With the National Weather Center now calling the flooding in Texas “unprecedented,” the cost to Texans both in lives as well as cleanup is mounting with each passing hour. Emergency evacuations are underway in Houston and one thing is clear – the ongoing flooding with be extremely dangerous and life threatening to residents in the days ahead. With flooding anticipated to reach 50 inches in some locations, it is difficult to even begin to imagine or predict what the total damage from this historic flooding will total.
When the waters recede, however, Texans will need to begin to cope with the cleanup process, and the type of damage that is wrought by massive flooding is some of the most difficult to repair. While rushing floodwaters can destroy buildings entirely, even those that remain intact can suffer extreme flood damage.
Mold and mildew are invasive and prevalent in warm coastal areas and can cause serious health and safety risks to residents. In a 2010 report, FEMA noted that while “[p]eople are anxious to get on with their lives after a flood. if you had flood waters in your home, take the time to clean thoroughly so problems don’t arise later that affect your home or your health.”
But who will Texans turn to for help with damage from this “historic” and “unprecedented” flooding event? One company that will likely see a spike in calls and business is ServiceMaster (SERV), whose 36 locations in Texas stretch from Abilene to Waco to Houston and everywhere in between. ServiceMaster’s Restore division offers comprehensive flood damage restoration and cleaning, disaster restoration, mold remediation, carpet drying, site restoration and debris removal.
We spoke with one of ServiceMaster’s Houston representatives on Sunday, August 27th, and they indicated that the phone lines were already being inundated with inquiries about flood damage restoration and repair. He confirmed that the Huston branch does repairs on both residential and commercial properties as well as debris removal and mold remediation.
