More Rain This Week: More Storm Safety Ideas

We've been working like crazy trying to tend to all our clients who need cleanup after Hurricane Irene. What's making cleaning up Irene's mess difficult is the amount of rain that we got this past week.

Just as water was starting to recede and flood levels were going down enough to allow for some reconstruction to begin, Northeastern NJ got hit with even more heavy rain. Since many of you are probably dealing with flooding again, we thought we'd give you some things to keep in mind, as far as safety goes, even though Irene is long past us....

• Stay away from any fallen wires, you can't assume that they aren't live.
• Report any power outages
• If you smell gas, report it immediately to authorities, Pompton Lakes, NJ had a home explosion last week because of a gas leak.
• Make sure not to run your generator inside, it can fill your house with carbon monoxide, which can be deadly.
• On the same note, leave generator fuel outside
• Make sure to get rid of any food that came into contact with water because of the floods.
• It is not safe to pump out too much basement water at a time, this could cause the walls to collapse. Only pump out about 1/3 of the water per day.
• Make sure to disinfect anything that has come into contact with flood waters, it could be carrying bacteria.
• Take pictures of all damage and record the cost of any cleanup efforts so you have records for your insurance company.
• Keep in close contact with your insurance agent.

If you incurred further damage because of the rain this past week, or hurricane Irene, please do not hesitate to call the experts at Paul Davis Restoration. Hiring a professional contracting and restoration company is the best chance at safely, quickly and conveniently restoring your home to its previous condition.