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.
Continue reading “When Should I Call a Professional? (Leak Detection)”
Water damage is one of the most common problems for homeowners throughout America. The causes of water damage within homes are diverse. However, there are a few causes of water damage that make up the majority of incidents. Being aware of these common causes and how to prevent them will put you well on your way to keeping your home water damage free. Here are five of the most common sources of water damage according to our professional restoration technicians at Regency Disaster Response Team in West Palm Beach.
In the restoration industry, the term mitigation is one of the most commonly used words. Sometimes I get so caught up in our daily lingo, that I forget that not everyone speaks our language! I was reminded of this last week. I was speaking with a customer and explaining to him that he had a responsibility to mitigate his water damages. His response, “I don’t really understand this whole mitigation thing.”
Continue reading “Understanding This Whole Mitigation Thing”
Have you ever walked or drove down a road and came across a sign that declared, “Floodplain Zone!”
If it was near your home, you might have panicked. But if it was somewhere far from your home, you felt safe.
A floodplain can be dangerous because any home in or near one is subject to flooding. If you have a basement, you have more to worry about.
But did you know that even if you live outside a floodplain, there are flooding issues that you must be aware of? Continue reading “Floodplain Zones: What you need to know”
The weather this year has brought a lot of heavy rains and flooding. When you are a home or business owner in West Palm Beach, Florida, the weather can be frustrating and scary. Homes and businesses are at risk of suffering major structural damage due to hurricanes and flooding on top of many other disasters that could happen.
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
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?
Flooding is one of the biggest causes of damage to homes throughout America. As a result, the need for water damage restoration is great. The prepared homeowner will take certain precautions to minimize the effects and influences of flood damage. Although a flood may come despite those preparations, this homeowner is well-prepared to begin the restoration process, work with their insurance company, and not be overwhelmed by the task looming before them.
Buying a home can be an anxiety-ridden experience for both the seasoned and first time buyer. Owning your own home is very rewarding in many ways, but you should be aware of any previous damage done to the home before you buy. One of the main things you should watch out for when you are purchasing a home is signs of any previous flooding in the house requiring water damage cleanup. Here are some tips on how to spot water damage and deal with it before purchasing.
Continue reading “Spotting and Addressing Water Damage Before Buying a Home”
There are many reasons why a carpet can become smelly, from pet odors to heavy soiling and other causes. However, what some don’t realize is a little water intrusion can cause a big problem with the condition of their carpet, even after it seems the carpet has dried.