This is long, but as a means to be helpful I want to get some things out –
1) We have several Downtown clients with vacant listings that have expressed interest in helping their neighbors. Some of these homes can provide working kitchens, hot showers, toilets, a place to hang out, or park a car.
Jen and I own a vacant home in Shandon with five/six bedrooms and three baths. As of this afternoon, the lights were on and the water was running. It has a nice full kitchen if you need to make some meals, and a washer and dryer ready to go. Please email franklin.company@gmail.com, jennifersparksjones@gmail.com, or call/text 803-447-8683 or 803-261-3125 or Facebook Message us, and we can shoot you the address and where we left keys. There’s a three car carport to put things, etc. Please, please, let us know. There is an open kitchen, hot shower, bathroom, washer/dryer in 29205 waiting on you. Stay 10 hours, or 10 minutes.
2) THANK YOU for all of the calls, emails, TXTs, and Facebook inquires about our well-being. Our family is fine. Finley is her six year old Taylor Swift self, and the twins are still loud ass velociraptors.
Our basement smells like the pipes below Shawshank (Redemption) Prison, but all of our windows are open and fans are spinning. Hopefully we’re cutting all of the basement carpet foulness out tomorrow, and we will deal with it later (the toilet and tub in the basement have been backing up since Saturday night because they’re below the water table and sewer lines). It’s a thing, and a pain, but we can handle.
Some other homes in the neighborhood were hit very hard. If you saw the homes under water on the news or Facebook, some streets were pummeled by a force of water from a lake water dam breach inside Fort Jackson. For some hours early Sunday morning, the waters of Semmes Lake found a temporary home at Castle Hall, Cotton Hope, the Fort Jackson side of Airy Hall, and the King’s Grant entrance/exit gate. For a few hours, all residents were trapped in the neighborhood unless they had a 4×4, or wanted to exit by foot.
Power was restored this afternoon, and we’re all hopeful that water service will be back soon, too. In the meantime, our twins are just going in their diapers, and I’m peeing off the back deck. No big whoop. No one can see me other than I-77 traffic. I just wave.
That all said, considering everything else that’s going on with our friends in Forest Acres and Lake Katherine, my family is good to go and feeling very fortunate for our small amount of trouble.
3) Below is from a guy who knows. Walker Williams owns a disaster relief company. I know a few other stand-up guys in this business if you’d like some names/numbers, but Walker happened to post these awesome instructions tonight. Keep reading. I was surprised/impressed, as his tips spoke directly to my situation, and bet they speak to you, too.
He didn’t double space, and I just left it that way.
Thank you! I’m hitting the back deck. FJ
Walker Williams-Quick Note:
Flooding tips – what needs to be done in your home or business. This is what we are going to do. If you can find anyone to do the demo, hire them and we can come in to dry it after the demo is done. It is impossible for us to get to every call. God Bless
The water in your house is flood water, not clean water. It contains gasoline, motor oil, fertilizer, dead animals, etc. Pretend it is all raw sewage, we have to treat it like it is. The goal is to dry your house so that it is safe to rebuild. It is NOT to salvage parts of it. Safety first; check electrical hazards and look out for animals in your house looking for higher ground. It is not uncommon to find snakes, rats, and possums.
Flooded House:
Move all of your “memories” to the second floor. Memories are portraits, what your grandparents gave you, old solid wood furniture etc. Your upholstered furniture will need to be replaced, don’t worry about it, or your draperies, etc. Once you have moved the memories upstairs then move all non-memory contents to the street, get them out of your house. Document them with pictures and notes. Go to the water line in the house and pick a spot 3 feet above the water line; that is your demo line. Remove everything from the demo line down. All drywall, insulation, carpet, pad, cabinets, appliances… everything. The only thing that may be salvageable is tile floor on top of concrete. If there is a layer of durock under the tile it needs to go as well. Remove all insulation and ductwork from your crawlspace. Get the house to the studs. Then it is time to clean and sanitize it. Bring in a pressure washer and wash everything. Then dry it, sanitize it, and have a hygienist test it to make sure that it is safe. That is where we can provide the most value. Call us at 454-8200 to schedule that. Your second floor contents can be removed at a later date, they should not mold, it is similar to items stored in your attic.
Flooded Basement:
Most flooded basements are flooded due to water being pushed through the basement walls. DO NOT REMOVE IT ALL AT ONE TIME! The ground is saturated and there is a tremendous amount of pressure on the foundation walls. The water is actually doing you a favor by pushing back. If you remove all the water at once then you run the risk of your foundation walls caving in. Remove the water in 1/4ths. If it is 4 feet high pump out 1 foot of water and then stop. Mark the spot with a pen and wait 2 hours. If water has risen then you know water will continue to flow into the house and you are just managing the inflows at this point. Pump out water to the 3/4 point until it stops rising and then pump out a little more every time using the same philosophy. Throw away everything in the basement. Have a qualified HVAC, Plumber, and electrician come and check everything and replace what is necessary.
Flooded Crawlspace:
You had surface water go into the crawlspace but not into the house. HVAC systems and insulation are the main concern. Second to that is drying out the crawlspace, wet soil can cause condensation and mold. Remove all affected ductwork and insulation from the house. Put a fan at the entrance to your crawlspace blowing outward and seal it well so that it pulls air from the other side of the crawlspace. That will take evaporating water out of the area. It will take months for it to dry out completely so leave the fan there and remove it at Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Insurance:
If you have Federal Flood Insurance:
If you have Federal Flood Insurance, contact your agent and file a claim. An adjuster will contact you and come by to look at the loss. You will need to provide content documentation, pictures, etc. My suggestion is to ask them for half of the expected claim immediately. If you have $100,000 loss then ask them to cut you a check for $50,000 immediately. That way you have funds to get started.
If you do not have Federal Flood Insurance:
You may be in luck. President Obama has declared eight South Carolina counties a federal disaster, including three in the Midlands: Lexington, Orangeburg, and Richland. Other counties could also get help with public assistance. Nikki Haley said people should expect more counties will be added to that list in the coming weeks.
The money would cover, in part, losses not covered by insurance. SC Emergency Management Division said that people can go ahead and register, even if they haven’t gotten a property assessment from their insurance company.
People in those counties can register for assistance now, either by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or going to www.disasterassistance.gov.
It’s important to put a request in at this time, since it can take a while for the funds to be freed up.
Summary:
This is a marathon, not a sprint. Most people will not be back in their houses for months. Look after your kids and make sure their teachers know about the flood and to look out for signs of worry. Most schools will have counselors available to help. Get some sleep and be safe.
That’s what I know now and wish you all the best. We are trying to get to everyone we can but we have to move in areas, not via individual houses. Get demo help from anyone you trust, we can help you with the rest. Call our office at 454-8200 or go to www.thecavalry.us to get on our list. We have a quick form for you to enter information.
Thanks and God bless!
Walker Williams
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