When Should I Call a Professional? (Leak Detection)
It’s pretty common to have a water leak and not even realize it. Most leaks are hidden from plain sight and require special attention to detail in order to notice them. Take a moment and look for the following signs that result in the need for leak detection services.
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Why Is Water Temperature Important?
Human populations demand solid weather forecasting. They need to know exactly what they are up against especially during the Atlantic tropical hurricane season. Not only do they need to know the speed, direction, and likely point of landfall, but for them to prepare they need to know days in advance. They have to buy the boards to board up the windows, batten down the hatches, and get everyone to a safe haven. There’s a lot that goes into forecasting the direction, path, and speed of hurricanes.
Mental and Physical Effects of a Disaster – And How the Right Restoration Company Can Help
Any natural disaster is devastating for those who must endure them. Hurricanes, floods, tornados, fires, and other disasters can wreak havoc on your health, home, and livelihood. Surviving these types of disasters are life changing and stressful enough, but what about after the event? In all the chaos and confusion that happens after a loss, what are the smaller things you need to look out for? What kind of mental and physical risks are there for you and your family? And how can you best get your life back on track?
The Science of Hurricanes
Hurricane season in the Atlantic brings with it a plethora of dangerous and devastating weather. But how does all of this get started?
All hurricanes are essentially fueled by two simple things: heat and water. Hurricanes generally begin above the equator, where the waters are significantly warmer. The air just above the ocean’s surface takes in heat and moisture and, as the hot air rises, it leaves the air below it with a lower pressure. This cyclical process repeats and produces swirls in the air, according to NASA. This creates a thunderstorm that has the potential to turn into a hurricane.
Warm water in the Atlantic is really the first key element hurricanes need to get started. Another important key factor is wind shear. Wind shear, according to Federal Aviation Administration, is a change in wind speed and/or direction over a short distance. Wind shears can be either horizontal or vertical and are most commonly caused by strong differences in temperature. These contribute to the cyclone of warm and cool air that starts a hurricane.
These two ingredients for hurricanes don’t just happen on their own, though. Gerry Bell, the lead seasonal hurricane forecaster for NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, says that “there are two dominant climate patterns that really control the wind and pressure across the Atlantic.
The El Niño/La Niña cycle is the first of these climate patterns. El Niño is a large-scale ocean-atmosphere climate interaction that causes periodic warming in the ocean surface temperatures. These effects are seen in the winter season, with wetter-than-average conditions expected. La Niña is essentially the opposite of El Niño, in which it represents below-average ocean surface temperatures, but slightly warmer temperatures in the Southeast region.
The second climate pattern that impacts hurricanes is the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). This is a climate trend that has a time span of 25 to 40 years and is generally associated with warmer waters in the Atlantic. When the AMO is in a warm phase, there tends to be stronger hurricane patterns. Currently, we have been in a warm phase AMO, conducive to hurricanes, since 1995.
Hurricanes start out as tropical cyclones. Once a tropical cyclone’s winds have a sustained speed of 39 to 73 mph, it is then considered a tropical storm and it gets a name from the list put out by the World Meteorological Organization. If the sustained winds reach speeds of 74 to 95 mph, the storm becomes a Category 1 hurricane.
| Category | Sustained Wind Speed | Potential Damage |
| 1 | 74-94 mph | Minimal – some roof leakage, gutter damage, snapped tree branches |
| 2 | 96-110 mph | Moderate – major roof and siding damage, uprooted trees causing road blockage, power loss for days to weeks |
| 3 | 111-129 mph | Extensive – gable and decking damage, many uprooted trees, extended power outages |
| 4 | 130-156 mph | Extreme – roof and exterior walls destroyed, snapped trees, power outages for weeks to months |
| 5 | 157 mph or higher | Catastrophic – high fraction of framed houses destroyed, power outages for weeks to months, large areas uninhabitable for weeks to months |
About Regency DRT
Regency DRT is a nation-wide leader in emergency services and property restoration services with 7 offices in Florida and Michigan, including West Palm Beach, Orlando, Sunrise, Port St Lucie, Panama City, Fort Walton/Pensacola and Detroit. Regency DRT was founded on the belief that a restoration company should provide exceptional quality of services to their customers while maintaining the industry’s highest standards.
Regency DRT offers 24 Hour Emergency Response and has extensive experience in working with insurance companies and claims adjusters on property insurance claims, coordinating everything from initial response until the property is restored to pre-loss conditions. With our extensive training and knowledge of restoration services, we are able to quickly respond with the necessary amount of equipment, resources and staff for the unique needs of the job, whether it’s a single residential loss, large loss or area-wide disaster.
Regency DRT is also a proud Member of Disaster KleenUp International (DKI), North America’s largest disaster restoration contracting organization. Being a DKI member also provides us with nationwide affiliates and partners to provide nationwide coverage to our clients. Call us at 1 (888) 354-2447 or visit our website at RegencyDRT.com
Natural Disaster Preparedness With Pets
Sometimes natural disasters come at us with such little notice, but there are things you can do to prepare your pets before the disaster is even predicted! Read on to learn more about pet emergency care in a disaster.
Four Types Of Thunderstorms
Like other things in life, thunderstorms differentiate depending on certain conditions. Sure, we’ve got severe and non-severe storms, but are you aware that there are four different types of thunderstorms?
Hurricane Shutters: What You Need To Know
There are several types of products that qualify as “shutter” protection for your home. Each option meets current Florida Building Code standards, and will also satisfy insurance requirements. They fall into one of the following categories:
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2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season
When does 2022’s hurricane season start?
Home Tips: Installing a Carbon Monoxide Detector
CO detectors are safety devices placed in homes to save lives during emergencies. Therefore, it is imperative to install the CO detectors appropriately to realize the best outcomes and early detection. Henceforth, homeowners can follow these tips to detect gas leaking early and improve overall safety.
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