Understanding Damage From Severe Storms | SERVPRO® of Garden Grove East/Anaheim Central

3/22/2022 (Permalink)

Thunderstorms can sometimes be a daily occurrence during the spring and summer depending on where you live in the United States. But they also bring the opportunity for storm damage.

Do you know about the different types of damage that can be caused by thunderstorms?

<h4familiar-with-thunderstorms">Get Familiar With Thunderstorms

First, let’s learn a bit about thunderstorms. We can experience some 16 million thunderstorms throughout the world each year. Here in the United States, it’s not unusual to see 100,000 thunderstorms annually, with 10% of those reaching severe status.

The necessary conditions for a thunderstorm to develop are moisture and rising unstable air accompanied by a “lifting” mechanism, which could be caused by hills or mountains that force air to rise, or where warm/cold or wet/dry air bump together, causing a rising motion.

There are three distinct life cycle stages for a thunderstorm—the developing stage, the mature stage and the dissipating stage. The mature stage is what produces hail, heavy rain, frequent lightning, strong winds and tornadoes.

<h4types-of-damage">Differing Types of Damage

While thunderstorms possess many different dangers, a top risk is the possibility of flying debris.

Wind speeds/gusts in a severe thunderstorm can exceed 57.5 mph—enough to cause damage to your property.

Random items in your yard that would seem the least threatening can turn into projectiles. You should take care to make sure items in your yard are secured or well-maintained if there is a threat of storms. This includes things like tree branches, gravel, mailboxes, fencing, lawn furniture, potted plants and garbage cans, which are all possible projectiles during a high wind situation.

There are many other types of damage thunderstorms can be responsible for besides wind damage:

Lightning damage. A lightning strike can not only pose a fire hazard, but also travel through your home’s wires and fry anything that is plugged in.

Tornado damage. The fact that tornadoes can reach upward of 200 mph wind speeds is scary enough, but with them comes the chance for a large amount of damage in a short period of time.

Hail damage. Coming in at $1 billion in damages yearly, hail is nothing to underestimate. It can damage crops, vehicles and building structures.

Flood damage. Floods are capable of damaging structures, tearing trees out of the ground and sweeping things away.

If a thunderstorm has resulted in damage to your home or business, know that the team at SERVPRO® of Garden Grove East/Anaheim Central is available ²⁴⁄₇ to help with cleanup and restoration.

The Top Reasons for House Fires | SERVPRO® of Anaheim Central/Garden Grove East

3/21/2022 (Permalink)

Don't be a victim of house fires.

House fires rank high on the list of disasters that homeowners want to avoid. While thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail and flooding are all risks that homeowners must face, fire is one of the most unpredictable and ranks high on the danger list.

Fires appear to start out of nowhere, and with today’s new fabrics and building materials, we only have two to three minutes to safely exit the home. Homeowners will go to great lengths to avoid a fire.

However, despite decades of awareness campaigns, more than a quarter of all reported fires still occur in homes.

Let’s review the top causes of fires in the home and see if we can reduce that number through education and information:

Cooking. This is the leading cause of home fires. Almost half of all home fires start in the kitchen, and the primary reason is unattended cooking. Want to avoid a home fire? Never leave your cooking unattended.

Heating equipment. Though not nearly as prevalent here in Anaheim, 14% of all home fires nationally are started because of heating equipment. Causes include equipment malfunctions, mishaps and flammable materials placed too close to heaters, with portable space heaters being the biggest offender.

Electrical fires. As homes age, they become more susceptible to electrical issues. Houses 50 years old or older should have an electrical inspection to ensure wiring is capable of handling current electrical requirements. The overloading of circuits and a generally higher usage of electricity than older homes can handle are all factors that contribute to electrical fires at home.

Intentional fires. A full 28,000 home fires are set by arsonists each year. When we say arson, we mean fires begun deliberately with the intention of destroying the structure.

