Flood damage can be significant – just imagine having 4 or 5 feet of water inside your home!

As a result, flooding can cause a variety of issues for your property including:

• Water damage to structural materials such as your flooring, walls, and ceilings
• Water damage to content items inside your home
• Mold Growth
• Structural damage, including foundation damage

In fact, due to the amount of water involved in flooding events, water can continue to wick into dry building materials until the entire property is saturated.  We’ve seen properties that were wet all the way to the roof line!

Insurance companies use a broader definition of “flooding” to include any water damage that results from water intrusion that touches the ground first before entering your home.  This includes rainwater and runoff, gutter and drainage issues, and even in some cases exterior leaks!

This is why your insurance company may refer to your damages as a result of “flood” when your area did not actually experience a flood.  In many cases, your insurance policy may exclude or limit coverage for damages that result from groundwater or “flooding” issues.

Due to the unique complexities that flood coverage or the interpretation of groundwater coverage in a standard policy may entail, it’s important to have a qualified and experienced team able to determine the cause of your damages and review these issues with your insurance company.  At Disaster Blaster, our experienced team is equipped to address the needs of your flood damage and the claims process as well!

Flooding is the result of accumulated water exceeding the water channel or system.  This can be caused by a variety of circumstances including:

• Traditional Definition (Generally affects large areas)
  • Heavy or prolonged rain (overwhelms streams, creeks, and rivers)
  • Sudden snow or ice melt (overwhelms streams, creeks, and rivers)
  • Hurricane or tropical storm (overwhelms local drainage systems)
• Insurance Claims Definition (May affect one property or several)
  • Drainage issues such as poor grading, damaged gutter systems, or improper paving
  • Outdated or damaged municipal drainage or sewer systems
  • Broken water main or municipal water line

Due to the nature of flooding, flood damage can occur virtually anywhere in the country.  In fact, according to FEMA 99% of counties across the United States have been impacted by a flooding event!

Flood damage can occur following heavy rains and large-scale storm events like hurricanes, or as a result of seasonal changes that cause rapid snow and ice melt that overflows creeks, streams, and rivers.  As a result, flooding can occur in many different parts of the country, from coastal towns to cities and rural areas.

When flood waters enter your home, they can cause a tremendous amount of damage very quickly.  In addition to the initial damage to the structure and contents, this large volume of water has the potential to wick into building materials, causing significant additional damages and mold growth!

Disaster Blaster knows flood damage and our technicians have the skills and equipment to help.  Here are some of the services your local Disaster Blaster provides to assist with flood damage events:

• Removal of mud & dirt left in your home following a flood event
• Water Damage / Flood Damage Mitigation services
• Mold Remediation
• Disinfection & Sanitization services
• Debris Cleanup, Removal, & Disposal services
• Repair Services

Homeowners Insurance – Insurance companies often use a much broader definition of flood damage to include any damage caused by water that first touches the ground before entering your house (ground water).  While this damage is often excluded from traditional home insurance policies, depending on how the water entered your home and the circumstances that surround that event, some insurance policies may offer limited “Backup & Equipment Failure” endorsement coverage.  If you have this endorsement on your policy, and the water entered your home by backing up through the drain or sewer system or as a result of failure of systems in place to prevent water intrusion such as sump pumps, you may have limited coverage available to address your issue.

Flood Insurance – Specialized Flood Insurance is available to cover damages that result from flood damage events.  While most commonly purchased by homeowners that have property in flood plains, flood damage can happen virtually anywhere and is available to property owners that are not directly in flood plains.  Flood insurance policies cover the damages that result from a flood event and can assist in restoring your property following a flood damage.

Mold can develop quickly following a flood damage event due to the extent of water damage and the level of contaminants in the water itself.  As a result, it’s important to hire qualified professionals able to address mold issues as well.

Disaster Blaster technicians are trained Mold Remediation professionals, able to assist with not only the necessary water mitigation and drying services, but the mold remediation as well.  As a full service company, our professionals will be able to assess your property for mold issues that may have begun and develop a response plan to address all of these issues together.