Storm Causes Sewage Backup Cleanup in Dallas

12/30/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO is a trusted leader in disaster restoration in Dallas, TX. We have restored thousands of homes and businesses since 1986.

When they received an alert about a severe storm warning in their area, Derek and Marilyn made sure they were prepared. They brought the car into the garage, gave their dog a break outside, and then went back inside to start preparing dinner.  

“I keep up with all the usual home maintenance,” Marilyn said. “My gutters were cleaned out and all my drains are set up to prevent pooling in my backyard. Storms had never been a problem before.”

The surprise came when the storm continued for almost a week.  Soon, the streets began to flood.

Home Flooding Service

“It was at around 3 in the morning that I woke up and noticed the smell.  It was dark in our bedroom, but when my husband got out of bed to check out what was going on, he said the carpet was wet and we had a problem. When we turned on the lights, we saw water flooding out of our bathroom.”

The water was coming out of the toilet and the bathtub. The unpleasant smell was just one of the problems. There was no way to stop the backup.  The rain was still pouring outside and it was spreading to the entire house.  It was in two bedrooms, all the bathrooms, the kitchen, and the laundry room.

Marilyn continued, “The storm had been causing problems in other parts of the town and I had seen SERVPRO’s green trucks everywhere.  I felt bad for my neighbors who were having flooding issues.  For us, we weren't flooded because of the storm’s rising waters, but we still needed help.”

SERVPRO received Marilyn’s call at about 3:30 in the morning. Our on-call manager, Jessica, took in Marilyn’s information.

“We had been receiving storm-related calls for a few days at that point, so I wasn’t surprised we got another call in the middle of the night. But Marilyn’s case was different. I was expecting her to say rising water got into her house, but the problem was actually a sewage backup. There’s never a good time for a sewage backup, but this one was even worse timing because of the surge of storm calls.”

During a storm, our franchise activates its Storm Protocol. Everyone in our office is well aware of storm and traffic conditions, and we prepare ourselves to work overtime in order to reach all the families and businesses asking us for our help.  

“I was relieved when SERVPRO arrived,” Derek said.  “I knew they were already very busy with the storm, but they assured us they’d be here for us. They checked out our situation and got to work right away. A few minutes later, a plumber came to fix the pipes. That’s when they figured out the sewage backup was actually linked to the storm.”

It’s not a situation we see often. In the case of Derek and Marilyn’s home, the days of heavy rain had filled their town’s drains and was causing the water in their own home’s drains to be pushed back into their property.  

“We realized that unless the city took care of the drain issue on their end, our house was just going to keep backing up with sewage. With the storm still happening, the city was busy fixing other flooding problems around town and they were not going to be able to get to us for a few days. It was a nightmare,” Marilyn continued.

The situation captured the attention of our entire management team. Leaving a home with a recurring sewage backup wasn’t an option, so we came up with a plan to help our Derek and Marilyn while their city was able to fix the drains.

“SERVPRO came twice a day until the city got their end fixed,” Derek explained. “Every time they came, they took out all the water and sanitized everything it had touched. They kept in touch with us to see how we were doing every day."

Marylin said, “They also prepared for the house with the water damage in mind. They elevated our furniture so it wouldn’t get touched by the water, and they moved everything off the floor that could be damaged."

Sewage Affected Clothes and the Esporta Wash System

“Because our closet was affected and our clothes were in the dirty water, they also rushed everything back to their office and did our laundry for us,” Derek said.  “They made sure our clothes and even our pet bed was sanitized after touching sewage water.  I didn’t know that was possible.”

Our franchise is one of the few water restoration companies in North Texas that is Esporta Wash System certified. We have the unique ability to take clothing and other textiles affected by sewage, smoke and soot, and mold sanitize them to be food grade safe. We have cleaned thousands of pieces of clothing, and our restoration rate is one of the highest in the industry at over 85%.

We understand that when clothing is affected, time is of the essence. We can pick up, process, and drop off 100 pounds of clothing in as little as 48 hours to help you have enough of your wardrobe to be okay while the rest of your claim is processed.  

Filing an Insurance Claim

“This was the first time I’ve ever needed to file a claim,” Marilyn said.  “I thought it was going to be a lot of work, but all I had to do was call my insurance and answer their questions so that I could get a claim number. SERVPRO has taken care of the rest.”

Many homeowners are concerned when they file a homeowner’s insurance claim. We have a team of administrators that are experienced in handling the claim’s process for all insurance companies.  

Every claim is different, but the general process is straightforward:

• Call your insurance company and let them know about your situation.
• Tell them SERVPRO of Dallas is the restoration company you’ve chosen to handle your cleanup.  By law, your insurance company must honor your choice of restoration company.
• When they give you a claim number, call our office and let us know what it is.
• The administrator from our office that is assigned to guide you through your restoration project will then contact your adjuster and work with them to process your claim.

“The person from SERVPRO that has walked me through this is Jessica. She’s kept in touch and let me know what’s going on with our claims process.  I really haven’t had to worry about anything.” Marilyn said.

Flood Repair in Dallas and North Texas

After Derek and Marilyn’s water damage was resolved, it was time to handle the reconstruction needs of their home. The sewage water had permanently damaged their flooring and kitchen and bathroom cabinetry.

SERVPRO is a full-service restoration business, which means we can take care of water damage from beginning to end. When a property has been cleaned and dried of all water, our reconstruction team will work with you to replace anything that was damaged as a result of the water. We handle all documentation and processing your insurance adjuster needs to make sure this portion of your claim is also covered.

“SERVPRO removed everything that had to go and worked with us to replace it all,” Derek said.  “They worked with our adjuster to get everything approved, so we didn’t have to worry about costs other than our deductible.”

Texas Disaster Restoration

If you find yourself in need of help during a storm, we’re here for you. Our franchise has been servicing our home of North Texas for over 30 years, and we have the experience you need to get your property taken care of the right way.

Our storm services include:

• Water cleanup
• Storm damage restoration 
• Roof tarping
• Board up (windows, doors, outer walls)
• Debris removal
• Textile Sanitation / Laundry Service
• Carpet Restoration
• Moving Services
• Storage
• Reconstruction

Trusted Leader in Dallas Flooding Restoration

SERVPRO of North Irving is a leader in the restoration industry and has the expertise to handle storm damage cleanup company in Dallas, TX.  We have helped restore communities in our home of North Texas for over 30 years, and our franchise has also traveled to disaster locations such as Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Harvey. We have performed restoration services in Dallas and other North Texas communities for over 30 years. With our crews responding immediately to jobs, we are faster to any size disaster. We also have a Texas Mold Remediation Contractor License and offer free mold inspections. You can trust us to handle your restoration needs.

Our crews are available dispatch for 24 hour emergencies every day of the year. We can be reached 24/7 at (972) 986-7677. Call us any time!

“Like it never even happened,” only happens here.