Why Homeowners Insurance is Crucial Before, During, and After a Storm

9/11/2024 (Permalink)

If you need help with storm damage restoration, contact SERVPRO of Southeast Memphis. Our experienced team is ready to assist you 24/7.

Living in Memphis, TN, means being prepared for storms year-round. From heavy rain to strong winds and even tornadoes, these weather events can wreak havoc on your home. Having comprehensive homeowners insurance is one of the best ways to protect your property and financial well-being. Let's break down why homeowners insurance is so important before, during, and after a storm.

Before the Storm: Preparation is Key

Getting ready for a storm involves more than just securing your home. Homeowners insurance is a crucial part of your storm preparedness plan.

Financial Security

Homeowners insurance provides the financial backup you need if a storm damages or destroys your home. According to the Insurance Information Institute, about one in 20 insured homes files a claim each year. Without insurance, you'd have to cover all repair costs yourself, which can be a huge financial burden.

Peace of Mind

Knowing your home and belongings are covered can give you peace of mind. Instead of stressing about potential financial loss, you can focus on securing your property and ensuring your family's safety.

Coverage Options

Make sure your policy covers storm-related damage, including wind, hail, and water damage. Review your policy annually and talk to your insurance agent to ensure you have the right coverage for your needs.

During the Storm: Immediate Protection

When a storm hits, your main concern is keeping your family and property safe. This is where homeowners insurance comes into play.

Protecting Your Investment

Homeowners insurance acts as a defense, protecting your investment from immediate storm damage. Whether it's roof damage from high winds or flooding from heavy rains, your insurance policy helps ease the financial blow.

Emergency Repairs

Sometimes, immediate repairs are needed to prevent further damage during a storm. Many insurance policies cover emergency repairs, like tarping a damaged roof or boarding up broken windows. Knowing these costs are covered allows you to act quickly without worrying about the expense.

After the Storm: Recovery and Restoration

Dealing with the aftermath of a storm can be overwhelming. This is when homeowners insurance becomes even more vital.

Filing a Claim

After the storm passes and it's safe to check out the damage, file a claim with your insurance company as soon as possible. Document the damage with photos and detailed notes to support your claim.

Professional Restoration Services

Insurance often covers the cost of professional restoration services. At SERVPRO of Southeast Memphis, we work with insurance companies to ensure your home is restored quickly and efficiently. Our team can handle everything from water extraction to structural repairs, getting your home back to its pre-storm condition.

Temporary Living Expenses

If your home is uninhabitable due to storm damage, homeowners insurance typically covers temporary living expenses. This includes hotel stays, meals, and other costs while your home is being repaired. This support helps your family maintain a sense of normalcy during a stressful time.

Stay Prepared and Protected

Storms are a part of life in Memphis, TN, but homeowners insurance provides a safety net to protect your home and finances. Before a storm, it ensures you are prepared. During a storm, it offers immediate protection. And after a storm, it supports your recovery and restoration efforts. Make sure your policy is up-to-date and provides adequate coverage for storm-related damage.

If you need help with storm damage restoration, contact SERVPRO of Southeast Memphis. Our experienced team is ready to assist you 24/7, ensuring your home is restored quickly and efficiently. 

Winter Storm Safety Tips: Surviving Extreme Snow and Ice in Tennessee

5/15/2024 (Permalink)

In this blog, we will explore practical winter storm safety tips to ensure you stay safe and minimize the risk of winter storm damage in Tennessee.

Winter storms can be breathtakingly beautiful, bringing a blanket of snow and ice to landscapes across Tennessee. However, they can also pose a significant threat to your safety and cause severe property damage. It is essential to be prepared and informed to handle winter storms effectively. In this blog, we will explore practical winter storm safety tips to ensure you stay safe and minimize the risk of winter storm damage in Tennessee.

Stay Informed

Stay informed about approaching winter storms by monitoring local news, weather reports, and emergency alerts. Pay close attention to weather bulletins and warnings from the National Weather Service. If a storm is imminent, make sure you are aware of the expected duration, intensity, and special conditions, such as power outages or icy roads.

Prepare Your Winter Storm Supplies

Make sure you have adequate supplies for a few days, including nonperishable food, water, flashlights, batteries, blankets, and a first-aid kit. Stock up on essential medication and keep a full tank of gas in your car. Prepare an emergency kit for your pets, too.

