Faster to Any Disaster

6/19/2017 (Permalink)

Storm damage in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

In August of 2016, Baton Rouge, Louisiana got hit with one of the worst floods in US history. In just a few hours, the flood waters were rising and homes and business fell victim to the flooding rain. Residents fled their homes and business owners had no choice but to evacuate as quickly as possible.

The area was completely devastated in a very short time.   Communities of beautiful homes and neighborhoods were left with utter devastation in the wake of this storm.  When home and business owners were finally able to enter back into their properties, the work that needed to be done to clean up what was left was truly overwhelming.

In the meantime, SERVPRO Storm Teams were already making plans to send production crews to the area to help these home and business owners with getting their lives back together. SERVPRO Anniston, Gadsden and Marshall County was honored to participate with the SERVPRO Storm Teams in the cleanup efforts for the Baton Rouge area.  Within hours, we were packed, fully loaded with equipment and crew, and in route to Baton Rouge. Thousands and thousands of phone calls were flooding our SERVPRO call center from residents of the Baton Rouge area needing our help. As a crew representing our SERVPRO Storm Team, it was our responsibility to contact the customers, schedule on site visits to their home or business, provide a thorough job scope and estimate of required work, and if given the go ahead from the customer, start the cleanup and drying process. We talked to dozens and dozens of home and business owners who needed an expert to help them with the mitigation process. Our franchise worked around the clock for two weeks helping as many customers as we could. Our production crews provided demo or tear-out service removing carpet, drywall, etc., tested areas for moisture and set up air movers and dehumidifiers, hauled out damaged items, among other services. We monitored equipment daily to make sure the drying process was complete. Sometimes our help meant offering a shoulder to cry on or a hug as we walked through a customer's living room which had been completely destroyed by the floodwaters.  To see large mountains of saturated carpet, damaged appliances, drywall, furniture, vehicles and toys lining the streets of these once beautiful neighborhoods was overwhelming to say the least.  It was hard work both physically and emotionally to walk alongside the people we met and work hand-in-hand making a dent in the work that needed to be done.  Our SERVPRO green trucks were everywhere. It was humbling in so many ways to be called upon to help in a time of need.

What struck us as particularly poignant, was how often, even in the circumstances, we heard the same home and business owners talk about how blessed they were. It says so much about the resiliency of the human spirit.  Neighbors and communities are bonded together to move forward and rebuild. They will be stronger than before.

As we enter into the upcoming storm season, SERVPRO of Anniston, Gadsden and Marshall County stands ready to help when disaster hits. FASTER TO ANY DISASTER and ready to work hand-in-hand with our fellow man.