Storm Damage Prevention Advice for Your Tenants

1/8/2019 (Permalink)

Winter storms can appear on the horizon quickly and can surprise you with the damage they can cause. Snow, ice, and sleet accumulations can be devastating to a home or commercial building, causing damages that can take a significant amount of time and expense to repair. Here are several steps you can share with your tenants that will help prepare them for inclement weather events and possible flooding; preventive measures will reduce the amount of damage sustained by your property holdings and the time it can take to get life back to normal.

• REPORTING ISSUES. Make sure your tenants know who to call when they notice issues with exterior windows and doors. When windows are not sealed properly or broken, upcoming bad weather will be a real concern. Exterior doors need to be fitted properly, and if there is a large amount of swelling during wet conditions, advise your tenants to let you know immediately to avoid issues when they try to enter their homes.
• BE PREPARED. In the event that weather forces people to stay indoors for long periods of time, they will want to be prepared with food and other necessities. Candles and flashlights, for example, should be supplied to the household in case of power outages, while a source of clean drinking water should be at hand. Advise your tenants to think and plan ahead.
• COMMUNITY ALERTS. Your tenants can sign up for community alerts and weather warnings online. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and www.ready.gov are two sources they can turn to for alerts and information.
• CAR EMERGENCY KIT. Let your tenants know that an emergency kit for their car would be a great idea! Jumper cables, sand, flashlight, extra warm clothing, blankets, and bottled water are a few must-haves, and they will appreciate the thoughtfulness of your notifications.
• MAINTAIN PIPES. Make sure your tenants know ahead of time if there is to be a freeze; instruct them on how to keep their pipes from bursting by allowing a small amount of water to drip through the night and the times of extreme cold in order to prevent possible water damage.
• RESPONSE PLAN: Advise your tenants to have a plan ready for loved ones in the event of bad weather. In the event of flooding, make sure you have a system in place to communicate to everyone so that they know whether to travel or not. No one should brave driving through flood waters! Listening to weather updates is a good idea, and you’ll want to make sure you keep an emergency preparedness kit on site.

SERVPRO of Belle Meade West Nashville is always ready to help if your commercial property sustains damages from storms, water, or fire.