The aftermath of a major disaster is a confusing, scary time and there’s no way to be prepared for it. No matter where you live, your home is at risk from any one of a number of catastrophes, including floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and wildfires. Here are a few key things to remember in the hours following a disaster that will help you manage the situation and not allow it to manage you.

• • Evaluate the situation at your location. See if anyone needs medical attention. Turn off gas and electricity, if possible. Check on neighbors and others nearby. If your home has been damaged, don’t reenter until it has been inspected.

• Make sure you have food and shelter. Depending on the extent of the disaster, you may be able to stay with family or friends nearby. The Red Cross and FEMA offer shelters during larger disasters. If you can stay in your home but have no power, you can cook over an outdoor grill or a fire in your chimney. Now is a great time to break out the camping gear!
• Be alert and aware of your surroundings. Disasters leave a great deal of damage, so be on the lookout for downed power lines that may still be live. Floodwater not only carries bacteria, but can sweep away debris like logs that float unnoticed underwater and can damage property. Use common sense too; in the aftermath of a disaster, there’s usually a news story of someone getting sick from using a charcoal grill indoors. Be sure to secure your property if walls or windows were damaged; criminals and vandals don’t take breaks during disasters.
• Recover important documents as soon as possible. As soon as you are able to reenter your home, retrieve items like birth certificates, wills, deeds, and insurance policies. If you live in an area that’s prone to tornadoes or floods, consider storing these items in a “bug out bag” in a safe place that can be grabbed quickly.

No matter what kind of disaster you experience on your residential or commercial property in the greater Houston, TX area, call the experts at RestorationMaster. Our certified technicians are trained in the latest disaster restoration techniques and respond quickly to minimize the damage and begin the remediation process. Our methods minimize the effects of fire damage and water damage on your property.

Disaster restoration and recovery costs vary, depending on the extent of the damage. According to HomeAdvisor.com, the national average to repair water damage is $2,316. The national average to repair fire and smoke damage is $8,327. The national average to repair storm or wind damage is $5,917.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.