Connecticut Hurricanes 2024 - Are You Ready?

5/6/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Bloomfield/Enfield is ready for any disaster

It’s easy to become complacent when storms and hurricanes haven’t been a recent threat. We tend to focus our weather prep on ice storms, blizzards, bomb cyclones. Still, it’s important that residents of Connecticut remember storms like Irene and Sandy and keep in mind that we are definitely not immune from catastrophic storms or hurricanes. At SERVPRO Bloomfield/Enfield we want to keep you safe and your home protected. If there is a catastrophic event and your home or commercial property in Connecticut sustains storm damage, we are here to help. Remember, we mitigate damage after the storm has passed.

 Here are some tips to help mitigate damage of your residential property before the clouds roll in.

• Do a full inventory of homes and contents – Go room by room with a video camera and taking photos with a digital camera or your cell phone to provide a quick inventory of collectibles, works of art, antiques and other irreplaceable items. Upload your photos to the cloud or email them to yourself so you maintain a virtual copy.
• Collect insurance policies pertaining to the home. Familiarize yourself with what they do and do not cover. Call your insurance agent for a quick review of your policy.
• Prepare supplies in case of a power outage or evacuation – stock up on essentials like batteries, bottled water, canned goods, flashlights, etc. Buy a wireless battery pack for your mobile
• Clear all drains around the house and identify low-lying areas vulnerable to water and ensure that they drain away from basements and foundations.
• Prepare to move all boats, RVs, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles or anything else that may be parked outside or in a non protected area.
• Make sure that gutters and downspouts are clear of debris and drain away from the structure.
• Landscaping should not allow water to collect next to the foundation of the building. Remove any damaged or low-hanging branches.
• Inspect the seals of windows and doors along the frames to check for cracks and ensure they are not compromised in any way.
• Look for items that can become projectiles during heavy winds and move them to a protected area or secure them in some manner. Disassemble playscapes or move outdoor toys to a place where they will not be susceptible to being picked up and hurled through the air by the wind.

Commercial properties can also take steps to mitigate the damage before the rain even starts.

• Back-up all records and store the back-ups off site. Move hard drives to a higher ground where they will not be as susceptible to water damage. If possible, send vital documents to the cloud or another virtual storage service.
• Have mops, buckets, tarps and a wet/dry vacuum on hand in case of leaks or flooding. Placing tarps over computers and other electronics can minimize damage later.
• Move paper records into filing cabinets and leave the bottom drawers empty so that if water does flood the office, hopefully paper will be high enough to be protected.
• Walk through the basement or any offices on a lower level to see what furniture, records or electronics could be compromised or damaged during any flooding, and move them to a higher location or place them in protective containers.
• Take a video inventory of each office and its contents for insurance purposes.

At SERVPRO of Bloomfield/Enfield, we are ready to help you recover your normal after storm damage. Weather events are getting more hazardous by the season and storm damage has become more of a “when” than an “if”
Our phones are open 24/7 to talk to a live agent. Call us at 860-216-2785 and one of our priority responders will be to your home to get a scope of the damage.