As Milton barrels toward Florida, the state is scrambling to prepare. Millions of residents have been ordered or urged to evacuate, and the highways are becoming clogged with traffic as people try to flee. Gas stations are running low on fuel, and stores are quickly being emptied of essential supplies. The hurricane is on a path to make landfall Wednesday night, and experts have described it as “historic, catastrophic, and life-threatening.” Tornadic supercells, which can produce tornadoes, are already sweeping across the peninsula, with reports of up to four confirmed tornadoes. Over 12 million people are currently under tornado warnings, adding to the growing danger.

Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, reassured residents that the state is prepared for the worst. Thousands of National Guard members and search and rescue personnel have been deployed to areas likely to be hardest hit. High-water vehicles are in place, and 50,000 linemen are on standby to help restore power after the storm passes. Tampa, a city that hasn’t experienced a direct hit from a major hurricane in over 100 years, is at particular risk. The storm surge in the area could push water levels up to 12 feet above ground, adding to the already dire situation. Despite the danger, DeSantis expressed confidence, saying, “We are facing this with the determination that it deserves but also the belief that we will get through this.”

In the wake of Hurricane Milton’s anticipated destruction, disaster recovery assistance will be essential for residents and businesses alike. Widespread roofing damage, caused by the storm’s fierce winds, is expected to leave homes and buildings exposed to the elements. Flash flooding and storm surges are likely to devastate low-lying areas, while extensive power outages could leave millions without electricity for days or even weeks. Disaster recovery efforts will need to focus on clearing debris, restoring power, and repairing critical infrastructure. Additionally, specialized services will be required to manage water damage from flooding and storm surge, prevent mold growth, and rebuild the communities left in Milton’s wake. Residents will need swift and effective disaster recovery assistance to ensure safety and begin the long road to rebuilding their homes and lives.

The post Category 4 Hurricane Milton Poised To Hit West Florida Hard first appeared on Fire Water Storm Pros.

Does the Insurance Include Compensation for Lost Business Revenue?

Among the most prevalent and expensive risks that afflict businesses is fire, and the harm is frequently severe. Smoke and soot can cause structures to be fully ruined or irreparably harmed. You could establish an interim location to carry on business, or you might have to shut down operations until the necessary restorations are done and the equipment is reinstalled. In either case, this could severely hurt your business. 

Thankfully, fire costs are generally covered by commercial property insurance coverage. Although commercial property insurance pays for the repairs, the owner cannot generate revenue while the company is being built. Insurance against business interruption aids in recovering lost earnings.

Business Interruption Insurance Cover

The comprehensive property protection for a business space frequently includes business interruption insurance. When a covered loss, like a significant fire, impacts your daily activities, you can file a business interruption application. Besides the independent protection for direct property damages offered by your regular fire insurance policy, you may be compensated for numerous costs from closing your business and restoration activities when your firm’s “enterprise” component is disrupted due to a fire.

Therefore, if your aim for taking a commercial property insurance cover is to get business revenue compensations, ensure your provider’s package includes business interruption insurance. For caution, ensure to ask what your provider will cover, but generally, business interruption Insurance covers;

• Lost profits and revenues that were expected if there was no fire. 
• Displacement or interim relocation from a property that is temporarily unavailable.
• Costs associated with working remotely and publicizing the transition.
• The price of keeping utilities running on a slightly destroyed building.
• Currently underway rent obligations for a property with fire damage.
• Other justifiable costs connected to the fire’s effect on business disruption.

You might want to reevaluate your decision if your business is not insured with either. Don’t assume that disasters such as fires cannot impact your business because when they do, you will wish you had that insurance protection.

The post Commercial Property Insurance Coverage for Fire Disasters Often Includes Loss of Business Revenue first appeared on Fire Water Storm Pros.

Commercial property fire damage disasters are something no one wants to go through in their lives since, apart from being dangerous to people, they can cost them a lot of money.

The reason for that is you can lose many of your properties in a fire, and it’s difficult to replace some of them. Therefore, you need to do the best you can to prevent any fire accident from happening, and the first step to doing that is knowing what causes them in the first place.

