Arizona's Light Shows, Lightning Facts

8/24/2020 (Permalink)

Arizona's Lightning Show

Lightning can be beautiful to see, but very dangerous. According to the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), an average of 60 people every year are killed by lightning, and hundreds more are severely injured. Many times these injuries are due to misinformation.

Here are a few most common myths about lightning:

Myth: If it's not raining there is no danger from lightning.

Fact: Lightning can occur up to 10 miles outside of a rainstorm.

Myth: If you are inside, you are 100% safe from lightning.

Fact: A home or business is a safe place to seek shelter from a thunderstorm, as long as you avoid conduits of electricity, including phones with cords, electrical appliances, wires, TV cables, computers, plumbing, metal doors, and windows.

Myth: Lightning never strikes the same place twice.

Fact: Lightning often strikes the same place repeatedly. For example the Empire State Building gets hit at least 100 times per year.

Myth: A lightning victim is electrified. If you touch them, you'll be electrocuted

Fact: The human body does not store electricity

Hail Damage Facts  

11/8/2018 (Permalink)

First of all, what is hail? "Hail is large, layered ice particles, often spherical in shape, which are produced by thunderstorms having strong, tilted updrafts. Hailstorms form within an unusually unstable air mass, that is, an air mass in which the temperature falloff with height is much greater than normal." (The Weather Channel) 

How can hail damage your roof? "Basically, hailstones one inch in diameter begin causing damage to some of the older, thinner roof products. Therefore, from a roof damage perspective, we believe the hail size threshold for issuing a severe thunderstorm warning can be increased from ¾ of an inch to one inch in diameter." (Travelers Insurance) Hail larger than 0.75 inches is considered large enough to cause serious damage in the United States. Per NOAA, hailstones can fall at speeds up to 120 mph. The largest hailstone ever recorded in the United States was 8 inches in diameter, weighing nearly 2 pounds. 

How do you know if you have roof damage from hail?  Set up a ladder to your roof to examine the top of the roof.  Check the ridge cap of the roof for dents. This area of the roof will receive the most damage from hail since it is flat and will take a direct hit in a storm.  Look at the shingles. Check the whole shingle, as well as the edges, for signs of damage.  

If climbing up a ladder is not your thing, call SERVPRO of Sun City/Sun City West/SE Surprise at 623-546-1930, and we will take a look at your roof for hail and other roof damage for you.  

Preparing Your Home For Local Storms 

10/29/2018 (Permalink)

Taking a few preventative steps now, can save you from dealing with substantial damage to your home later. With the cooler temperatures, cleaning projects are an ideal time to start, but it is also an ideal time to start thinking on how to improve your property to prevent storm damage. 

Here are some tips from Access Home Insurance to help you spark improvement projects this spring in your home.  

1. Identify any existing roof or siding problems: A licensed contractor can inspect your roof for missing shingles and possible leaks and do any repair work if necessary. It’s also a good idea to inspect and reinforce any loose siding, which can quickly rip off during high winds. 

1. Use shredded bark mulch as landscaping material: If you have rock or gravel landscaping, it’s a good idea to replace it with bark, which won’t cause damage if blown around in high winds. 

1. Maintain trees and shrubbery in your yard: Now is the perfect time to remove dead or weak branches or remove trees that could fall on your home during a storm. Check trees and shrubs regularly to identify potential problems. 

1. Ensure gutters aren’t loose or clogged: Clear your gutters of debris and make sure they are tightly attached to your house. Strong winds can quickly tear loose gutters from your home and cause damage. Also, it’s important to make sure downspouts are positioned away from your home’s foundation to help prevent basement flooding. 

1. Secure top-heavy furniture: Don’t forget about the inside of your home too. Walk around your house and secure large, top-heavy pieces, such as bookcases, to the wall. 

If you have questions about projects around your home that need to be taken care of before the storms begin, give SERVPRO of Sun City/Sun City West/SE Surprise a call at 623-546-1930.  We are always here to help.

Protecting Families from the Dangers of Flood Damage in Sun City

9/11/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Technicians Make Sure That Safety Standards are Followed When Remediating Flooding

SE Surprise homes generally provide a high level of safety and protection from the elements and unwanted entities to those living in them. Once damaging conditions arise, previously safe conditions can change drastically and swing toward riskier ones developing inside the house. 
 
Homeowners can prevent many types of problems with regular maintenance of their homes and its contents, but flood damage in Surprise can create a crisis no matter how much care a home receives. SERVPRO employees receive extensive training in restoration methods so we can effectively mitigate any amount of damage your home sustains from a flooding event. This includes eliminating the risks created by the filthy water that invaded your home. 
 
Soils carried into homes during a flood often contain chemicals, organic matter, pathogens, and other problem-causing elements. After we pump out any standing water remaining in your home, we can manually extract the debris. Along with the process of drying out your home until it reaches its usual level of humidity again, cleaning surfaces and disposing of damaged materials and other items, we eliminate much of the risk related to pathogens and trace chemicals. 
 