Protect Your Property

Winter storms can cause significant property damage through snow and ice accumulation, fallen trees, and power outages. Preventing winter storm damage starts with protecting your property beforehand. Make sure your gutters are clean and secure, trim trees and shrubs, insulate pipes, and seal any drafts in your home. More advanced preparations include packing valuables in waterproof containers, securing outdoor furniture, and covering outdoor air conditioning units.

Stay Off the Roads

Driving on snow or ice-covered roads is dangerous and can lead to accidents and injuries. Only drive when necessary during winter storms, and if you must drive, make sure your car is equipped with appropriate winter tires and chains. Always clear your car of snow and ice before starting your journey to ensure clear visibility.

Dress in Layers and Stay Warm

Winter storms can cause extreme cold temperatures, which pose a threat to your health. Dress in layers, wear a hat and gloves and invest in a quality winter coat to stay warm in low temperatures.

Prevent Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes are one of the most common winter storm damage issues in Tennessee. Prevent frozen pipes by keeping your home’s interior temperature above freezing, opening cabinet doors to allow heat to reach pipes, and letting faucets drip slowly.

Keep Your Roof Safe

Heavy snow or ice accumulation on your roof can cause significant damage and pose a threat to your home’s structural integrity. Safely remove snow accumulation from your roof using a snow rake, being careful not to damage the roof.

Remember, preventing winter storm damage starts with being prepared and informed. By staying informed, stocking up on essential supplies, and protecting your property, you can minimize the risk of winter storm damage and stay safe during extreme snow and ice in Tennessee.

In case your property suffers winter storm damage, SERVPRO® is here to help. Our professionals are available to assist with efficient storm damage cleanup and restoration services, ensuring quick and safe recovery from winter storm damage. Contact us to learn how we can help you protect your home and business from the impact of winter storms.

Protect Your Home Against Wind Damage

3/6/2022 (Permalink)

Wind Damage from Different Types of Storms

While thunderstorms are the most common source of wind and storm damage, winds from hurricanes or tornadoes are more severe and may be more costly. Still, thunderstorms are responsible for a lot of damage, such as lightning, hail, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding. Either way, billions of dollars are spent on wind damage repair and storm damage restoration each year. While understanding the nature of wind damage can’t stop them from happening, it can help you limit the amount of damage to your property and save on restoration and repair costs.

What You Need to Know

Flying Debris is a Damage Risk

Flying debris can cause more damage than strong winds themselves. Damage can result from plants or other unsecured structures and objects. If a storm is approaching your area, make sure any potential debris in your homes such as patio furniture, toys, garbage cans are either secured or brought inside. Bonus tip: For severe weather, secure your doors and windows, too.

A Well-Designed Roofing System Does Wonders

Apply roof deck, shingles, or membrane over the decking. A well-designed roofing system will anchor the trusses and decking to the walls and foundation to keep the entire roof from lifting off the structure in a strong wind. Roofing material should latch to the deck.

The construction phase of building a structure is the most influential piece in reducing damage caused by storms. Loosely connected shingles will lift from the deck, so fasten that siding down. Building codes will likely direct the minimum standards for connections. You, your architect, or your contractor may decide to exceed these minimums for a stronger storm-resistant structure—especially if you live in an area more prone to storms.

Monitor and Maintain Your Trees.

Falling trees and tree limbs are another significant type of damage to structures in a windstorm. Maintain your trees by removing dead limbs. In addition, remove the entire tree if it is dead. Healthy trees should have strong enough roots to withstand fairly strong winds, but dead trees will not.

Mitigating Damage After a Storm

What happens after the storm? 

First, close any openings as soon as possible. Roof openings and broken windows are the most common source of water damage in these situations. Keep a roll of plastic sheeting that cuts to size and nail it over the opening. Your insurance policy will likely cover the cost of an emergency close-up, if needed, so contact your agent or claims center to report the damage and seek advice on how to proceed.

If the damage is too much to handle on your own, contact a restoration professional as soon as you can to help limit and repair damage and respond immediately to storm and flooding conditions.

SERVPRO Scales Resources to Handle Any Disaster

3/6/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO Scales Resources to Handle Any Disaster

Faster Response

SERVPRO of Southeast Memphis specializes in storm and flood damage restoration. Since we are locally owned and operated, we can respond quickly to your area with the right resources. This is extremely important because a fast response lessens the damage, limits further damage, and reduces the restoration cost. Our crews are highly trained and we use specialized equipment to restore your property to its pre-storm condition.

