Water Damage From Storms, Floods and Other Sources

Water damage from storms and floods often appears very minor upon first glance, but can quickly escalate into needless, extensive damage to not only property but also your health. When water travels over the ground and enters the home, rising higher than floors, it is considered Category 3 damage - the highest level of contamination, sometimes referred to as black water. Examples of black water includes sewage backflows, rising water from rivers, streams, runoff and seawater that enters a structure.

When dealing with black water - Category 3 water damage, it is important to quickly contact a professional, certified remediation company.

To clean water damage from flooding, several steps will generally be taken to handle the property damage.

First, it is important that all occupants of the property are safe. Flood water can contain harmful organisms such as viruses, parasites and harmful bacteria. If timely decontamination doesn't occur within 24 to 48 hours, fungi and mold can quickly spread.

Next the professionals will remove any excess water and contaminated porous items such as carpeting, drywall and upholstered furniture. These items will most likely be properly disposed of since it can be nearly impossible to remove all contamination from the flooding.

Finally the environment will be restored to its dry state using several methods. Depending on the level of damage several tools such as a negative air machine and an air scrubber will be used. The restoration company will clean and sanitize all remaining surfaces and materials using approved cleaners and disinfectants.


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