Many things can cause commercial fire damage disasters, but some causes are more common than others. Are you interested in knowing the top causes of commercial property fire damage disasters? You’ve landed on the right page! Keep reading to learn about them and why they happen.

Cooking Accidents

Whether it’s on the news or because it happened to someone in your neighborhood, it’s not uncommon to hear a story of someone who had a fire in their house or building because of something that happened to their cooking equipment. Cooking appliances are prone to cause a fire if you are careless.

The same happens when those appliances malfunction, so it’s not always someone’s fault but something inevitable. Be mindful of what you do with flammable oils, grease, and anything that could cause a fire in the future.

Regardless of that, you may not be the one in charge of cooking appliances if you work in a commercial building with other people in charge of that.

Careless Mistakes 

While some cooking accidents are not someone’s fault, it’s easy to cause a fire due to your carelessness. Things, such as smoking where you shouldn’t, are dangerous for commercial buildings. Doing those things could put a lot of people in danger.

The best way to prevent this from happening is to teach your employees what they can or can’t do in your workplace. Doing things, such as using flammable candles in the building, should be banned if you think you are in danger of getting in a fire.

Electrical Malfunction

Modern buildings are often too reliant on electrical devices, and while that’s not an issue, it raises the risk of having an electrical malfunction. Old and defective wiring is prone to causing circuit overloads or loose connections.

Those issues can lead to overheating, and that spark can ignite a fire.

Lighting problems are also common in commercial buildings due to the number of activities done daily. This can happen in office properties, mercantile buildings, restaurants, and healthcare facilities. We recommend you invest all the funds you can in preventing this from happening.

Arson

You may not expect this to happen in your commercial building, but no one is safe from a criminal or random person who intentionally causes a fire in the building. However, that is something the security personnel needs to take care of.

Final Thoughts 

Fire disasters are devastating for businesses and the people who work there. Not only you are dealing with the life of all the people there but also all the income you can lose after it. Beware of the possible causes of a fire and try to prevent them all from happening.

The post Top Causes of Fire Damage Disasters in Commercial Properties first appeared on Fire Water Storm Pros.

Having water damage or mold troubles? Don’t fret; it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Mold spores are always in the air looking for suitable hyphae to land on. Wood being a good moisture absorber can be excellent hyphae, especially if it has the right amount of warmth.

The mold spores will easily be attracted to such wood and foster the growth of molds – after a while, you’ll notice them when you have a full-blown invasion. There are, however, ways you can easily remove black molds on wood surfaces. The intensity of it will depend on the gravity of the damage. This article highlights various ways you can remove molds from wood surfaces.

How to Remove Molds from Wood Surfaces

Here is the moment of truth – cleaning off black molds from wood surfaces has several routes to the same destination. This means you can use different types of cleaning agents to remove molds. The steps pretty much stay the same. With that said, let’s delve right into a step-by-step guide to removing mold from wood.

Take Precautionary Measures

It’s important to start by wearing protective gear while cleaning, as molds can be dangerous when ingested. Use gloves and a face mask that covers your face adequately.

Vacuuming

Before any step commences, you’ll first vacuum the furniture. A good HEPA vacuum cleaner can clear out any mold spores and other substances on the surface of the wood. Once you trap the mold spores and dirt into the vacuum, empty the vacuum dirt outside into a plastic bag, then seal it.

Exposing the Wood to Sunlight

Depending on how deep the molds have penetrated the wood, it’s wise to start by exposing the wood to direct sunlight. Exposing it to sunlight will remove the dampness, darkness, and the warmth molds require for growth. Take the furniture out after the dew has evaporated to avoid dampening the wood further. Get the furniture out after sunset when temperatures are low.

Removing Molds with Vodka

If exposing it to sunlight didn’t do the trick, you can go on to wash it, but even before that, spray vodka on the furniture and leave it to dry. It is a mold prevention method that works. Spray it with vodka, then expose the furniture to direct sunlight. Make sure it dries before bringing it back.

Using Cleaning Detergents

You can now clean the wood surface to eradicate the molds. There are several cleaning detergents you can use depending on the gravity of the damage. They include a combination of dishwashing detergent and water, vinegar and warm water, a tablespoon of borax, and a cup of water.

