Recent Storm Damage Posts

Take a Proactive Approach to Protect Your Household From Storm Damage

7/27/2021 (Permalink)

Large yellow storm warning sign in front of dark forming clouds SERVPRO of The Mountains is on call 24/7 with rapid response! Please call us if your home has experiences storm damage.

Especially in Northeast Georgia, thunderstorms frequently pop-up and quickly leave without much incident. That said, any storm has the potential to cause damage. It’s always a good idea to be prepared in the event of a severe storm. Even a storm that doesn’t that severe can cause damage in the right circumstances. It doesn’t take much for some fallen trees to dam up a river, or a house that hasn’t been well maintained to have a water intrusion.

SERVPRO recommends a proactive approach be taken to severe weather preparedness. This is important so that you have peace of mind that you are ready and safe. Being prepared can also save you lots of money. Making an emergency plan and walking the family through is a great way to be prepared.

What is a Microburst Storm?

7/27/2021 (Permalink)

Light flashing across a dark cloudy sky. Microburst storm causing sever lighting storm.

According to The National Weather Service, a microburst is a localized column of sinking air (downdraft) that is in a thunderstorm and is usually less than 2.5 miles in diameter.

These storms can cause massive damage at the surface and can put people in danger. Wet microburst and dry microburst are the two primary types of microbursts. Wet microburst come with large amounts of rain and are common in the Southeast during the summer months.

In recent years, Northeast Georgia has had an increase in annual rainfall. This has coincided with an increase in evening thunder cells and storms.

These storms are small and come on very quickly, which causes them to be overlooked by local or and national news reports. However, the damage to homes and business while in a small area, can be extensive.

The wind speeds in microburst often get as high as 100 mph, which is on par with an EF-1 tornado! These winds can cause major damage to buildings, neighborhoods, and hundreds if trees. It is supremely important that you take Severe Thunderstorm Warnings as seriously as you do Tornado Warnings!

Make sure to take appropriate shelter to protect your family and loved ones. Once the storm has passed, SERVPRO is here to help repair whatever damage you might have experienced from the storm.

Because SERVPRO is individually owned and locally operated, we are often only a few minutes away from where these events occur.

Whatever is needed to clean, dry, repair or restore a damaged structure can be coordinated thru your local SERVPRO team.  

We remain “Ready to Help.”

Historic Microburst Storm is small but dangerous

7/1/2021 (Permalink)

The Hartwell Sun newspaper logo. Storm ravages Hart County during the night of April 6, 2017. By Michael Isom Staff writer. Highly trained crews from SERVPRO of The Mountains.

This storm covered about 2 miles, but it was extremely destructive as it was concentrated into a straight-line wind shear that took out trees, power poles, and structures like a bomb had been dropped.

Storm ravages Hart County during the night of April 6, 2017.  By Michael Isom Staff writer

A line of severe storms rumbled through Hart County just after midnight last Thursday causing county-wide damage and power outages.

“The worst storm damage was out there by Cateechee (Golf Club) or out there on Bowman Highway next to the Ag Center,” said Hart County Sheriff Mike Cleveland The sheriff’s department started getting phone calls from Hart County residents when the storm began.

James Fulghum lives on Bowman Highway near the Agriscience Center and was awoken by the storm. “I don’t get scared that often, but I have to admit that really scared me,” said Fulghum.

 Lynne Adams had a similar experience at her Ross Road home. “I have lived in this house nearly 30 years, and haven’t, until now, heard a hailstorm like this here,” she said. “I seriously thought the windows might break.”

According to Ed Hoy, supervisor of system operations with Hart EMC, over 1,500 members were without power at the height of the storm.

The biggest concentration of incidents were reported in the Liberty Hill and Sardis areas. “Enough praise cannot be given to the (Hart County) Fire Department and the volunteers and the (Hart County) Road Department. They were actually the hands-on chain saws, tractors, and whatever was needed to get the job done,” Cleveland said. “It was just amazing the amount of huge trees in the road. We aren’t talking about one tree. We are talking about multiple trees.”

Excerpts from the Hartwell Sun Newspaper, April 13th, 2017

Thankfully, no one was hurt from the storm!

However, hundreds of trees were knocked down and as many homes and businesses were damaged.

Microburst storms like these have been more frequent lately and their damage can be severe.  

