Florida

Why does it rain so much in Florida during the summer?

Most of South Florida has a tropical climate. There is a defined rainy season from May through October, when air mass thundershowers that build in the heat of the day drop heavy but brief summer rainfall. In some years the dry season becomes quite severe and water restrictions are imposed to conserve water.

Why is Florida weather so unpredictable?

Because of its geographic location, Florida’s weather isn’t exactly divided into the traditional Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons. Dry season (November-April), on the other hand, brings significantly less humidity, reduced precipitation, and a more predictable forecast that’s less storm-prone.

What Florida city gets the most rain?

America’s top 5 wettest cities

New Orleans, Louisiana: 62.45 inches of precipitation annually on average.

West Palm Beach, Florida: 62.33 inches of precipitation annually on average.

Miami, Florida: 61.90 inches of precipitation annually on average.

Pensacola, Florida: 61.20 inches of precipitation annually on average.

What part of Florida rains the least?

In Orlando, as generally happens in central and southern Florida, winter is the least rainy season, in fact, 55 to 65 mm (2.2 to 2.6 in) of rain fall per month from November to February.

Which region gets the most precipitation?

Matsuyama, located in the Meghalaya State in India, is the wettest place in the world. It receives an annual rainfall of 11,871 millimeters. The mountainous terrain of the surrounding land forces the northward-moving warm moist monsoon winds coming from the Bay of Bengal to converge over Matsuyama.

Why is there more precipitation at the equator?

Areas near the equator receive high rainfall amounts because constant solar heating produces intense heating, large-scale evaporation, moist rising air that cools with altitude and forms convectional rainfall. In addition, air masses converge here which results in heavy rainfall.

What is the rainiest state in the US?

Hawaii

The 10 Wettest States In The United States Of America

Rank State Average yearly rainfall
1 Hawaii 57.2
2 Louisiana 56.9
3 Mississippi 55.5
4 Alabama 55.3

Which states get the least rain?

Nevada takes the lead as the least rainy state in the US, with only 9.5 inches (241 mm) of rain each year. The mountain states, including Wyoming and Montana, dominate the list of America’s driest states year round.

What’s the average precipitation in the state of Florida?

Average Yearly Precipitation for States (rain & snow) 8. Delaware 45 inches (114 centimeters) 9. Florida 54 inches (137 centimeters) 10. Georgia 50 inches (127 centimeters) 11. Hawaii 110 inches (279 centimeters)

Animal Rain

8/18/2022 (Permalink)

Frog with an umbrella

Animal Rain
It may not rain cats and dogs, but sometimes it rains tadpoles and tiny fish. This strange meteorological event is probably caused by waterspouts, basically tornadoes that form over water.

Waterspouts start out as vortexes, or columns of rotating, cloud-filled wind. As the vortex descends over an ocean or lake, small aquatic animals may be swept up in the waterspouts funnel.

Changes in pressure and wind force the waterspout to change back into a low-lying cloud, emptying precipitationincluding any creatures swept up in the waterspoutover a nearby landmass.

In 1894, newspapers in Bath, England, reported a rain of tadpoles. In 2009, a storm brought a rain of minnows down on Ishikawa, Japan.

Is Your Homeowners Insurance Good Enough

7/13/2022 (Permalink)

Homeowners Insurance

HO-1 Covers narrow set of named perils. If not specifically listed in policy text, it is not covered. Belongings & liability typically excluded.

HO-2: Covers the same named perils as 1 along with others including failure of HVAC systems, damage to electrical, & harm caused by falling objects. Might also cover belongings & liability. Coverage is relatively limited.

HO-3: Covers everything an HO-2 does while going much further. HO-3s cover the dwelling, its attached structures, belongings within, & the policyholder’s personal liability. As an open-peril policy, will usually cover anything not excluded in writing. Exclusions include floods and earthquakes.

HO-4: Renter’s ins, this covers the belongings and liability of a tenant but not the dwelling itself, the landlord’s ins would cover that. May also include coverage for additional living expenses.