Smoking materials. Even though smoking has declined by 65% over the last 50 years and is only responsible for 5% of home fires, tragically it is the leading cause of civilian fire deaths. These often start because cigarettes or ashes are left burning as people fall asleep, which makes victims more susceptible to smoke inhalation.

Regardless of the cause, SERVPRO is here for you if your home is affected by fire. Contact your local team today to see how we can help.

Summer Storm Awareness | SERVPRO® of Anaheim Central/Garden Grove East

3/21/2022 (Permalink)

Summer is around the corner and some are looking forward to going to the beach or pool, Others may be looking forward to vacations and long days with ample sunshine are the norm for us southern Californians. But beware, the occasional thunderstorm can pop up!

The conditions are ripe for summertime thunderstorms because the moist air meets the rising warm air.

In Anaheim, we can expect moderate heat and humidity in summer. But that doesn’t mean we can let our guard down in case those occasional thunderstorms emerges.

Steps to Take If a Pipe Bursts in Your Home | SERVPRO® of Anaheim Central/Garden Grove East

8/11/2021 (Permalink)

Use these Helpful Tips to Protect your Home in the Event of a Pipe Burst.

Burst pipes follow no schedule, so they are something that can happen when you least expect it and take you by surprise. Not only can burst pipes cause quite a bit of damage, but because they are so unexpected, it can be difficult to know how to react when you do discover that a pipe has burst in your home.

Though we all hope that we will never be unlucky enough to experience this, many people are surprised by how common it actually is. About one in 50 households will have water damage issues in any given year, which is why it is important to have a plan in place in case it happens to you. In the event of water damage, taking action quickly is the best thing you can do.

Taking Action Quickly If a Pipe Bursts in Your Home

Shut off your water main. Depending on the pipe that bursts, there will often be water gushing from it continually as it drains, so knowing how to find and shut off your water main is important. Only shut off your water if it is safe to do so.

Shut off your electricity. If it is safe to get to your circuit breaker, shut off the electricity in the home. This will ensure that the water cannot interact with any outlets or electrical supplies and cause secondary issues in the home.

Contact your restoration company. Setting your restoration in motion quickly is one of the best things you can do for water damage, so it is wise to get in touch with your restoration company right away. We recommend always choosing a company that is available ²⁴⁄₇ so you never have to wait for a call back when you report your damages.

Take a record of the damages. Keeping track of what is damaged is not only helpful for you as you can determine what items were impacted, but it can also be helpful if you are able to file an insurance claim. Document the damage with photos, videos and lists so you can keep track of what the water impacted.

Contact your insurance company. Every insurance policy is different, so getting in touch with your provider is the best way to determine if you will be eligible to file a claim and have some of the damages covered.

Open windows and doors if possible. If it is safe to do so and the weather permits, opening windows and doors around the impacted area can increase airflow, thus speeding evaporation and decreasing overall drying time.

If you have water damage in your home due to a burst pipe or another cause, you can count on us for restoration assistance. Contact us at any time to learn more about our restoration services.

When Your Santa Ana Business Needs Restoration | SERVPRO® of Anaheim Central/Garden Grove East

8/11/2021 (Permalink)

Let us assist you and your business if water damage occurs.

Our local team wants to help Santa Ana, Anaheim, and Garden Grove business owners succeed, and a big part of that is planning for unpredictable problems, like natural disasters. So, if you’re a local business owner, we want to ask you a question: Do you have a solid disaster plan?

Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, business owners (and most everyone else) have seen firsthand how an unexpected disaster or event can impact daily life and force changes. Business owners have risen to the occasion during the pandemic by looking for new ways to reach customers, interact with them and provide services.

While pandemics aren’t predictable, it’s a good idea to plan for more commonplace threats that business owners face. That includes severe weather problems, fires and flooding.

Because your local SERVPRO team wants to be a resource for you, we’ve worked together to offer you some of the best advice available when it’s time to prepare for a disaster or a major business restoration project.