Highly trained crews from SERVPRO of Tri-County & SERVPRO of the Mountains were on the scene early that morning helping those in need with water removal, debris cleanup and property restoration.

Substantial and Mobilized Resources

6/15/2021 (Permalink)

2 SERVPRO semi-trucks on the highway SERVPRO of the Mountains is always on the ready to respond to any size disaster. Locally owned and operated, our trained technicians are Here to Help.

Your local SERVPRO professionals live and work right here in Northeast Georgia. Our small towns and rural location allow us the time to enjoy life and our neighbors.

SERVPRO of The Mountains is in Habersham County and is just a few minutes’ drive from Rabun, White, and Banks Counties. Being located right in the neighborhood means that we can respond to your emergencies quickly and consistently.

Occasionally the size and challenges of the job may require more than your local team can provide. A bad storm can quickly overload the capacity of any hometown team. In a storm like that, numerous customers may be in immediate need of emergency service.

Large commercial structures and industrial facilities can suffer smoke, fire, or water damage that may require hundreds of skilled workers and thousands of pieces of specialized equipment.

To address those needs, SERVPRO has a network of over 1,700 locations throughout the United States. There are 24 locations in Georgia alone.

SERVPRO has built a system of mutual support from the local franchise all the way the national level. This allows trained technicians, service teams, and literally tractor trailer loads of equipment to respond locally, statewide even across the United States to support communities that are in need.

Whether your home or business suffers a small fire damage, or our community is attacked by storm flooding, hurricane, or tornado, you rest knowing that SERVPRO is ready for any sized disaster.

Prepare Your Household for Safety Before Severe Weather Is Forecasted | SERVPRO® of The Mountains

6/11/2020 (Permalink)

“person on a white tablet using weather alert app ” If your home has been impacted by storm damage, SERVPRO of The Mountains will respond quickly to assist in any repairs.

Thunderstorms and other severe weather events are frightening, and they can cause serious devastation to the areas in their path. While many pass through without incident during warmer months, every storm has the capability of causing severe damage and everyone should stay alert and make household preparations for safety in advance of severe weather.

Taking measures such as staying tuned to weather notices, having a well-stocked safe area in the home and obtaining a weather radio for alerts will help you be certain that you are doing all you can to protect your household in case a severe thunderstorm comes through the area.

Stay Tuned to Weather Notices

Weather notices provide a concise and clear way for local weather professionals to alert the public to changing conditions, but it is important to tune in and know what the alerts mean. Severe weather watches refer to the possibility of a severe weather scenario—conditions could develop into a storm, so stay tuned in to be aware as things change. For severe weather warnings, this means a storm has been found to be active in the area, and everyone nearby should seek shelter right away.

Have a Well-Stocked Safe Area in the Home

There are so many situations where you may need an emergency kit, but severe weather is typically the most common prompt for people to finally assemble one. Be sure to include everything you need to stay comfortable during a power outage, including light sources, batteries, first-aid supplies, food and water. You should keep this kit in your home’s designated “safe area”—generally a bathroom or closet that is the most protected from outside elements.

Obtain a Weather Radio for Alerts

While most of us depend on our phones to provide us with updates regarding everything, including the weather, when it comes to thunderstorms, they are not the most reliable. Obtaining a weather radio is a smart move toward storm safety—as it does not depend on cell reception or electricity, you can be certain that you can receive updates independently of the outside conditions so you will always be informed.

If your home has been impacted by storm damage, we are here for you. You can contact us 247 to get a quick response to your home’s damages.

When Storms or Floods hit Northeast Georgia, SERVPRO is ready!

7/5/2017 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Tri-County and The Mountains specializes in storm and flood damage restoration.  Our crews are highly trained and we use specialized equipment to restore your property to its pre-storm condition.

Faster Response

Since we are locally owned and operated, we are able to respond quicker with the right resources, which is extremely important. A fast response lessens the damage, limits further damage, and reduces the restoration cost.

Resources to Handle Floods and Storms

When storms hit Northeast Georgia, we can scale our resources to handle a large storm or flooding disaster. We can access equipment and personnel from a network of 1,650 Franchises across the country and elite Disaster Recovery Teams [Click to your disaster recovery page] that are strategically located throughout the United States.

Have Storm or Flood Damage? Call Us Today 706-754-7378