HO-5: Most wide-ranging form of homeowners ins. It will cover a # of perils on an open-peril basis, often with higher limits than other policy types.

HO-6 (Condo): Similar to comprehensive homeowners ins, except limited to condos. It governs belongings, liability, & some portions of unit structure, the rest would be covered by a homeowners association policy.

HO-7 (Mobile Home): Home insurance policy designed specifically for mobile & manufactured dwellings.

HO-8 (Older Home Form): Similar to an HO-3 but optimized for older homes that may have significant depreciation or be part of a historical registry.

Expert Strategies To Prevent Water/Mold

6/28/2022 (Permalink)

Roof Deck After Untreated Water Damage

Prevent Mold and Water from Damaging Your Home With These Expert Strategies

Both water damage (and resulting mold damage) can cost individual homeowners thousands of dollars per occurrence. While accidents certainly can (and do) happen, many instances of water and mold damage are completely preventable. Taking a proactive approach to home care is one of the best ways to ensure that you do not have to shell out hundreds or even thousands of dollars in emergency expenses.

Learn how to effortlessly prevent mold and water damage in your home from the expert team at SERVPRO of Santa Rosa County

Shop for the best home insurance

Having good home insurance is a necessity to protect yourself from the financial damage that can accompany major home repairs. There are many different methods of finding good home insurance in Florida, but the best way to do it is to shop around and compare rates. There are lots of companies that offer home insurance in Florida, so it is important to find one that offers the coverage that you need at a price that you can afford. It’s also wise to talk to your friends and family members who live in Florida to see if they have any recommendations for you.

Perform routine checks of select appliances and fixtures

Contrary to what some believe, mold more frequently develops as a result of a slow, unnoticed leak (rather than from a massive water incident). You could easily go months (or even years) without seeing a small, yet persistent water leak in any area of your home. The more time that goes by, the worse the damage will ultimately be.

Avoid a hefty mold remediation bill by making it a point to routinely check appliances and fixtures that can leak. Regularly examine items such as your water heater (be on the lookout for any corrosion), all sinks and toilets, water supply valves, your dishwasher, and your refrigerator. If you notice a minor leak, contact someone to repair it as soon as possible. 

Don’t forget to maintain your home’s exterior

When thinking about avoiding water and mold damage inside of your home, you may forget to consider preventative methods that should be taken outdoors. Your home’s exterior is extremely important when it comes to being proactive about preventing mold and water damage. The smallest opening can cause moisture to build up rapidly (from both humidity and rain).

First and foremost, have your roof inspected regularly for leaks. If your roof is missing shingles or has any size opening, you are at risk for serious water and mold damage. In the event you do find damage, have your attic inspected for mold. Also, be sure to routinely clean your gutters. Clogged gutters can cause water to pool and spill into unwanted places. Search “residential gutter cleaning near me” to find trustworthy providers in your area. You can read reviews and testimonials before deciding on the best provider for you.

Turn on your bathroom’s fan when taking a bath or shower

Among all of the suggestions provided, one of the easiest is to turn on your bathroom fan when taking a shower or a bath. With the flip of a switch, you can save yourself thousands. While this prevention method is incredibly easy, some individuals are not in the habit of using their fan, since no mirror fogging occurs. Just because your mirrors do not fog up does not mean that you shouldn’t utilize your fan. The heat and moisture rising from any bath or shower can cause mold to grow, especially on hard-to-reach ceilings.

Don’t have a fan in one (or more) of the bathrooms in your home? Over time, the installation of a bathroom fan can actually be less costly than mold remediation.

Prevent toilet overflows

No one likes dealing with an overflowing toilet. But, if your toilet regularly overflows, now is the time to take steps to prevent future problems. Water from an overflow can get underneath your flooring, which can result in expensive damage.

While these tips are certainly effective in preventing mold and water damage, accidents happen. Don’t wait to fix water and mold issues until the problem has gotten out of control. Instead, hire our team of professionals at SERVPRO of Santa Rosa County to handle the job. We make it a priority to take care of the existing damages with the utmost care and attention to detail. 