When one combination fails, you quickly jump to the next one until you get rid of the mold. All three combinations involve applying the solution, waiting for it to soak, then wiping off or scrubbing the mold off.

Finish off with Sanding

There are usually stubborn traces of mold still hanging on even after cleaning. Sanding can help here. With a 100 grit sander, you can easily rub the affected area to remove them. Repeat the process to remove dust and loosen more mold spores.

The post What Do You Do When Mold Grows on Wood Surfaces? first appeared on Fire Water Storm Pros.

Sewer backup happens when the sewer exceeds its capacity and the waste flow back to the drain line of your house. The backup can come out of your basement, shower drain, and toilet. The sewer backup is contaminated with various types of chemicals and bacteria that can be hazardous to your health. As a homeowner, there are 6 things you can do to prevent sewer backup problems.  

1. Don’t Throw Grease Down the Kitchen Sink 

When using the kitchen sink, always remind yourself not to pour cooking oil and grease. Oil and grease can solidify when they are cooled down and create blockage in the drain and sewer lines. You should do your best not to allow food scraps, hair, egg shells and etc to go down the drain. You can install a garbage disposal to catch everything that is washed down the sink.  

2. Don’t Flush Everything Down the Toilet 

The toilet should not be treated as a place to discard all kinds of rubbish. The toilet can be blocked when you simply flush things down. It is only designed for flushing down human waste and toilet paper. Other items like wipes, cigarette butts, diapers, food scraps, and other personal hygiene products should not be flushed down the toilet. 

3. Install a Backwater Valve 

You can install a backwater valve to prevent the sewage from flowing into the basement when there is a backup on the main sewer system. It has a flap that can close when the water flows backward. You can ask a plumber to inspect your plumbing system and see if a backwater valve suit you. 

4. Install Plastic Piping 

You may want to consider replacing your clay and cast iron piping to plastic piping. Plastic piping has special joints that make it more durable against tree roots. Clay and cast iron piping is common in houses in the early days. You can have your plumber check your sewer pipe and see if it is necessary to replace with a plastic piping. 

5. Clear Your Sewer Line 

Not only that, you should also take the initiative to clear your sewer line at least once every 2 years. This is especially if you have trees around the sewer line. You can also get a professional plumber to clear the sewer line. When the plumber is clearing your line, you can ask about how backup your sewer is. If it is just a little backup, you can schedule cleaning once a while. On the other hand, if it has a heavy backup, it means that you need to schedule more frequent cleaning to maintain your sewer line. 

6. Disconnect the Downspout 

When there is heavy rainstorm, lots of water will flow on your gutter and downspout into the sewer system. This will increase the chances of overflowing of the sewer which will backup on your basement. To prevent this, you can disconnect your downspout. In addition, you can install an extension to your downspout so that the water is absorbed by the garden and not on the driveway. 

The post Guide on How to Prevent Sewer Backup in Your Home first appeared on Fire Water Storm Pros.

1. Prepare a Business Continuity Plan
On viewing that shops keep having to close down, business owners should prepare a business continuity plan that will provide alternative place for customers to shop so that the business can resume its operation. The plan should involve the human resource department for concerns such as leadership continuity, working arrangements, sick leaves, and health insurance policies.

You will want to identify the areas that are vulnerable and the potential losses if you have to postpone those processes. You can set up communication plan in case of a coronavirus case in your store. Employees should be informed about their roles and responsibilities in the coronavirus outbreak. Communication channel should be set up so that employees can ask about their status.

2. Create a 3 Months Financial Plan
You may want to create a financial plan that last for 3 months. Think about the people you need to pay such as landlord, suppliers, employees and look for ways on how to cut costs. You can talk with other business owners and find out how they are staying afloat. There may be options available especially since government worldwide are providing initiatives to support small businesses. Therefore, you should stay tuned to news on how your government can help you to cut costs.

Perhaps you can reduce the rental by downsizing the office and temporarily freeze hiring some employees and replace with freelancers. You can consider changing your business model to overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ask yourself if it is possible to market your products online. It is easy to set up an online shop in places such as Shopify. Once your online shop is set up, you can promote it via social media.

