Drought Conditions Cause Winter Concerns

10/13/2020 (Permalink)

In 2020, be prepared for anything...Call SERVPRO of Spencer & Iowa Great Lakes at 712-262-4379

Hard to believe it wasn't long ago we were talking about flooding and how to fight off water damage, now here we are in moderate to extreme drought conditions.  

These conditions lead to an early harvest for many and in some cases a poor yield.  Normally this would spark a discussion for increased fire risk, which is absolutely true, but as we creep ever so close to winter we should also be concerned about the risk for additional water damage.  

If we are in a drought how can we have water damage right?! 

Well I will be honest, I did not realize this was an issue until I stopped into a business partner this past week and we began discussing winter.  Now we all know how this goes, we hear 100 different stories on what to expect for the winter until we all give up the guessing game and just wait it out. 

Our business partner and I began discussing the extreme cold that was predicted, and the concern for the frost pushing deeper into the ground than normal.  When the ground freezes around the incoming water pipe that leads to a greater concern for pipes bursting before they reach the home or business.  When this happens more often times than not the water will saturate the soil around the pipe and eventually find its way into the basement leading to even more damage.  

In some cases as homeowners we simply can't prevent everything, but a nice layer of snow prior to deep frost will help act as insulation and heavily watering the area around those incoming pipes will cause the soil to act as an insulation barrier helping to reduce the risk.  

Should you find yourself facing disaster, call the team that's always faster...SERVPRO of Spencer & Iowa Great Lakes.  

712-262-4379