Resources to Scale Up for Large Disasters

When storms hit anywhere in the United States, our SERVPRO team can scale our resources to handle even the largest storm or flooding disaster. We can access equipment and personnel from a network of over 1900 franchises across the country as well as our elite Disaster Recovery Teams that are strategically located throughout the United States.

Who Cleans Water-Damaged Senior Living Facilities?

2/27/2022 (Permalink)

Call our certified technicians at SERVPRO of Southeast Memphis: (901) 382-0900. We clean senior living facilities.

Dicey weather from storms has caused many pipes to freeze, thaw, and burst, so SERVPRO of Southeast Memphis gets numerous calls to perform common services this time of year.

If you own or manage a senior living facility or some other caretaking property, a storm and its results are plenty to deal with without other complicating factors that come with the caretaking sphere of business. 

The building itself is likely one of the last items you may consider in the event of a catastrophic emergency at a senior living facility. While a flood could put an average business out of the office for weeks, a caretaking facility has more on its plate. Timely water mitigation is a necessity.

SERVPRO is well-known for professionalism and service. It is in our name! We work with our clients to ensure their safety and satisfaction with our work.

Our Past Experience with Senior Living Facilities

Our SERVPRO worked on a senior living facility where a pipe burst causing flooding in four different resident's rooms. We arrived within the hour and got to work moving residents and their uncontaminated items to dry rooms, extracting water, setting up equipment, cleaning resident's affected items, packing it safely for the move, and ensuring all steps to dry and restore the structure were done in a timely manner! 

We know each moment counts, and we are proud to say we are Faster to any size disaster™ for that very reason. 

About SERVPRO of Southeast Memphis

We are a completely turn-key company. We even do rebuilds and renovations. Our certified technicians stay in contact with our customers every step of the way to make sure our customers have the best experience and clearest answers! 

Call our certified technicians at SERVPRO of Southeast Memphis: (901) 382-0900

SERVPRO of Southeast Memphis’s Storm Damage Cleanup & Restoration

2/21/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Southeast Memphis is:

• A 24-Hour Emergency Service

• Faster to Any Size Disaster™

• A Trusted Leader in the Water Restoration Industry

• Locally Owned and Operated

Restoring storm and flood-damaged properties is the cornerstone of our business. Our highly trained professionals use specialized equipment and advanced training to quickly restore your property to pre-storm condition. We’re dedicated to responding immediately, which minimizes secondary damage.

SERVPRO of Southeast Memphis has:

• Water Damage Restoration Technicians

• Applied Structural Drying Technicians

Have Storm or Flood Damage? Call us today at (901) 382-0900.

When Storms Hit Southeast Memphis, SERVPRO is Ready!

We Have Resources to Handle Storms

When storms hit Memphis, TN, we can scale our resources to handle a large storm or flooding disaster. We have access to equipment and personnel from a network of over almost 2000 franchises across the U.S. and Canada as well as our elite Disaster Recovery Teams.

Clean up of Water Damage After a Storm

Water is particularly invasive, quickly spreading throughout your property and being absorbed into floors, walls, and furniture. SERVPRO of Southeast Memphis arrives quickly to start the water extraction process almost immediately.

Water Damage Timeline

Within Minutes

• Water quickly spreads throughout your property, saturating everything in its path.
• Water is absorbed into walls, floors, upholstery, and belongings.
• Furniture finishes may bleed, causing permanent staining on carpets.
• Photographs, books, and other paper goods start to swell and warp.

Hours 1 - 24:

• Drywall begins to swell and break down.
• Metal surfaces begin to tarnish.
• Furniture begins to swell and crack.
• Dyes and inks from cloth and paper goods spread and stain.
• A musty odor appears.

48 Hours to 1 Week:

• Mold and mildew may grow and spread.
• Doors, windows, and studs swell and warp.
• Metal begins to rust and corrode.
• Furniture warps and shows signs of mold.
• Paint begins to blister.
• Wood flooring swells and warps.
• Serious biohazard contamination is possible.

More Than 1 Week:

• Restoration time and cost increase dramatically; replacing contaminated materials and structural rebuilding may be extensive.
• Structural safety, mold growth, and biohazard contaminants pose serious risks to occupants.

You can trust our highly trained professionals to quickly restore your property to pre-storm condition. Let us take this burden off of your shoulders. We assess the situation, clean up the mess, deal with insurance, clean and store your property’s contents, and walk with you through every step of the process. You don’t have to go through storm damage effects alone!

