Jarvis Property Restoration first responders played a pivotal role in helping to assist with flood cleanup in the New England area following devastating flooding to Rhode Island and Boston in early March of this year. Jarvis presently has fourteen work crews and several semi-trucks of equipment in the Nashville area and has additional work crew’s en-route to assist with cleanup efforts. Jarvis water damage technicians are certified through the IICRC and utilize state of the art restoration equipment to extract flood waters and begin the process of drying out a property.

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen called for a state of emergency over the weekend in order to pull in resources from the National Guard. The severe rain caused flash flooding, forcing hundreds of people to need emergency evacuation from homes and vehicles. Rain storms pounded the state with as much as fourteen inches of rain in certain areas washing away numerous roads throughout Tennessee. The governor has closed all government offices and schools on Monday, and has urged for businesses and municipalities to close to help ensure public safety. Many rivers were not expected to crest until late on Monday and the potential for rain later in the week will make cleanup efforts more challenging.

Jarvis Property Restoration has worked extensively in disaster relief, specifically in FEMA declared emergency zones. In the summer of 2008, Jarvis managed 1600 workers to clean and repair over thirty government buildings in Cedar Rapids, Iowa following a devastating flood from the Cedar River. Jarvis Property Restoration was founded in 1979 by Sheryl and Bill Jarvis in Detroit, Michigan. Jarvis presently has offices in Michigan, Iowa and Florida and maintains numerous response hubs across the United States to respond to unexpected disasters. Jarvis has set up a local relief number (615) 301-1077 for Tennessee area homeowners, businesses and government agencies that are in need of water damage restoration services.

As a homeowner, these are dreadful times filled with nervous anticipation. If you live in the area, be sure to keep a close eye on the news so you are given ample time to evacuate if told to do so. If you are fortunate and are not living in a direct danger zone, there is still the possibility that your home could be susceptible to flood damage. A flooded basement is a distinct possibility in many areas seemingly far from the swelling Red River’s banks, so you can only hope for the best and be prepared for the worst.

If you find that water is entering your basement, shout off the electricity in the basement but do not stand in water when you do so. You can use a dry, wooden bench or pallet and wear rubber boots that are dry on the inside as well as rubber gloves. If this is not a possibility, contact the utility company. If you find more than six inches of water in your basement, let it be until the water around the outside of the house recedes. This will ensure that your basement walls and floors do not cave in as the water helps to brace the walls against the extra pressure. Once the water starts to recede, pump out a third of it every few hours. Use a gas powered sump pump.  As the water is pumping out, clean the walls with clean water and get the mud out while it is wet.

If you have heavy appliances in the basement and they have become wet, set them up on blocks so that they can dry. It is often best to call in a service repairman to check the washers, driers and freezers once the flood is over to see if the motors are damaged before attempting to use them again. Do not be tempted to turn the heat on high in the damp basement as this will encourage the growth of mold. Instead, open windows and use fans to dry the basement. Remove baseboards and drill ½ inch holes so that the areas behind the walls can dry out.