Flood Damage Cleanup- From Nature or Man Made Water Disasters

Las Vegas is located in one of the driest deserts in the world.  We see an average rainfall of just 4.2 inches a year in only 26 rainy days. Most times  are just light rain but between mid-June and September monsoon season, extremely heavy rain bursts cause dangerous flooding in some parts of the city. In Las Vegas, monsoon conditions are caused when high-level clouds full of moisture make it over the mountains into the valley where they collide with the very dry desert air over the city. A lot of rain falls in a short period of time and sometimes causes flooding in your home. A city in the desert that doesn’t see much rain, Las Vegas doesn’t have the drainage systems of other wetter cities. So occasionally, that water rushes into your home and can cause damage cleanup costs.

Water Damage Cleanup In Las Vegas

Flash Flooding

Droughts occur when an abnormally long dry period uses up available water resources; the longest recorded period without rain in Las Vegas is 116 days. Floods result when the precipitation can not be absorbed by the previous cover (the ground.) These natural disasters are often made worse by human action. Earth is replaced with paved roads and concrete parking lots (impervious cover) which prevent water from sinking into the ground. As it builds up on the surface, the water ends up causing widespread damage.

Flash floods generally develop within 6 hours of the immediate cause. Floods can happen in two situations: a rapid rise of water over low-lying areas or far downhill from the initial rain. Especially in the western United States, low lying areas may be very dry one minute, and filled with rushing water from upstream the next.

Resulting Water Damage And Cleanup

When severe drought conditions spread across Nevada, any time we have rain it is a much welcomed weather event. The landscape has been so dried out that when it rains you’re probably thinking that all that rain will be absorbed and plants will be happy. However, when the rain finally arrives you may find a wet, damp, flooded mess.

With the deluge hits, all that water runs straight for the crevices and cracks in dry, compact soils. In the heat, the ground around the house shrunk back from the foundation. The dried out dirt is not capable of handling the sudden influx of water and offers little absorption until it really becomes wet and almost saturated. The rainwater will build and pool against the bottom of the foundation.  Once the water makes it way through the dry soil and hits the compact soil, it can breach the barrier and enter the home. 

Potential Issues

Obviously your possessions can be ruined from the water but the materials of your home are at risk: walls, carpets, cabinets. Floods can cause structural damage, such as loose or buckling floors, says Ready.gov. You may also notice broken or frayed electrical wires in your home after a flood. A sign of foundation damage is that doors and windows won’t open or close because their frames have become distorted by the shifting house, sometimes so much so that the glass twists and breaks. Glass could also be broken by floating debris.

Water Damage Clean Up in Las Vegas

For water problems larger than a few square feet, call the professionals at ERX Emergency Restoration. Our water damage restoration experts can help with any mold problems- whether from a flood, water damage or a humidifier. The team will get to work with the latest technology to decrease drying time, reduce damage and get your life back to normal.

In the Las Vegas and Henderson area, the water damage restoration professionals at ERX Emergency Restoration have an emergency line for 24 hour service.