Hurricane Harvey – The Recovery

Over a span of five days, Hurricane Harvey dropped over 19 trillion gallons of water on Texas; that is enough water to cover Alaska, California and Texas altogether. Over 30% of Harris County was reportedly underwater, in addition to experiencing multiple tornados and temporarily paralyzing most major highways and road systems. According to the Harris County Flood Control District, over 1,600 properties have been directly affected by the flooding. The damage has been estimated to surpass tens of billions of dollars, making it one of the costliest U.S. natural disasters in history.

Unfortunately the catastrophic flooding and unprecedented amount of rainfall has left property owners with the inevitable task of assessing and repairing the damage. As property owners, it is essential to know about the impact of moisture, water, and mold to your property.

Steps to Safety:  

• Take photos of any/all potential water damage to the internal and external structures of your property and alert your insurance company right away, the earlier the better. Thorough documentation will be necessary to file claims
• After doing so, remove all water-damaged items from your property, including damaged flooring, insulation or drywall. The longer these items are attached to your property, the more likely your property is susceptible to mold. Please take caution by wearing protective equipment, including masks, gloves, hard hats and safety goggles. During this process it is recommended that more photos are taken, as well as supplying video evidence.
• Following this process, it is highly encouraged to get a mold assessment completed. That way the property can be renovated without the risk of lingering issues and/or future tenant complaints related to indoor air quality (IAQ) concerns.

Resources

Contact:

Joe Hoelzen

joe@esepartners.com

281.501. 6100