The Derecho Effect: A Year Later

6/8/2021 (Permalink)

Needless to say, 2020 was a busy year for the SERVPRO of Ottumwa/Oskaloosa team members. The business that specializes in disaster relief went into storm restoration mode after the Aug. 10 derecho, and according to Business Development Manager Michele Presley, they are still in that hustling mode.

“We're checking into a lot of mold situations where people may have done something themselves,” she said, “and didn't properly do it, or they didn't know they had a problem. So, they're now finding mold with the environmental changes that we've had after winter into spring.” Derecho damage has unveiled previous and current microbial growth that needs remediation from professionals.

For example, even though the exterior of a home may have look undamaged, the wind may have got into their attic and shifted the insulation, causing condensation issues and microbial growth.

Mrs. Presley accredits these new problems to the timing of last year’s derecho storm.