Jarvis Property Restoration first responders played a pivotal role in helping to assist with flood cleanup in the New England area following devastating flooding to Rhode Island and Boston in early March of this year. Jarvis presently has fourteen work crews and several semi-trucks of equipment in the Nashville area and has additional work crew’s en-route to assist with cleanup efforts. Jarvis water damage technicians are certified through the IICRC and utilize state of the art restoration equipment to extract flood waters and begin the process of drying out a property.

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen called for a state of emergency over the weekend in order to pull in resources from the National Guard. The severe rain caused flash flooding, forcing hundreds of people to need emergency evacuation from homes and vehicles. Rain storms pounded the state with as much as fourteen inches of rain in certain areas washing away numerous roads throughout Tennessee. The governor has closed all government offices and schools on Monday, and has urged for businesses and municipalities to close to help ensure public safety. Many rivers were not expected to crest until late on Monday and the potential for rain later in the week will make cleanup efforts more challenging.

Jarvis Property Restoration has worked extensively in disaster relief, specifically in FEMA declared emergency zones. In the summer of 2008, Jarvis managed 1600 workers to clean and repair over thirty government buildings in Cedar Rapids, Iowa following a devastating flood from the Cedar River. Jarvis Property Restoration was founded in 1979 by Sheryl and Bill Jarvis in Detroit, Michigan. Jarvis presently has offices in Michigan, Iowa and Florida and maintains numerous response hubs across the United States to respond to unexpected disasters. Jarvis has set up a local relief number (615) 301-1077 for Tennessee area homeowners, businesses and government agencies that are in need of water damage restoration services.

The Pawtuxet River has already flowed over its banks and it is continuing to rise with cresting expected today or tomorrow. The heavy, steady rains have caused a lot of flooding and has turn small streams and quiet bodies of water into fast flowing rivers and small lakes which is filling basements. There were around 100 residents evacuated in one Cranston Valley View neighborhood already and more are expected to be asked to move out temporarily in some other areas in Providence.

Rhode Island is still under a state of emergency from the last set of storms which has forced the closure of several roads in many communities. People are being urged to listen to local emergency weather alerts as well as the weather reports and should prepare for the possibility of being asked to leave. If you live in Providence or the surrounding area, make plans with your loved ones so that everyone knows what is expected of them if your home is being threatened.

Residents and business owners in the flood prone regions can get sandbags to protect their property by visiting their closest public works facility or by contacting the Rhode Island Dept of Public Works. If you live in an area that is considered to be at high risk for flooding, you should prepare your home for the possibility of water damage. Be sure to take the time to clear your gutters and downspouts. Also see to it that your property is sloped correctly so that any build-up of ground water will run away from your home instead of toward it.

If you have had the recent misfortune of suffering some type of water damage due to flooding, be sure to take quick action to remedy the situation. Regardless if you have some water standing in your basement or if you see that your roof is leaking, it is imperative that you fix what is wrong and dry the area out. Harmful and potentially dangerous mold can begin to grow in as short of a period of two days, which will give you a lot more to deal with than just removing water from your home or business.