Emily Graham | emily@mightymoms.net

Mighty Moms

Seeking Sunshine: What to Consider When Moving to Santa Rosa County, FL

6/17/2022 (Permalink)

Family walking on Santa Rosa County Beach

With long summers, outdoor activities, and more white-sand beaches than you can dig a spade into, it’s no surprise that Santa Rosa County has seen such an uptake in new residents lately. If you’re considering a move out to northwest Florida, here’s what to consider first.

Housing

Housing may be one of your main priorities when considering a move to Santa Rosa. Fortunately, with a burgeoning real estate market, the forecast looks bright for buyers.

• Santa Rosa Beach boasts a huge number of high-spec beach homes built within the recent couple of decades
• The region is popular amongst homeowners looking for close communities as Santa Rosa is comprised of 34 smaller towns and neighborhoods
• Make sure you plan ahead and check online reviews before using a local realtor to help you find listings for homes in your price range

Lifestyle

Residents of Santa Rosa County enjoy a quiet, spacious way of life. Here’s what to expect from the lifestyle.

• There are plenty of outdoor activities, with three state parks, two preserves, bike trails, blue sky fishing opportunities, and abundant wildlife (including dolphins)
• Santa Rosa is home to some of the state’s most vibrant and respected art communities
• If you have kids, look into Santa Rosa’s education opportunities, including a charter school ranked amongst the top 10 middle schools in Florida

Business

If you’re moving your business across state lines, it’s important to understand the implications and new requirements.

• If you haven’t already, you may need to apply for an LLC Florida business license
• When forming a new business, you may find there are certain advantages to structuring as a Limited Liability Company (LLC), such as less paperwork, tax benefits, and reduced personal liability
• Once you have a business name, address, and corporate purpose, you can apply to register with the Department of State (DOS)

If you’re seeking sun, serenity, and a warm, communal social scene then Santa Rosa County may be for you. Just make sure you research ahead before making your move.

SERVPRO of Santa Rosa County specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke, or water damage situation. Learn more about our services, at: www.SERVPROsantarosacounty.com or give us a call at 850-939-4700

Emily Graham | emily@mightymoms.net

Mighty Moms

ARE YOU PREPARED?

5/25/2022 (Permalink)

Satellite imagery of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico before it makes landfall in Louisiana.

With spring storm season here and hurricane season approaching, the question becomes, are you (Emergency Managers), your staff, and your community prepared to respond and recover from whatever mother nature throws your way? Spring storm season 2022 is upon us, with forecasts revealing the jet stream pattern over the North Pacific and the Atlantic to be influenced by the weakening La Nina while a high-pressure system in the Pacific will define the dynamic weather over North America.Hurricane season starts June 1st and continues through November 30th. That is 182 days or roughly one-half of the year that a hurricane could impact your community. Early predictions indicate a  65% chance of an above-average hurricane season for 2022 with 13-18 named storms (winds of 39 MPH or higher), 6-11 of those grow to be hurricanes (winds of 74 MPH or higher), and 2-5 develop to be major hurricanes (winds of 111 MPH or higher). 

With this in mind, now is the time for Emergency Managers and communities in tornado-prone areas and areas along the coastline and inland communities to prepare to respond and recover.

Hurricane Names for the 2022 Hurricane Season

Here is a possible top 10 list of preparedness items you should have already discussed and made specific plans for your community.

1-      Redundant communication systems. Ensure that your Emergency Responders have more than one means of communication. Depending on the size and severity of the storm, typical means of communication may not be available. It is paramount that you, as an Emergency Manager, can communicate with your field staff, local elected officials, first responders, and any possible mutual aid that may be assisting in the response phase of any operation. Additional options are satellite phones, two-way radio, citizens band radio, amateur radio operators, and social media if internet access is available.