3. Implement Personal Hygience and Proper Cleaning Procedures
A responsible business will provide education for the employees on personal hygience. Training should be available to teach employees how to use disinfectant, hand sanitizer, and masks. If necessary, you can be more strict by implementing health screening plan, for example, fever scanning. You can monitor the development of coronavirus by listening to news from the government.

There should be a plan in place for vigorous cleaning and disinfecting the store if someone in the store has been confirmed to contact with the coronavirus. On top of that, in the workplace, they should regularly clean all the frequently touched surfaces. You can provide no touch trash cans to allow employees to conveniently dispose the trash. Hand sanitizer, soap, and water should be provided in multiple locations in the office.

The post 3 Tips on COVID-19 for Business Owners first appeared on Fire Water Storm Pros.

However, the county is not opening up any free shelter to aid the residents. This is because all the shelters in the county are rated Category 2 only. Right now, Hurricane Michael has already turned into a Category 3 storm and traveling at 111 mph speed.

Although it does not have any safe shelter, it provides van shuttles to bring those who need to evacuate to Leon County where they can find shelter. A van shuttle is available at Bayside Plaza in Panacea starting at 12:30 pm on Tuesday. You can take a second van shuttle at 3:30 pm if you cannot make it to take the first shuttle.

If you are with special needs, the shuttle will take you to Florida High School for shelter. If you don’t have any special need, the shuttle will take you to Lincoln and Godby High Schools. Zone B and Zone C have received voluntary evacuation orders. Voluntary evacuation order is also issued to those living in mobile homes or other weak structures.

If you are near to Zone A, you should also follow the mandatory evacuation order. This is because Hurricane Michael will possibly be a big hurricane that wreck a lot of havoc. The storm surge is predicted to reach at least 8 – 12 feet. If you need sandbag, you can go to the Sheriff office to obtain them. Each person is limited to take up to 10 sandbags in per trip. Residents are encouraged to follow up on the media outlets to get updated on the latest weather news.

Boat owners should get ready their boats for the hurricane. Tons of people are towing their boats along with them as they evacuate from the town. If you can’t tow the boat with you, you can dock it up at the local marina. To prepare for the hurricane, Rock Landing Marina has taken in their floating docks from the water. According to the general manager of Rock Landing Marina, only a small number of people have come for their boats.

At the moment, there are still 150 boats left in the boat house. As the wind pick up, it will be more difficult to transport the boat to a safe place. The boat house at Rock Landing Marina is built to endure a storm surge of up to 7 feet and a wind speed not exceeding more than 150 mbps.

The post Mandatory Evacuation for Wakulla County in Preparation for Hurricane Michael first appeared on Fire Water Storm Pros.

It is expected of some rain early in the morning on Friday which will continue to Saturday and Sunday. The wind will be traveling at a speed of 30 – 35 mph during the storm. Some trees may fell but it won’t be a big deal unless the wind shifts track to the west or south. This is because the wind is constantly rotating in counter clockwise direction. The heaviest damage usually will occur on the west or east side.

According to Panovich, even a slight shift in the wind track can intensify the rain storm to stall up to 20 inches of rain in town. He said that the trees would fell not because of the 30 mph wind but because of the soggy ground. It already started raining on Monday in Charlotte area and it will also rain in the following day.

If the real hurricane arrive, there will be even heavier rain which can cause the ground to be even more wet. If Charlotte gets hit by hurricane, it would take place in the late night on Thursday or on Friday morning. No one would be able to observe any sign of hurricane until the morning of Friday. Charlotte is having light rain which is estimated to be 2 – 5 inches right now.

The rainfall is expected to increase as you head towards the east, for example, Union County and Anson County. Carolina is not as safe as Charlotte, and it is expected to have up to 40 inches of rain when it get hit by Hurricane Florence. The news about the approaching hurricane has caused many sporting events in Charlotte to be rescheduled to take place in the east part of North Carolina. Schools have also rescheduled their games to Wednesday or Thursday.

