Hurricane Florence is being closely watched by the National Hurricane Center (NHC), and on Tuesday they put out the first set of storm surge and hurricane watches for the United State’s East Coast. At latest reporting, Florence was labeled as a Category 4 Hurricane which is considered to be major and extremely dangerous.
Landfall is expected in the lower North Carolina and northern South Carolina areas either late Thursday night or early Friday morning along the coastline. Predictions are being made that there will be up to 35 inches of rain falling and wind gusts reaching 140 miles per hour and greater in some instances. The NHC has stated that there could be slight changes in the intensity of the storm and shifts in the actual location of impact over the next couple of days, but they aren’t expected to be that extreme from the current conditions already recorded of Hurricane Florence.
The areas nearest the coastline are expected to see the most damages, but the storm will continue its trek inland over the course of the next several days including Charlotte, NC, and the surrounding areas. While there are expected periods of a weakening of the storm, Hurricane Florence is going to sit in some regions for more extended periods of time. That means extremely heavy periods of rainfall that could reach epically dangerous proportions.
Near rivers and along the ocean coastline there are expectations for the waters to rise 6 to 12 feet while other areas further inland could reach 5 to 8 feet. Along with the rising water will be massive waves capable of enormous amounts of destruction. Further inland, meteorologists and other experts are stating that Florence will produce a widespread 15 to 25 inches of rain throughout areas of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia from the time it hits land through Saturday night.
These amounts of precipitation are sure to cause river flooding and flash floods that have the potential of being catastrophic to the residents of the region. Coastal North Carolina, some low lying areas, and other locations that are prone to flooding have been put under mandatory evacuations starting back on Monday.
The NHC stated that with the storm producing such powerful wind gusts, preparing for it anytime after Thursday could prove to be impossible. Any preparations to the outside of homes, business, or possessions should be completed before that time for the safety of the citizens and the hopeful preservation of the property.
Even with the most thorough preparations completed, there is no way to beat Mother Nature. With powerful winds, heavy rain, and even some areas under tornado watches to top it off there will be damages. Expect to see problems with communication when power lines go down, debris including fences, road signs, and large trees on streets and highways, and plenty of other issues that will take days, weeks, or possibly even months to repair.
Even just a couple of inches of water sitting inside of a building can cause significant damages. With saturation to the carpets, drywall, subfloors, framing, insulation, and other structural components, it only takes about 24 hours for mold to set in. The longer the water sets, the higher the probability for rotting and bacteria growth as well.
At 24/7 Water Damage Charlotte, you can call and get the assistance you need to help pick up the pieces after the storm passes. We have over 25 years of experience in the industry with vast knowledge of water damage cleanup, storm cleanup, and commercial water damage restoration. It doesn’t matter when the storm finally does make landfall, because we have assistance available to you around the clock. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
These kinds of massive storms are unpredictable, so we’re standing by ready to get to work whenever it decides to come through. You can expect our professionals to get on the job as soon as we can to prevent your home or commercial property from suffering more damages than necessary.
As soon as you know you are going to need water damage cleanup, give us a call. The faster we can get there and get to work, the fewer problems you are going to have to deal with later on. We will even work with your insurance company so that you can have the job completed at little to no cost! Call us any time of the day or night at (704) 810-2303.