Did November’s Torrential Rains Cause Storm Damage to Your Phoenix Home?

12/3/2019 (Permalink)

Unlike other parts of the country, Phoenix’s weather is fairly predictable….usually. We had a pretty tame monsoon season and yet we experienced a big rainstorm late in November that brought a lot of rain to the Valley. If your home experienced storm damage, it’s time to contact SERVPRO of East Phoenix!

Phoenix storms can be powerful and damaging

Monsoons can wreck havoc on a home of any size, but really desert storms in general can cause storm damage. The Thanksgiving weekend storm in Phoenix saw heavy rain and at least three tornadoes touched down in Phoenix. Even if your neighborhood was spared getting turned into tornado alley, rains pelted homes all across the Valley. This resulted in excess water, downed trees hitting homes and in some cases, damaged roofs; results you usually hear about during the monsoon, not in November. For many homeowners, the intensity of the storm took them by surprise.

Why it’s important to react quickly to storm damage

Water damage and flooding can cause structural damage that needs to be addressed quickly to maintain the integrity of the home. Working with a company such as SERVPRO which offers 24/7 emergency service insures that the issue will be dealt with quickly, efficiently and professionally. Even if the storm damage didn’t cause structural damage, the water damage caused by such an intense storm can cause issues including mold and possibly electrical damage (water and electricity don’t mix!). Here are a few water damage tips to follow after you experience storm damage:

• Remove excess water by mopping and blotting.
• Wipe excess water from wood furniture after removal of lamps and tabletop items.
• Remove and prop wet upholstery and cushions.
• Place aluminum foil or wood blocks between furniture legs and wet carpeting.
• Turn air conditioning on for maximum drying in summer.
• Remove colored rugs from wet carpeting.
• Remove art objects to a safe, dry place.
• Gather loose items from floors.

How SERVPRO of Phoenix can help

When you call the SERVPRO specialists, they’ll come out and inspect the damage, providing a full overview of what damage was done and how it needs to be addressed. We’ll check for contaminated water in the home to ensure the homeowner’s safety and do a complete safety inspection. Then we move to the water removal and water extraction stage. We’ll move out any belongings that need to be removed to get to all the water in the home. We’ll inspect the carpet and pad to assess how to best extract the water. We’ll follow that with our highly specialized equipment for water removal and extraction including moisture detectors, hygrometers, and other meters measure the extent of moisture saturation. We also use infrared cameras may be used to find “hidden” water behind walls and ceilings. We’ll leverage submersible and gas-powered pumps as needed for continuous pumping of high-level water and our truck-mounted and portable extraction units to perform efficient water removal.

We’re not done once the water is gone

After the water has been removed, there are still steps to be taken by our professional team. We turn our attention to drying and dehumidification to prevent more damage.  The floors and walls may appear dry, but a quick inspection will reveal they are wet to the touch. Nearly all building materials, like wood, drywall, and flooring materials, are porous and therefore retain water. This retained water can cause the materials to break down, warp, or cause mold damage.

The final step:  cleanup and repair

Once our team has the water under control and the drying process complete, we can assist with any items that need repair from water damage such as walls, flooring, etc. Our building services include:

• Drywall Removal and Installation
• Hardwood Floor Repair
• Tile Floor Repair
• Painting
• Carpet Repair and Installation

We’ll also focus on odor removal and deodorization if necessary.

If your Phoenix home suffered storm damage from the Thanksgiving weekend, contact us right away at (480) 503-2090. We’ll get the job done and get you back to like it never happened!