At the beginning of August, Lynchburg saw several inches of rain in one day. Some areas saw as much as six inches. This much rain in such a small amount of time created flooding throughout the city. SteamWay started receiving calls Thursday, August 2nd, about peoples homes and businesses filling with water. Our crews worked through the night extracting water and placing drying equipment.
Here are some tips on what to do when your basement has flooding.
- Before you do anything, make sure to shut off any power around the area, including electricity and gas. Never enter a flooded area while the power is on.
- If your basement has a floor drain, check to make sure it didn’t become clogged during the flood. Keeping it open and functioning will help drain the water.
- Move damaged items out of the basement to dry in a well-ventilated area. If weather permits, a sunny place may lend itself as the best option. It’s best not to dry out items inside the basement, which is already damp. A good rule of thumb is to give items about 48 hours to thoroughly dry. If they remain wet, they may need to be discarded in order to avoid mold and mildew. The best advice is to inspect things carefully after the 48-hour period and decide the best course of action. Don’t try to save wet cardboard boxes, since they can be especially susceptible to bacterial growth. Salvage the contents of the boxes if you can, and discard the cardboard containers to be safe.
- Rip up carpeting and get it out of the basement as soon as possible. Carpeting can prevent the floor underneath from drying if it’s not removed quickly. Although it can be difficult to adequately dry out these materials, sometimes wet carpeting can be saved.
If you need a professional to help with your water damage needs.
We Provide:
- 24 Hr. Emergency Water Extraction & Cleanup Services
- Sewer Backup Remediation
- Complete and Thorough Structural Drying
- Daily Monitoring of Damaged Property
- Fully Equipped Services To Handle Any Size Loss
- Professional Customer Care
Call SteamWay at 434-845-2636
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