Storm Damage vs Flood Damage: What’s the Difference?

2/21/2022 (Permalink)

Property owners in Memphis, TN, may have a hard time differentiating storm damage from flood damage—which is important when considering insurance coverage. Commercial properties can sustain water damage from both flood and storms, but there are a few significant differences to keep in mind that may help you manage these risks.

The most general distinction is that stormwater comes from above, whereas flood water overspills natural bodies or watercourses and covers at least two acres of ordinarily dry land.

Storm damage to a commercial property may originate from a variety of causes such as:

• High winds
• Heavy rain
• Hurricanes
• Snow
• Tornadoes

Most business insurance plans protect from storm damage. Property owners need additional coverage to offset the expenses of flood damage. If your property is located on a flood plain, you should make sure you carry the policies necessary to protect your property investment.

Flooding occurs when water overflows a body of water or watercourse such as:

• Creeks
• Dams
• Lakes
• Storm-water channels

In order for water to be considered a flood, it must cover two acres and affect at least two properties.

If a commercial property is located in a high-risk zone, and the owner has a mortgage from an insured and federally-regulated lender, they must maintain flood insurance. Risks tied to flooding and storms should be known, minimized, and dealt with as soon as possible. Regardless of a moisture source, the risk of mold and other secondary damage within a building can be looming over the aftereffects of large, disastrous water events.

Restoring Damage From Storms and Floods

Restoration specialists can help property owners determine the precise causes of damage and the best solutions. If a property in Memphis, TN, experiences flood damage or sustains damage during a storm, contact SERVPRO of Southeast Memphis at (901) 382-0900 as soon as possible.

3 Tips to Prevent Your Home From Wind Damage

1/19/2022 (Permalink)

Many areas in the United States have experienced heavy winds and storms this past year. The intense, powerful winds can cause significant damage to your home. Wind damage can cause a range of destruction to your property, from broken windows and fallen tree branches to severe damage to the roof, garage, or car. It can happen from the strong wind or indirectly from the wind blowing debris into your house.

Wind Damage from Different Types of Storms

Thunderstorms are the most common cause of wind and storm damage. However, winds from hurricanes or tornadoes are more robust and can cause severe damage. It can produce many types of adverse weather such as lightning, hail, tornadoes, straight-line winds, flooding, etc.

Thunderstorms are responsible for wind damage cases in the U.S. However, storm damage repair may be costly for hurricane or tornado wind damage. Billions of dollars are spent on wind damage repair and storm damage restoration each year. Understanding the nature of wind damage can help you limit the amount of damage to your property and save on restoration and repair costs.

It's important to know when and what type of storm is approaching in your area. You'll learn the potential level of damage to expect. These wind damage facts will help you better understand the likely wind damage and how to prevent it. Here are some steps you can take to minimize property damage when severe weather strikes.

Preventing Wind and Storm Damage

1. Flying Debris

Most wind damage starts with unsecured flying debris. If a storm is approaching your area, make sure any potential debris in your homes, such as patio furniture, toys, garbage cans, and other objects, are secured or brought inside. Secure your doors and windows to help minimize the potential storm damage to the home.

2. Roof Materials

Roofing material should latch to the deck. Loosely connected shingles will lift from the deck. Siding damage reduces at the construction phase. Fastened siding isn't as likely to lift off a structure in strong wind. Building codes will likely direct the minimum standards for connections. You, your architect, or your contractor may decide to exceed these minimums for a more robust storm-resistant structure.

Roof damage reduces during the construction phase when the roof deck, shingles, or membrane is applied over the decking. A well-designed roofing system will anchor the trusses and decking to the walls and foundation to keep the entire roof from lifting off the building in a strong wind.

3. Tree Maintenance

Tree maintenance to remove dead limbs or identify and remove weakened trees will reduce the likelihood of structural damage. Trees, at times, won't shift positions. If it does, it can shift and cause serious injury to the unwary. Roof openings and broken windows are the most common problem. Keep a roll of plastic sheeting that cuts to size and nails over the opening. Your insurance policy will likely cover the cost of an emergency close-up. Fallen trees may cause other severe safety issues, such as downed electrical wires. Contact your agent or claims center to report the damage and seek advice on how to proceed.

If your home or business sustains wind or storm damage, contact a restoration professional. SERVPRO of Southeast Memphis can respond immediately to storm and flooding conditions. Our quick response will help prevent secondary damage and help reduce restoration costs. Call us 24/7 at 901-334-9209.