Job of the Quarter: Water Loss Close to Home

7/9/2021 (Permalink)

Our team got to work pushing water out of the bay doors and into drains only 30 minutes after we initially received word of the flood.

The following blog is an excerpt from our upcoming newsletter:

The “Job of the Quarter” article in our quarterly newsletters is characteristically devoted to highlighting a job that our team responded to away from home, whether it be another location within our community or another region of the country altogether. This quarter, however, our standout job did not require our crew to travel at all. As a matter of fact, the job in question occurred right here in our own Hunt Valley office and warehouse.

Strong storms rolled through the area during the evening of Thursday, June 3rd. While office manager, Tracy Summers, was working late in the office and Water Crew Technician, Brian Rhodes, was preparing to head home for the night, they discovered water rushing into the warehouse due to the heavy rain. Entering through our warehouse’s closed bay doors, the rainwater quickly became a significant concern. In just one hour, we received almost 4 inches of rain. Thanks to Tracy and Brian’s quick thinking, they were able to get people in to help that evening, which prevented us from discovering an overwhelming water loss the next morning. 

The process of remediating the water damage that we had endured was no small feat, as a large area of the warehouse was covered by approximately 1 inch of water and several other areas of our office, including the main entry hallway, main conference room, and a few individual offices, were also affected by the water. According to the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification’s categories of water involved in water damage, the water damage in our warehouse and office fell under Category 3, which is the most significantly contaminated, as it often contains “harmful pathogens'' and poses risks to human health. Therefore, it was critical that our team remediated the area quickly and safely.

Our team got to work pushing water out of the bay doors and into drains by 5:30 PM, only 30 minutes after we initially received word of the flood. Working quickly, we were able to successfully extract all of the water, cut walls, remove wet insulation, and set up drying equipment by 10 PM that evening. This was made possible by the help of about 20 crew members working late into the night. Even after the water was extracted, several members of our rebuild team worked to complete drywall and painting. By Tuesday, June 15th, work on all of the projects was finished and the affected area looked as good as new.

Making it “Like it never even happened,” for our customers and getting the job done quickly are hallmarks of every job that we complete. However, what makes this job worthy of our “Job of the Quarter” title is that it happened on our own turf, a place in which we don’t usually directly experience the stress of water damage and its possible impacts on our office’s schedule. Our team had to deal with an overwhelming amount of water and was faced with the task of removing and repacking contents from boxes that got wet in our office, while juggling an influx of calls from customers due to the storm. In order to get the job done and keep up with our clients’ needs, many of our team members made the selfless decision to turn around and head back to the office after arriving home from a long day of work. Our team members’ dedication incontrovertibly saved the day. 

In order to best serve our customers, it is critical that we first know how to handle an emergency on our home turf. The storm that moved through our community that Thursday night inundated our office with calls from customers in need of immediate help. Our ability to deal with a crisis in our offices and warehouse while simultaneously responding to those in need in our community emphasizes our persistence and determination to be there for our community at all times. Here at SERVPRO of Hunt Valley and Harford County, we know firsthand the disruptions to business that damage of any kind can bring, whether it be flooding from a storm or scorched documents after a fire. Therefore, when you call our offices at (410) 229-0012 in need of a helping hand after a disaster of any type or size, our team will arrive immediately, ready to work quickly to make it “Like it never even happened,” for your home or commercial business. Visit our website to learn more about our many services that can be of assistance to your property, such as our Water Damage Restoration Services, Storm Damage Restoration Services, Commercial Storm Damage Restoration Services, and more.