Other risks come from the water itself. Secondary water damage can affect your home in different manners. Microbial colonization can happen quite quickly, and often does, immediately after a flood. SERVPRO technicians use hygrometers to locate elevated moisture pockets within a home, which we then eliminate. Flooding almost always ruins carpeting beyond repair, and we remove this as soon as we can extract it and the padding. Their absence makes it easier to dry out your home. Flooring underneath dries out much more rapidly, meaning flooring suffers less as we can better control any warping, cracking, and other significant changes caused by swelling. 
 
Electrical hazards can seem less important after the water no longer covers your home's floors, but the risk remains. Corrosion of wires can make them unable to safely function. Risk of fire from electrical system deficits greatly increases after saturation by moisture. We partner with specialists such as licensed electricians who work with us on a regular basis, helping us fully complete the restoration work needed to get your family back home after such a disaster. 
 
SERVPRO of Sun City/ Sun City West/ SE Surprise can help your family return home and live in a safe and secure environment, "Like it never even happened." Professional mitigation of flood damage makes this possible in a fast and efficient manner. Contact our emergency hotline, (623) 546-1930, at any hour of the day or night, 365 days a year. 

Storm Damage Cleanup and Restoration

9/11/2018 (Permalink)

• 24-Hour Emergency Service
• Faster to Any Size Disaster
• Highly Trained Water Restoration Technicians
• A Trusted Leader in the Water Restoration Industry
• Locally Owned and Operated

When you are dealing with storm, flood, and water damage, immediate action is crucial. You should choose the company with storm damage experience and expertise that has the resources and equipment to handle the job. SERVPRO of Sun City/ Sun City West/ SE Surprise can respond immediately to storm and flooding conditions.

Have Storm or Flood Damage?
Call Us Today (623) 546-1930

Why Choose SERVPRO of Sun City/ Sun City West/ SE Surprise?

We're Faster to Any Size Disaster

When a storm hits your Sun City home or business, you need help immediately. Our quick response will help prevent secondary damage and help reduce restoration costs.

Learn More

We're Highly Trained Storm Damage Specialists

As water and storm damage specialists, we have the experience and advanced training that enables us to restore your property quickly. We use scientific drying principles and provide validation and documentation that your property is dry and the job is complete.

• Water Damage Restoration Technician
• Applied Structural Drying Technicians

Learn More

We Have the Resources to Handle Storms and Disasters

We can scale our resources to handle any size storm or disaster. We can access resources from a network of 1,700 Franchises across the country and elite Disaster Recovery Teams strategically located throughout the country.

How The Pros Will Clean Up After Your Water Damage

9/11/2018 (Permalink)

To take care of water damage after a flood, call the professionals.

Sometimes, no matter what measures you put in place water can find its way into your home. It can happen after a large rainstorm, or it can happen due to broken pipes or other plumbing issues. Water can affect flooring, drywall and many of your personal items. Though water damage can be costly, it doesn’t have to be permanent. When you choose an experienced professional to help with the cleanup, you can have peace of mind.

Inspect the Area

The first step the pros will take will be thoroughly assessing the affected area in your Sun City/ Sun City West/ Surprise, AZ, home. The tech will do the following:

• Identify how water got into your home.
• Identify the type of water that caused the damage.
• Evaluate how extensive the damage was. 
• Get any furniture out of harm’s way.

Extract the Water

Once the technician takes care of the inspection and evaluation, it’s time for water cleanup. A trained technician will bring heavy-duty equipment and will use powerful chemicals and methods to ensure you won’t have to worry about residual water in your Sun City/ Sun City West, AZ, home. The tech will remove excess water using pumps and a wet vac or high-powered extraction machine. This highly trained professional may also use cameras in walls to identify hidden water in those difficult-to-see places. 

Drying

Removing the water isn’t enough to take care of all water damage. It’s essential that the professional completely dry the area to inhibit the growth of mold or other bacteria. The technician will use industrial-strength dryers and humidifiers to dry the flooring, walls or other wet areas. 

Sanitize

The final step in this comprehensive process is cleaning the affected area. This will help ensure your space is once again livable. To do this, the professional company will use both dry cleaning and wet cleaning of carpet, pads, hardwood, walls and anywhere else where water has caused damage. To mitigate bad smells, the cleanup company will use scrubbers and deodorizers. 

To take care of water damage after a flood, call the professionals (623) 546-1930. They’ll use a reliable process to get your home looking great again.

Arizona's Light Shows, Lightning Facts

9/10/2018 (Permalink)

Lightning can be beautiful to see, but very dangerous. According to the US Federal Emergency Management Acgency (FEMA), an average of 60 people every year are killed by lightning, and hundreds more are severely injured. Many times this injuries are due to misinformation.

Here are a few most common myths about lightning:

Myth: If it's not raining there is no danger from lightning.

Fact: Lightning can occur up to 10 miles outside of a rainstorm.

Myth: If you are inside, you are 100% safe from lightning.

Fact: A home or business is a safe place to seek shelter from a thunderstorm, as long as you avoid conduits of electricity, including phones with cords, electrical appliances, wires, TV cables, computers, plumbing, metal doors, and windows.

Myth: Lightning never strikes the same place twice.

Fact: Lightning often strikes the same place repeatedly. For example the Empire State Building gets hit at least 100 times per year.

Myth: A lightning victim is electrified. If you touch them, you'll be electrocuted

Fact: The human body does not store electricity.