2-      Identify major routes for Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Fire, and Police Department use. It is essential for emergency personnel and first responders to get to local medical facilities and other emergency services without delay in a storm. By having pre-identified these routes, you can plan to clean and open the critical roads as quickly as possible and as soon as it is safe for emergency personnel after the storm passes. Ensure that your stand-by contract has a cut-and-push plan established and that you have communicated with your debris removal contractor before landfall. 

3-     Estimate your community's worst-case scenario for a minor and major hurricane.  How much debris could impact your community in each situation? By being prepared with estimates, you can communicate these estimates to your debris contractor, who can secure enough equipment and personnel to respond to your community. It is vital to make your debris removal contractor and monitoring firm part of your Debris Management Plan and your planning process.

4-     Have a stand-by contract for both your debris removal contractor and your removal monitoring firm. We have mentioned stand-by contracts previously; however, [I can't emphasize enough the importance of this step in your debris management process]. Proper contracting can be a long process. Preparing a Request for Proposal (RFP), publishing the RFP and soliciting bids, scoring incoming submissions, and ensuring that you have complied with federal procurement procedures, laws, and regulations found in 2 CFR §200 can be an overwhelming task, especially for small jurisdictions. It is less stressful to get this step done in peacetime before any post-event efforts.

5-     Personnel Identified, trained, and in place to promote a rapid response. This should be part of your Debris Management Plan. Personnel may be inaccessible post-landfall, and communications may be spotty at best.  It is imperative to have these folks identified, trained, and in place to respond to any event quickly. Ensure their phone numbers are available for the information sharing and reporting necessary for any response operation.

6-     Identify Temporary Debris Storage and Reduction Sites (TDSRS). You can save a significant amount of time by having these sites pre-identified. Additionally, pre-identify the permanent landfill or final disposition sites. This information will be needed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) if the event becomes a declared Emergency or Major Disaster. Note from 2021; different states have different Environmental and Historic considerations for temporary debris sites. Ensure you know the latest guidance for your state's Department of Environmental Quality and State Historic Preservation Officer.

7-     Request approval from your State Department of Environmental Quality for your TDSRS. As soon as it is safe for emergency personnel post-event, ensure that you make the call to your State Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to get approval for your TDSRS. Typically this is necessary regardless if the event becomes declared or not. The DEQ contact and phone number handy will make this step a breeze in the hectic post-event environment. 

8-     Identify methods of debris reduction. With landfill capacity becoming an issue throughout the United States and worldwide, we must plan to reduce storm debris by any means possible. Having this step decided will make your debris operations more efficient and shorten the time to completion. Vegetative debris methods include chipping (65%-75% reduction in volume) or burning (90% reduction in volume). Wood chips are valuable as most landfills will accept them for cover at no charge to your community. Construction and Demolition (C&D) debris can be compressed and then transported to its final disposition in a landfill that accepts C&D debris. 

9-     Plan for the transition from response to recovery. Debris operations typically consist of two phases. The response phase includes the initial cut and push to open emergency routes and the recovery phase, where debris moves from the right-of-way to the TDSRS or final disposition. These are two different and distinct steps, and you must plan accordingly. The response phase is much shorter, while the recovery phase could take up to a year, depending on the event's severity. Having this plan in place will lessen the stress while in emergencies.

10-  Estimate your completion date.  What does your completion look like for your community? How many passes will you allow? What will be the last date you will allow storm debris to come to the curb? How will you communicate this to your citizens? By understanding these questions, you can move forward to completion much quicker than planning under emergency conditions. 

With these ten tips, you will be better prepared to handle any event that might come your way this year and years to come. If your jurisdiction had a well-prepared Debris Management Plan, your work would be 99% complete. A comprehensive Debris Management Plan will be a valuable part of your Emergency Management toolbox with yearly updates. And to round out your planning, stand-by contracts will relieve the stress that is always part of any disaster response.

Tony M. Furr, retired FEMA Emergency Management Specialist and Region 6 Debris Subject Matter Expert (SME), wrote this article. Mr. Furr has taken a position with DRC Emergency Services and serves as Director of Technology Assistance and Training at 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd. Suite 401, Metairie, LA 70005.