Ready to Restore Your Business

You can open your business and find success after a disaster. Here are some tips to help you get started with the process:

Your disaster plan is vital. Prepare for disasters before one strikes, and you’ll be more prepared for the aftermath of a fire, flood or another natural disaster. It will help you feel less overwhelmed when dealing with the process if you’ve already planned what you’ll do. You may want to think about moving your business to a backup location so you can continue operating.

Take plenty of pictures (and make an inventory, too). Your insurance company will want to know the extent of your damage before the cleanup process begins. You can document that by taking photos of it. It’s also a good idea to put together a list of lost or damaged items during the disaster.

Don’t neglect to update your community. Staying in touch with your suppliers, your employees, your customers and your wider community is a smart move. And it’s easier than you might think. You can use social media and other tools to make it happen.

If a fire, flood or any other cause damages your business, you can always count on us for restoration assistance. We have crews who are available ²⁴⁄₇ in the event of an emergency. Contact us at any time to learn more about our restoration services and how we can help you.

Assessing the Disaster Preparedness Efforts of Your Business | SERVPRO® of Garden Grove East/Anaheim Central

8/11/2021 (Permalink)

Do you have a Disaster Preparedness Plan for your Business?

Businesses are vulnerable to a variety of risks, which can be mitigated in many instances by planning ahead. Disaster preparedness is no different—having proper disaster precautions in place will allow you to stay safer and recover faster by making sure you know what to do both in the moment and during recovery. While there are a variety of disaster scenarios that could be possible, understanding what is likely to impact your business the most is key.

Understanding what disaster preparedness efforts you are already taking and where you could improve is much easier after doing a general assessment. By checking in with a few key metrics, you will know exactly where you stand on the spectrum of being prepared.

Your Commercial Insurance Coverage

While commercial insurance coverage is generally adequate for small-scale damages, during a natural disaster, there are often areas where it is inadequate. Adding policies is a common practice for business owners to ensure they are covered against all possibilities. Damages from flooding, operational interruptions and inadequate payout coverage are all things that can be protected against in advance.

Your Emergency Plan and Supply Kit

There are often only moments to react during a disaster scenario or emergency, making it vital that business owners have a plan in place for what to do. It is smart to plan for multiple scenarios—fires, floods and severe weather may all have different processes depending on the situation. In many cases, officials will order everyone to remain where they are, so making an office emergency kit would be a wise investment for your preparedness efforts, too.

Your Plan for Restoration and Recovery

The damages sustained during a disaster can cause an interruption in operations that can be devastating—but you can lessen the time recovery takes by planning ahead. Research the disaster loans offered by the Small Business Administration so you will know if you are eligible to apply. It is also wise to get to know the commercial restoration companies that service your area, so you can begin the damage cleanup process as quickly as possible after the danger has subsided.

If your business has been impacted by a disaster, you can contact us ²⁴⁄₇ for guidance on how to begin the commercial restoration process.

The SERVPRO Difference | SERVPRO® of Anaheim Central/Garden Grove East

8/8/2021 (Permalink)

Learn the difference it makes to use SERVPRO to assist you with your Water Damage Cleanup Needs.

Home and business owners: We know it’s your responsibility to make sure things run smoothly, manage the limited resources you have control over and keep morale high!

When something out of the ordinary happens, like a natural disaster, all those day to day duties go out the door. Now the task at hand is to restore your home or business to its original state and get life back to normal.

Let us reduce your stress level! Because handling disasters is what we do for a living.

Let us partner with you when life throws you a curve.

Equipped and Ready

We are immediately ready to help as soon as our phone rings. We understand you don’t have time to wait when water is leaking or the smoke smell is still lingering from the recently doused fire.

When a crisis happens, we’re quicker to any size disaster!

Fast Should Be Our Middle Name

Every second counts in a disaster situation.