Charlotte is the town that was hit by Hurricane Hugo in September of 1989. It remains a warning sign on how shift in the storm wind could cause destruction located far inland. The forecasters are still uncertain about its track as the storm does not have enough guiding influence. Hurricane Florence is not going to be as devastating as Hugo even though it would make a heavy landfall.

Hurricane Hugo starts from a tropical storm in an African coast. As it move towards the west, it start to develop into a hurricane. It travels towards northwest in Caribbean before heading straight to Carolina and landed on Charleston on the 22nd September 1989. Afterwards, it travels to Charlotte with a sustained wind speed of 69 mph. The storm brought a lot of destructions and always caused 21 people to be killed in the US.

The post Will Hurricane Florence Be Hitting Charlotte? first appeared on Fire Water Storm Pros.

Delaying will only cause the mold to spread to a wider area and contaminate the entire house and its contents. This will make it dangerous to live inside the house. Some homeowners try to cut out of their budget to hire a professional by attempting to use DIY kit to remove the mold.

The truth is that store-bought mold removal kit won’t work for cleaning up mold growth that covers a large area. These kits are primarily used for eliminating small mold problem. If you have no experience, you may end up worsening the situation and cause problems like dry rot. In addition, DIY deodorization product is also not powerful enough to remove the bad smell from the mold damage. Therefore, you should not waste money on such product.

If the mold only appears on surfaces like glass or aluminum, it can be removed manually. However, if the mold has entered into a porous material, you will need to hire a professional to get it removed and uproot all spores that can stir up new growth. When you hire a professional, they will first come to your home with all the equipment for performing an assessment on the area affected by the mold growth. The reason for this is to determine the severity of the mold problem and give you an accurate quote.

If necessary, they will close off the area until they have completed the mold remediation process.
Equipped with advanced detection equipment, they are able to accurately track down where the mold growth has occurred. They can detect the source of the mold growth for example moisture and leaks. Then, they will take the necessary steps to prevent future growth.

The professional mold remediation service knows the proper procedure for killing the mold and cleaning them off the structure. They can carry out the appropriate disinfection on all kinds of household items including walls, carpet and furniture.

They are able to get rid of any material in your house that has been infested with mold. If the structure is widely covered with mold, they can tear down the structure and rebuild it. For example, they can get your drywall and stud with heavy mold infestation replaced. When they finish removing the mold, they will perform an inspection once again to remove all the remaining spores.

The post Why Black Mold in Your Attic Should Be Cleaned by a Professional first appeared on Fire Water Storm Pros.

If the same size of the hurricane like Hurricane Irma hits Florida, it will surely wreck more costly damages despite the fact that Modern’s buildings are built based on stricter building codes. The reason is that there is now, even more, buildings in central and south Florida compared to more than a decade ago.

More than 1 millions Americans live by the coast, which is a highly risky region as the hurricane will first hit this area when it comes from the ocean. People who just move to the area may not have any experience in what they should do when a big storm occurs or how to evacuate the place.

If you live in Florida, you should get ready to evacuate when the authorities issue the evacuation mandate. Hurricane Irma is a powerful hurricane so there is a few chance that you will be able to save your home from the storm damages.

First of all, you need to prepare an emergency kit that contains everything you need during the time you will be away from your home. Some of the things that you can pack in your evacuation kit are cash, food, water, and medicines. These items are important in the event that the storm and flooding could destroy your home.

You should stay tuned to the local radio station and TV news channel as they will often provide tips on how to evacuate the area. It is important to bring along all your documents and valuables. The documents should be kept inside fireproof and water tight file. If your refrigerator has food, you should move them to the freezer part which is the coldest part. In this way, if the flood causes the power outage, the food will not become spoiled.

You should go through all your household chemicals and make sure their lids are closed tightly. If these chemicals leak into the flood water, your home could be filled with toxic that is hazardous to your health when you later return and enter the house. These chemicals can also cause combustion and explosion in the house.

All electronic appliances should be moved to the attic to prevent exposure to moisture. If there are large trees in your yard, make sure you trim off the branches. Rain gutters and down spouts should be cleared of all the debris. Stuff that you put outside like bikes and patio furniture should be moved to a safe place.

The post What Is The Potential For Damage In Florida From Hurricane Irma first appeared on Fire Water Storm Pros.