WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
Spring brings warmer weather, longer days, and a much-anticipated break from winter. It also brings a very real threat of severe weather, according to disaster recovery specialist Anthony Blodgett of SERVPRO of Cass & St. Joseph Counties. “The frequent change in cold and warm temperatures in spring creates an elevated risk for severe weather across the country,” said Blodgett. “Ranging from flooding rain in the Northwest to thunderstorms and tornadoes in the Southeast, spring weather can be unpredictable at best and downright dangerous at worst.”1
“When you give some thought to the types of hazards a spring storm could produce, you can begin to plan for the safety of your family as well as your home or business,” said Blodgett. Depending on where you live, here are some of the ways a spring storm might damage your home or business:
Water damage caused by flooding from melting snow, foundation washouts from coastal storms, frozen pipes that burst, sump pumps that fail during power outages, torrential downpours, or faulty air conditioning condensation lines during a heat wave.
Fire damage caused by use of alternate emergency heat sources, sprinkler systems that fail due to freezing pipes, downed power lines, or environmental conditions leading to structure fires.
Wind damage caused by fallen trees and limbs, damage to siding and roofs, and downed power lines.
“Of course, most of these hazards don’t happen in isolation,” said Blodgett. “For example, tornadoes and violent thunderstorms put property owners at risk for water, fire, and wind damage. It’s important to understand which hazards might affect your property and your family, and then take the proper steps to prepare.”
Blodgett suggests investigating resources available online from the U.S. Government’s “Ready” program at https://www.ready.gov/severe-weather and other free tools, like the SERVPRO READY app at https://ready.servpro.com/home/mobileapp. Home and business owners can use this app to store essential contact and property information electronically, and then access it in seconds with a mobile device. Local business owners who also designate SERVPRO of Cass & St. Joseph Counties as their disaster mitigation and restoration provider gain peace of mind from a no-cost assessment of their facility conducted by SERVPRO professionals, who then assist the owner in completing a comprehensive Emergency READY Profile® (ERP) to be stored in the READY app.
“Because it’s difficult to predict when severe weather will strike – or what form it may take – it’s important to plan in advance,” said Blodgett.
SERVPRO is an industry leader and provider of fire, water, and wind cleanup and restoration services. For more information about weather-related damage restoration services, please visit www.servpro.com. For more information on SERVPRO of Cass & St. Joseph Counties, please contact Anthony Blodgett at (269) 273-8777 or servpro8714@gmail.com.
1https://www.weather.gov/wrn/spring2020-spring-storms-smAbout SERVPRO
Founded in 1967, SERVPRO is a leader and provider of fire and water cleanup and restoration services, mold mitigation, and biohazard remediation. SERVPRO’s professional services network of more than 1,900 individually owned and operated franchises responds to property damage emergencies ranging from small individual disasters to multi-million dollar large-loss events. Providing coverage in the United States and Canada, the SERVPRO® system has established relationships with major insurance companies and commercial clients, as well as individual homeowners.
