MONDAY MORNING FLOOD DAMAGE

8/29/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO techinician extracting water in a flooded Long Beach business

Monday Morning Flood Damage

Water damage may occur unexpectedly, through no fault of your own. For example, when a fire hydrant, adjacent to a commercial building, became sheared by a vehicle, it flooded the business without warning and without the occupants’ knowledge or involvement. Did you know a hydrant can gush 5,000 to 180,000 gallons of water, shooting 50 or 60 feet into the air? The amount of water lost depends on response time, hydrant type, and system pressure. If this type of catastrophe occurs, local businesses and residences must be prepared to mitigate a potential flood. On August 27, 2018, one such incident occurred, and SERVPRO of Downtown Long Beach/Signal Hill was quick to arrive on the scene.

On Monday morning, firefighters began pumping water out of a downtown loading dock after a truck driver accidentally sheared a fire hydrant off its base. A big-rig hit the hydrant around 5 a.m. on Long Beach Boulevard, just south of Fourth Street. Fortunately, it activated a fire alarm in the nearby Chuck E. Cheese’s, alerting authorities. That same morning, SERVPRO of Downtown Long Beach/Signal Hill was called to the scene to complete the water remediation in a nearby business affected by the accident. After an assessment of the situation, the SERVPRO crew was quick to suction water out of the floors and carpets, insuring that the facility was thoroughly and professionally dried down. Due to the extent of water damage, impacting numerous offices, computer room, and common area, the entire job was estimated to take about five days.

If your business becomes flooded, there are a few steps you can immediately take to reduce damage before SERVPRO arrives at the scene.

1. Turn off power to affected rooms, and walk carefully while avoiding sagging ceilings.
2. Find and stop the source. Turn off the valve attached to the leaking fixture, or locate the main water supply valve to the building. If you cannot find the valve, notify a plumber or in some cases, the fire department.
3. Remove as much standing water as possible, but only if you’re certain that the water is clean. Do not use a household vacuum cleaner. Instead, use a professional wet/dry vac or towels and linens to prevent the water from entering unaffected areas.
4. Remove clothing, documents, and objects in the affected area, and place plastic underneath furniture to prevent further water damage. Wooden blocks or Styrofoam can help protect furniture with a solid base, and curtains can be hung to dry.
5. Remove pictures from wet walls and open drawers on wet furniture. Prop up cushions and remove rugs carefully as they may bleed onto other surfaces.

Unexpected flooding is stressful and places your business in a standstill. Whether the source of flooding originated in your building or your neighbor’s, SERVPRO of Downtown Long Beach/Signal Hill is here to help in any emergency, 24/7, and get your business up and running.