The Top 7 Concerns in the Aftermath of Severe Storm Damage

Dealing with the aftermath of storm damage can be scary. Once your home or business is hit, you will always be second-guessing the structural integrity and whether it will ever be safe to move back in. Never go into a storm-damaged home until you have clearance from officials that it is safe to re-enter. Let’s take a look below at the main concerns that home and business owners must address after severe storm damage.

1: Carcinogens

It is easy to have doubts about moving back in if the storm damage includes fire damage. A bad fire can burn up plastics, treated lumber, and other materials that release carcinogens into your home or business.Â

The carcinogens can coat every surface and soak into rugs, clothes, and furniture. You may even feel the caustic effects of clothing against your skin after several washes in hot water and detergent. There are special cleaning companies who claim that they can remove carcinogens from clothes and furniture after a fire. However, you should be careful because the quality of the cleaning may be difficult to assess. It is almost always best to discard these materials before your structural restoration. Cancers may not appear until 20 years after exposure to carcinogens.

If you want to look at some extreme cases regarding the effects of these materials on the human body, simply look at health profiles and death rates of first responders involved in the New York City 9/11 twin towers crash. Even momentary exposure to fire contaminants can destroy your health. Why would you want to continue living in a home that may be contaminated?

2: Roof Damage

If your roof supports are damaged or heavy tree limbs have crashed through, this can introduce weather damage into your home. The weather damage can lead to mildew, mold, and even the breakdown of materials such as drywall. There is nothing worse than worrying about whether the roof will cave in on you after storm damage occurs. It is important to have your roof carefully inspected and repaired by a licensed storm damage contractor. In most cases, your homeowners’ insurance will cover a professional storm damage restoration minus any deductibles.

3: Foundational Damage

A broken or shifted foundation can make you feel like you are living in the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Foundation restoration can be difficult because the entire weight of your house is standing upon it. Cracks in the foundation introduce water seepage and can quickly flood out basements. This can lead to damaged furniture, damaged electrical systems, damaged heating systems, and more. You should never have to worry about coming home one day and seeing your house collapsed or broken into pieces.Â

4: Insurance Coverage

In order to obtain full insurance coverage, you should keep a digital catalog of any improvements that you’ve made to your home. Taking pictures of newly renovated rooms, new appliances, furniture, clothing, electronics, new HVAC systems, and any other important items guarantees solid proof of loss when you file your claim. You can work with one storm restoration contractor, in many cases, who will work hand-in-hand with the insurance company in assessing and resolving your claims.

You should note that you have a time limit to file a claim. This is usually about 2 years but may be much less, depending on the policy. If you don’t file your insurance claim in time and make a full assessment of the damages, you will never be able to obtain any compensation. And while a severe storm is not enough to raise your insurance rates because it is an act of God, insurance companies will often reassess the risks of an entire neighborhood and raise rates. By filing your claim early, you can break ties with the insurer and avoid rate hikes before the reassessment is made.

5: Winter Storm Damage

Winter storm damage carries a personality all of its own with the potential for freezing pipes, ice pellets, ice sheeting, and strong winds that damage trees and home exteriors. Siding, shingles, fascias, trees, and power lines can all be brought down by the heavy layers of ice that builds up on them. The high winds can tear shingles right off the roof. After a severe winter storm, it is important to have an expert assess the health of your roof and exterior. The roof may be damaged by ice dams, which are layers of ice freezing over the roof and trapping water beneath it. This leads to leaks and mold if you do not address it properly.

6: Landscaping

Severe flooding in an area can wreak havoc on landscaping. If the soil turns to mud, your plants can shift out of place and even sink into the ground. All that mulching and those manicured lawns will just look like puddles of mud and debris. Gardens and flowerbeds can be destroyed in an instant. There is no easy restoration for this type of storm damage. Although it does not immediately affect the safety of your home, it often leads to foundational problems and home flooding.

The solution may be to improve drainage at your home by removing your asphalt driveway and installing permeable pavement. Permeable pavement is useful in low-lying areas because it feeds water overflow to the water table deep in the ground. It does not trap it like concrete and asphalt. The paver stones used to build permeable pavement are usually beautiful, colorfast, interlocking durable stones that can be laid in exotic or basic patterns to complement the value of your home.

7: Electrical Damage

If your home is hit by lightning, the power grid can be overloaded. It is possible for the surges of current to damage appliances and melt wires in electrical systems. This type of storm damage requires close inspection by professional electrical contractors. If you do not thoroughly check all the wires after appliances are significantly damaged, you may find out later that wires were shorted when a fire occurs. Installing lightning rods and surge protectors are the best defense to protect your home from thunderstorms. And remember, if you are hit by lightning, you will likely be hit again, contrary to the popular myth that lightning does not strike the same place twice.

When the inevitable happens, and your building requires storm damage restoration, call Reset Restoration immediately. We provide 24/7/365 emergency response. If you have joined our free PREP program, immediate priority response is included, along with many other special no-charge services.

If your friends, family and neighbors have had significant storm damage to homes or businesses you can contact Reset Restoration in Tulsa 24/7 to inquire about Tulsa storm damage restoration services. Call Reset Restoration today at (918) 582-7373.

If your Tulsa home or business has suffered significant storm damage, please contact Reset Restoration today and request a free quote on storm damage restoration.  Follow Reset Restoration on Facebook!