Each minute that goes by allows for mold growth, smoke smell to permeate the building or more water damage to occur. We understand an immediate response, is crucial and with a local office right here, you’ll receive the benefit of a local response with national resources at our disposal.

We’re Qualified to Handle Residential or Commercial Disasters

Disasters don’t care if you’re a business or a home owner—they strike indiscriminately. Homes and industry settings alike are victims of accidental or natural damage.

Your Home or Business Restored "Like it never even happened."

We take pride in restoring your belongings to their previous state. We’re the experts in the recovery and restoration industry.

Our customers rank us highly because of our steadfast commitment to getting every trace of damage removed and your property restored.

We Stay on the Leading Edge

We stay up-to-date on changing requirements in our industry. Think about the pandemic.

Two years ago, disease prevention was not on the radar for businesses to consider. Today, it is highly valued.. With that in the forefront, we provide sanitization and disinfection services that aren’t covered by your day to day janitorial staff.

If you’re looking to provide a safe working or shopping environment for your employees and customers, we can provide that ultra-clean space and inspire piece of mind.

Disasters happen quickly. Pipes are under pressure and can burst, fire destroys whatever is in its path, and weather-related disasters can cause all types of damage. When it does, your local SERVPRO is ready and waiting to attack the mess and get you back to your daily life.

Regardless of why you need cleanup or disaster recovery, SERVPRO has the tools, the technicians and the training to get your situation under control. When you’re ready to get help from the best, get in touch with SERVPRO of Anaheim Central/Garden Grove East.

Weather Causing Record-Setting Damage Across the Nation | SERVPRO® of Anaheim Central/Garden Grove East

8/5/2021 (Permalink)

Be Prepared for any type of weather!

While politics and pandemics occupied most of the news cycle last year, not much was said about the severe thunderstorms and hurricanes that occurred in 2020. Record-setting financial losses were caused by the inclement weather.

In fact, 2020 will go down as the year that created the single largest monetary loss from adverse weather.

Losses exceeding $1 billion are classified as disasters. Last year, the United States had 22 of these disasters! And most of the storms that occurred in 2020 didn’t meet the billion dollar threshold for damage to be counted in this number.

Named tropical storms were so prevalent last year the NWS had to reach into the Greek alphabet to generate new names.

Hurricanes Aren’t the Only Costly Disaster

Hurricanes can leave a large swath of destruction in their path due to the high sustained winds over a period of time. You might easily think that hurricanes are responsible for more weather-related financial losses than storms, but the facts tell a different story.

Severe storms and tornadoes accounted for more property damage last year than hurricanes. Fourteen of the 22 federally declared disasters last year were severe thunderstorms. Many of these storms generated tornadoes as a byproduct.

Last year, the United States even experienced a derecho! A derecho is a global weather event, but they primarily occur in the great plains of the United States. We see an average of one to two of these storms each year compared to more than a thousand tornadoes that sweep across the country annually.

Last August was one of the most destructive months for weather-related damage. Nebraska experienced a derecho that damaged over 10 million acres of corn. That’s half of Nebraska’s entire corn crop and 11% of the Unites States annual production of corn.

Storms Are Happening More Often

When it comes to weather disasters, it looks like we’re in for a “new normal.” Last year marked the tenth year in a row of having at least eight billion-dollar plus weather related disasters.

Severe storms generated over $300 billion in property damage in 2017, the highest ever recorded.

As long as the weather changes, we will have storms. As long as we have storms, we should at least prepare for them. Everyone benefits from taking precautions when storms are in the forecast. This can help minimize property damage related to storm activity.

Sometimes, even the best-laid plans can’t prevent property damage. Our mission is to help you recover when you incur storm-related damage. We can help you restore your property "Like it never even happened."

Have storms rolled through recently? Did you have damage? We can help restore your property back to its original condition. Call us today to how you how we can help.

How a Thunderstorm Can Put People in Harm’s Way | SERVPRO® of Anaheim Central/Garden Grove East

7/30/2021 (Permalink)

Learn how to stay out of harm's way during a thunderstorm.

