Flooding in Iowa

6/22/2019 (Permalink)

This May, SERVPRO crews traveled to Burlington, Iowa, after 13 inches of rain inundated the region over a 2-day period. Along with rain, golf ball-sized hail, high winds, and tornadoes rocked the area, resulting in widespread flooding as well as the flooding of nearby rivers.

At the time, Iowa also happened to be recovering from a major snow melt, which flooded the Missouri River earlier in the year. A record-breaking 25 inches of snow fell in Des Moines, Iowa during February of this year. After the extensive snowfall, the ground was unable to absorb any more liquid due to the soil saturation, and the 13 inches of rain spread across the ground, flooding highways, roads, and homes. SERVPRO received approximately 30 job files and three crews were sent to Iowa for this restoration.

Flooding can contaminate and damage drywall, support beams, and the foundation of homes. The damage to homes consisted of wet finished basements that range from 500 square ft to 3,000 square ft, wet flooring, walls, and content. The risk for mold to grow is most heightened during the first 24 hours of the flooding, so remediation had to be hasty.

The most rewarding aspect of working the Iowa storm was the ability to help flood victims’ lives return to normal as well as the good feeling that arises from helping those affected by the floods!