In its 25+ years of experience, Cotton Global Disaster Solutions has witnessed the tremendous impact commercial water damage has on a business. From misplacing residents and patients to turning away patrons, commercial properties faced with water damage can end up losing much more than just time. Additionally, this type of damage can be caused by a variety of unexpected reasons, including storm floods, ruptured water pipes, roof leaks, plumbing incidents, and fire suppression systems. Meaning that no matter how much you prepare for disaster, commercial water damage can lead to unplanned delays and costly repairs.

However, establishing a relationship with a commercial restoration company ahead of time can help you reduce business interruption following these types of incidents. Read a few of our commercial water damage case studies below to discover the impact it has on different industries and how Cotton GDS has helped others recover.

33 schools damaged by hurricane flood waters

In the wake of the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 hurricane...

Friends and Family,

There are no words to describe the heartbreak we’re all feeling after witnessing the extent of Hurricane Ian’s destruction. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the communities impacted, especially those along the West Coast of Florida, where wind speeds of up to 155 mph brought devastating storm surge and structural damage.

Days ahead of landfall, our organization deployed almost 2000 personnel and strategic assets around the state to ensure we were ready to help every community affected by the storm. We’re now a week into Hurricane Ian’s second landfall, and our teams in Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa, Ocala and beyond have been working day and night to assess commercial property damages and rebuild the communities from the State of Florida to the Eastern Coast of the Carolinas and Georgia.

Governor DeSantis was right when he said it will take several years to fully rebuild the communities affected by this catastrophe, but know that the entire Cotton Team is here for you every step of the way....

We have now entered the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season and, while the tropics have been still this summer, a disturbance can occur at any moment. As your trusted partner, Cotton Global Disaster Solutions encourages you to stay prepared and familiarize yourself with the different alerts you can experience during imminent weather.

Do you know when you need to start securing your facilities for impact; during a watch, warning or advisory? Continue reading to learn more about the different threats and when you should take action.

Additionally, if you haven’t done so already, now is a good time to prepare hurricane emergency kits for your business, your family, and your pets.

Flood Warning, Flood Watch and Flood Advisory

A Flood Warning is issued when water is already overflowing onto dry land or is very close to doing so. If your local news issues a flood warning, TAKE...

If you’ve seen the news lately, you know several threats are impacting communities worldwide. Heat Advisories, droughts, and wildfires have become significant concerns even in cities where heat advisories are unheard of. Due to the increase in temperatures, as your trusted partner, we wanted to bring awareness to the challenges businesses face during a drought and offer tips on how to best prepare.

Read below to learn how your business can navigate this challenging time safely and efficiently.

Preparation is Key

Like any other disaster that may impact your community, having a well-thought-out plan for droughts could save your business.

• Monitor the weather in your area for sudden heat waves and conservation alerts.

• Create and/or review your business continuity plan that details how your company will operate with limited resources and the steps it will take to minimize interruptions.

• Consider how these threats may impact the supply chain and raw materials or production costs. Then, seek alternatives or...

While you prepare your business for potential disasters, ensure your home and loved ones are also ready for the unexpected; this includes your pets. During Pet Preparedness Month, Cotton reminds you to keep enough supplies on hand and plan how you’ll keep your pets safe before, during and after a catastrophe. To help you with this process, we’ve listed a few of Ready.gov’s must-have supplies and considerations for you and your family.

MAKE A PLAN

• Create an evacuation plan for your pet. Before disaster hits, ensure there’s enough room for them in the car and select a shelter or hotel that allows pets. Making these plans ahead of imminent danger could save you a lot of time during a disaster.

• Develop a buddy system. In the event that you are unavailable or unable to evacuate your pet during a disaster, know which neighbors, friends or relatives will evacuate your pet safely. Ensure they know they’ve been designated as your pet’s buddy and know how to access...

Flooding can happen anywhere, and to anyone. It is critical that businesses are prepared for natural disasters with flood insurance and tools that mitigate total loss in emergency situations. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), flooding occurs in over 90 percent of all natural disasters, averaging 17 billion dollars of damage each year.

There are a few simple preparatory steps that have the potential of saving your business from complete closure and financial loss if flooding ever occurs in your area.

Analyze flood maps

One of the simplest ways you can proactively prepare your business for flooding is by analyzing flood maps of your business area. FEMA is the most reliable resource for this information, providing flood maps that are updated regularly. When researching your elevation and calculating risk of flooding, the 100-year flood plain will give insight into the highest potential level of water...

When your business property is damaged by a fire, the smoke and soot created can be devastating and the impact is often overwhelming. If your property’s sprinkler system was deployed, or if firefighters used water to put the fire out, there is also the potential for water damage to your building’s structure and contents. This includes the entirety of your facility, any paperwork or files, machinery, and technology. Creating a recovery plan after fire damage is critical to getting your business back to normal operations with minimal downtime.

Restore your property from smoke and soot damage

The physical damage that occurs after a fire can range from minor damage to total loss. No matter how large the fire, it is a traumatic situation to find yourself in.

There is often no way of predicting the extent of the damage until a property restoration company can assess your property. After a fire, do not re-enter your business; there is always the potential of structural damage and re-entering poses...

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, with the third-highest number of storms on record, to have caused about $70 billion in damages in the United States. Damages from Hurricane Ida alone, which made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 4 storm in August, are estimated to exceed the costs from all the hurricanes in the 2020 season combined.

Hurricanes are causing more damage and rapidly becoming more costly every year. Considering the wind and water damage that hurricanes can cause, taking some basic steps to prepare in advance can help companies minimize the property damage and business disruptions these events can create.

Take protective measures across your commercial property

There are many proactive steps you can take before hurricane season to reduce the potential for property damage. Have storm shutters or plywood on hand to protect doors and windows. Remove tree branches, loose debris, or other items around...

Molds are a type of fungus that can grow almost anywhere that provides them with moisture, oxygen, and an organic food source. They reproduce using tiny spores that typically can’t be seen without magnification and circulate through the air, whether outside or indoors.

Mold grows especially well in warm and damp conditions; the high humidity of restaurant kitchens makes them particularly susceptible to infestation. With increased public awareness of the possible health implications of mold exposure, restaurants must be extra vigilant to check for and eliminate any mold that may be found in their buildings.

What the effects of mold are if not removed properly

Not only can mold growth create odors in buildings, it has the potential to cause health problems. As reported by the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration, mold exposure can trigger health effects. For some people, mold spores can cause a reaction similar to hay fever, such as...

Saying commercial property owners should worry about water damage is an understatement. Floods, in particular, are among the most common and costly natural disasters in the world. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, the United States accrued $148 billion in damages to residential and commercial properties across 20 climate and weather disasters in 2021.

Even more frightening is what these statistics don’t include, such as non-disaster, water-related events like burst pipes or non-flooding-related heavy rain.

For commercial property owners, there are additional risks beyond water damage alone. Water damage puts a business on hold, causing further loss of revenue, and any untreated or lingering damage like mold can become a hazard for employees, guests, and residents. That’s why it’s imperative that water damage be addressed as swiftly and safely as possible. In the event water or flood damage happens to you, Cotton recommends taking several prudent steps to ensure minimum business disruption.

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