HERE WE GO

5/17/2022 (Permalink)

Storm

Weeks before the Atlantic hurricane season officially starts, the National Hurricane Center in Miami is tracking its first tropical wave of 2022 off the coast of Africa — are you ready?

An eastern Atlantic tropical wave was moving westward about 15 mph, according to a Monday morning NHC report: "The Hovmoller diagram satellite imagery sequence for the past 5 days reveals that this wave has a good track history. The latest satellite imagery shows an area of numerous moderate to isolated strong convection east of the wave. Tropical wave guidance has it moving westward over the next 24-48 hours, passing well to the south of the Cabo Verde Islands."

Name game: Will the trend of hurricane season unofficially starting in May continue?

As hurricane season approaches, experts say to beware of more rapidly intensifying storms

Bookmark this: Here's a free database to track the storms during hurricane season

Hurricane season runs June 1 to Nov. 30. If a tropical storm forms this month, the first name on the list is Alex.

A storm forming before the season starts isn't uncommon. Since 2015, there has been a named storm in May every year, beginning with Tropical Storm Ana. Because of this trend, there has been increasing discussions among weather experts about moving the official start of hurricane season up to May 15.

Here's a recap of past seasons that started before June 1, in some cases, to the extreme:

• On May 8, 2015, Tropical Storm Ana formed, followed by Tropical Storm Bill on June 16th.
• On Jan. 12, 2016, Subtropical Storm Alex formed and eventually strengthened to become Hurricane Alex. Months passed before Tropical Storm Bonnie formed May 27, again days before the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season. Tropical Storm Colin formed June 5 of that year.

Did you know? 2021 hurricane season used up its name list for only the 3rd time in history

Real-time radar loop: See a satellite loop for Eastern Atlantic tropical storm activity

• On April 19, 2017, Tropical Storm Arlene formed. Storm activity was "quiet" until Tropical Storm Bret formed June 19, followed by Tropical Storm Cindy a day later.
• On May 25, 2018, Tropical Storm Alberto formed the weekend of Memorial Day, which was May 28 that year. That summer, hurricane season didn't see another storm until Hurricane Beryl formed July 4 and Hurricane Chris on July 6.

• On May 20, 2019, Subtropical Storm Andrea formed. Hurricane Barry formed months later on July 11. 
• On May 16, 2020, during the height of the COVID pandemic, Tropical Storm Arthur formed. Tropical Storm Bertha also formed before the season started, on May 27, two days after Memorial Day that year. Tropical Storm Cristobal formed June 1.
• Like in 2015, Tropical Storm Ana formed May 22, 2021, followed by Tropical Storm Bill on June 14. It is not uncommon for the National Hurricane Center to reuse storm names. If a storm has devastating impacts, names will be retired from future use. That happened with Katrina, Matthew and Floyd, to name a few.

Water Damage Timeline

3/10/2022 (Permalink)

Texas freeze image of pipes in wall that froze.

Water Damage Timeline

Within Minutes

• Water quickly spreads throughout your property, saturating everything in its path.
• Water is absorbed into walls, floors, upholstery, and belongings.
• Furniture finishes may bleed, causing permanent staining on carpets.
• Photographs, books, and other paper goods start to swell and warp.

Hours 1 - 24:

• Drywall begins to swell and break down.
• Metal surfaces begin to tarnish.
• Furniture begins to swell and crack.
• Dyes and inks from cloth and paper goods spread and stain.
• A musty odor appears.

48 Hours to 1 Week:

• Mold and mildew may grow and spread.
• Doors, windows, and studs swell and warp.
• Metal begins to rust and corrode.
• Furniture warps and shows signs of mold.
• Paint begins to blister.
• Wood flooring swells and warps.
• Serious biohazard contamination is possible.

More Than 1 Week:

• Restoration time and cost increase dramatically; replacing contaminated materials and structural rebuilding may be extensive.
• Structural safety, mold growth, and biohazard contaminants pose serious risks to occupants.

About SERVPRO of Santa Rosa County

SERVPRO of Santa Rosa County specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.