Hurricane Florence

9/13/2018 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Plymouth / Wareham crew members preparing to dispatch for a Storm Event following Hurricane Florence.

SERVPRO of Plymouth/Wareham heads to the Carolinas in preparation for Hurricane Florence

One of our crews here at SERVPRO of Plymouth/Wareham packed up early this morning to head down to the Carolinas in preparation for Hurricane Florence. The storm crew consisted of a Production Manager, a Crew Chief, and two highly skilled technicians. SERVPRO of Plymouth/Wareham has been to several “Storm Events” within the last few months, but this one is anticipated to be the most catastrophic.  The crew packed up 3 SERVPRO vans and a 26-foot trailer full of generators, air movers, dehumidifiers, sub pumps, and various other necessary equipment needed to help restore damage the impending hurricane is expected to cause.

By late this evening, the Carolina coasts can expect strong winds over 80 MPH. What will be most dangerous to the Carolina residents are the storm surges. A storm surge is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water, and Hurricane Florence will be causing storm surges as high as 9 to 13 feet. According to North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, “Tens of thousands of structures are expected to be flooded, and many more by rising rivers and creeks.”

Hurricane Florence is expected to hover over the Carolinas, dumping persistent rainfall and hurricane-force winds until Saturday. Florence is expected to unload approximately 10 trillion gallons of rainfall in North Carolina by the time it passes. Its center will approach the North and South Carolina coasts later tonight as well as Friday. The actual landfall will be Friday afternoon at the earliest according to Neil Jacobs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Over one million residents have been ordered to evacuate, however many residents do not want to leave their homes. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said no one will be able to save at-risk residents if they choose to ride it out. Florence is expected to dump up to 40 inches of rain. According to Duke Energy, the nation’s No. 2 power company, Florence could knock out electricity for almost one million customers in the Carolinas- and outages could last for weeks.

In preparation for these outages, our crew stocked up on necessities such as bottled water, canned goods, first aid supplies, batteries, and other essentials. We will be stopping in Delaware tonight to get rest and to see how the progression of Hurricane Florence is coming along. Our crew will make their way to the Carolina coasts as soon as it is safe to do so. Depending on the level of damage, we could be down in the Carolinas for several months. Stay tuned to our website and Social Media platforms for more coverage on this Storm Event, as well as exclusive picture and video content provided by our crew members here at SERVPRO of Plymouth/Wareham!