When warmer weather moves in, it can often bring storm fronts with it. While thunderstorms are a fairly regular occurrence during the hotter months of the year, their frequency should never lead to complacency about the threat that they pose.

While many thunderstorms come through the area without consequence, because of the dangerous elements they contain, there is always a potential for injury or property damage present.

Any time a weather front contains thunder and lightning, it is called a thunderstorm—and all thunderstorms contain both of these elements, even if you do not see lightning or hear thunder. When there is large hail (over one inch) and straight-line winds of 58 miles per hour, a weather front will be classified as a severe thunderstorm, which creates even more potential for harm.

The Dangerous Elements a Thunderstorm Contains

Damage and injury from lightning strikes. Lightning strikes are extremely dangerous, and because they are an element of every single thunderstorm, it is highly likely that one will strike during every storm. Lightning is responsible for at least 300 bodily injuries every year, which does not include the property damage they can cause due to felled trees and fires. Even if it is not visible, any time you can hear thunder, there is lightning in the vicinity.

Property damage due to hail. Hail is not only a frightening thing to experience, but it can also be extremely dangerous. Large hail is extremely loud when it falls and can cause serious injury. If a person does not have adequate shelter, hail can cause major harm. It is also known to cause property damage, leading to dents in cars, damage to buildings’ roofs and impacts in a home’s siding—which can also increase the possibility of water damage.

Harm from flash flooding. Many people assume that flooding can only happen in known floodplain areas, but flash flooding can truly happen anywhere. Between storm drains being overwhelmed to ditches getting backed up, heavy rainfall can cause a flash flood nearly anywhere. Flash flooding is extremely dangerous, as a few inches of water can knock a person off their feet or carry a car away, so never go anywhere near floodwater.

Thunderstorms are dangerous and can cause significant damage to homes or commercial spaces. If you have damage due to a thunderstorm, you can count on us to help. Contact us ²⁴⁄₇ for more information about our storm restoration practices.

Are You Fire-Safe for Summer? | SERVPRO® of Anaheim Central/Garden Grove East

7/30/2021 (Permalink)

Be Fire-Safe prepared this Summer.

Spring is a time of year many people look forward to from, well, from summer on. The weather is perfect, the birds are singing and nature is calling.

There are also lots of social opportunities and gatherings during the warmer seasons, from family cookouts to church events to random weekend hangouts.

This also means, unfortunately, that there’s a greater risk of fire. In fact, spring sees more daily fires on average than any other time of year.

But there are a few simple things that will go a long way toward giving you a safe spring and summer at home. Let’s look at the most common ones:

The grill. Grills and smokers are an essential outdoor tool for lots of us, but they also present the perfect opportunity for a fire to get out of control—flames, heat, grease and sometimes even gas. What could go wrong, right? Make sure your grill is stable and in good working order with no leaks and ensure that it’s away from anything flammable (including the side of the house) and cleaned well often. Almost 20% of grill fires are due to poor cleaning.

The fire pit. There are lovely evenings to be spent during spring and summer around a fire pit with family and friends, but we must do it safely to protect our homes and neighborhoods. Always keep unattended children away from open flames. Keep a bucket full of water handy to soured any errant flames, and to slowly put out the fire when it’s time—dumping it on can send embers into the yard. And resist the temptation to add leaves or pine needles to the fire; they quickly burn to embers, which are easily blown around.

Chimneys and dryer vents. Your chimney might not be in use right now, but it will be again in the fall, and now is the perfect time to clean it out and head off the risk of trying to send fire and smoke up a clogged chimney in October. And while you’re at it, check your dryer’s vent pipe for collected lint.

Your local SERVPRO technicians are on hand ²⁴⁄₇ for emergencies. If you encounter fire damage at your home or business, no matter the cause, we will be there faster and have it cleaned up sooner. Call or click today and experience the SERVPRO difference.