Ottawa restoration companies are inundated with calls from households beset by sewage backup from Thursday's flash floods, which caused "catastrophic" damage to some homes. Deven Raval, owner of PuroClean, called it "mayhem." He said his company normally deals with five or so calls per day. But this has been different. "My phone's going crazy," he said, as rings repeatedly interrupted an interview. He'd already fielded about 70 calls as of Friday morning. He said four of every five relate to sewage.
Worried about your home flooding this spring? Prevention doesn't have to be difficult, experts say
After a weekend of heavy rain, Manitobans have been busy cleaning up flooded basements and leaky roofs. That's meant tons of calls for service to local restoration companies. At Paul Davis Restoration in Winnipeg, general manager Ken Cruzat says they usually get four or five calls for service after a storm. But in the last two days, he says they've received 50 calls about water coming through everything from foundation cracks to windows.
B.C. safety agency issues worker hazard warnings for flooding cleanup
Restoration companies and contractors in British Columbia that are about to help launch a massive flood cleanup and repair effort must be aware of the risks and hazards their work could pose to employees, says the province's worker protection agency. The risks vary depending on the flood and slide damage, but potential hazards include building materials with asbestos, chemical or biological contamination, structural or electrical damage and animal carcasses, said Barry Nakahara, WorkSafeBC's senior prevention services field manager.