Anatomy Of A Disaster

2/24/2016 (Permalink)

Starting on December 26 and lasting though December 28, Franklin County and surrounding areas received historic rainfall.  Depending on the area, reported rain totals in that three day stretch are from 7-9 inches.  The evening of December 26 our phones at SERVPRO of Franklin County began ringing mainly with customers that had wet basements.  We began taking their pertinent information and advising them on the best ways to proceed.  Move furniture, get areas rugs up, unplug electronics, and turn breakers off if needed.  The sad part was that it didn’t make sense for us to start extracting yet, since the rain was supposed to continue for two more days, water would continue to come in.   The customer would have to weather the storm and get us out as soon as the rain stops.  We did have several jobs were sump pumps stopped working and as soon as the sump was repaired we were able to start our mitigation. The remainder would have to wait until the rain stops.
 
As the rains began to end on the afternoon of December 28, we found ourselves with a list of over 100 customers and growing.  All of them required our services right now.  Normally we can handle about 12 jobs in a day so 100 jobs could be a problem.  The good news is that we planned ahead and already had help ready from our storm teams.  These are franchises who at a moment’s notice come to an affected area to help out.  We already had 200 crews in place for a long as we needed them with 20 plus office support people so our excess jobs were dispatched to those crews for handling.   These are the same SERVPRO trained crews, the same green trucks, same professional handling.  Now a crew might have had a southern drawl coming from Texas or Louisiana, or an east coast accent but other than that the process should have been seamless for your clients. 
 
Just as we got a handle on the flooded basements, on 12/29/15 the Bourbeuse River crested in Union. Than on 1/1/16 the Meramec River crested in Pacific.   This left hundreds of businesses and homes flooded in our area and thousands in the St Louis area.   Again our phones kept ringing, now with large commercial businesses needing help.  We handled from our office as many as possible including a large convenience/gas station, a large church, and a large strip center in Pacific.  We are currently working on a fast food restaurant and we also provided estimates and guidance to several other businesses.  As a backup we had 3 SERVPRO Extreme teams in place, and several Large Loss Teams.   To make sure we had all the equipment we needed, we had a loaded 55’ semi-trailer ready to go and waiting in our parking lot.  That’s what   “Ready for Whatever Happens” means.   

We were able to handle all of the commercial flood losses out of our office, but the Extreme and Large Loss Teams did not have any trouble finding work in the St. Louis area.  All Storm Teams, Extreme Teams and Large Loss teams stayed until the last job was complete and every customer was satisfied. You couldn’t drive anywhere in the Franklin County or St. Louis area without seeing a green truck parked at a house or business taking care of our valued customers in their time of need.  This was a proud moment for us.  We hope that if you were touched by the historic floods that you and your family are safe.  Should you need any help or guidance please do not hesitate to contact us.       

Our highly trained technicians are ready to respond immediately to flood or water damage at your Union property. We have the experience, expertise, and training to restore your home or business quickly and properly. We use advanced inspection and extraction equipment to find the water and remove it as quickly as possible. Our technicians will monitor and document the drying process to ensure your property is back to normal.

Please follow our tips outlined in the Water Damage Tips—Until Help Arrives Guide to protect yourself and your property.

Do You Have Water or Flood Damage?
Call Us Today – (636) 583-5200

Locally Owned Company with National Resources

We live and work in this community too; we might even be neighbors. As a locally owned and operated business, SERVPRO of Franklin County is close by and ready to respond to your flood or water damage emergency. We are proud to be an active member of the Union community and want to do our part to make our community the best it can be.