At the beginning of this month, a winter storm Landon came sweeping across the northeastern United States, leaving a path of winter storm damage including ice, water, and snow to Pennsylvania buildings as well as natural surroundings. The freezing temperatures combined with harsh winds and heavy snow is costing owners of residential and commercial buildings thousands in damages.
In this article, we’re going to break down winter storm Landon’s resulting property damage, and how you can protect yourself from future winter storm damage. If you’ve been affected by the winter storm Landon, Compleat can help you with restoration and disaster recovery tips, tricks, and services.
Overview of Winter Storm Landon
Winter storm Landon, as named by the Weather Channel, began in the Midwest, barely touching the Rockies before hurtling across the nation towards the East Coast. As it traveled eastward, the snowfall continued to become more and more severe. States like Oklahoma, Missouri, and Illinois were hit in the first few days as it moved. Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York also received plenty of storms and snow in the following days causing water and storm damage for many homes.
Despite news of the destruction coming in for nearly a week, the Pennsylvania winter storm damage was not held to one area. Because of storm Landon’s speed, it moved across half of the country in only 4 days! That was plenty though, certainly enough to do sustained property damage, costing many people good money.
Storm Damages Sustained from Winter Storm Landon
The weather dipped into many extremes, even reaching record amounts of snowfall in some areas. Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico took the brunt of the snow, receiving a whopping 37 inches in one day! East of the Rockies, the hardest hit by snow were parts of New York, Vermont, and Indiana. Each of these recorded roughly 17 inches of snow.
The heavy and unexpected snowfall from winter storms like Landon can cause a variety of problems. For one, it makes travel difficult; sometimes it makes it impossible. Interstate 10 in Texas saw a 12+ hour backup in traffic due to the nasty road conditions. Flights across the country were canceled, and there was a spike in winter storm-related car crashes. Lansing, Michigan saw not only its highest single-day snowfall since the year 2000, but also topped its February record for the past 122 years.
Both commercial and residential buildings fell victim to the power outages caused by the winter storm. In fact, over 330,000 homes suffered from a loss of power from winter storm Landon. When winter storms bring freezing rain and high winds, power lines and equipment can become severely damaged. This can take hours—sometimes days— to repair.
Repairs Needed From the Storm
There are plenty of common repairs needed after things like winter storm Landon’s property damage. The high winds, mass amounts of snow, and freezing temperatures can wreak havoc on commercial and residential properties alike.
Let’s take a look at some common property damage from winter storms:
Roof Damage
Snow and winter storms can affect your property in a wide variety of ways. Small “ice dams” can appear in gutters, causing water to find its way into your home through the roof and walls. Heavy buildup on rooftops can cause it to collapse if the snow continues to fall without a chance to melt or be cleared.
The extreme temperatures and the effects of freezing water can cause problems in every part of your roof. As you can see, any holes can become a more serious problem, and often the snow can just be too much for the roof itself to hold up.
Frozen and Burst Pipes
Pipes can burst from water freezing and expanding during winter storms. This can range from PVC pipe systems for watering your property to the actual plumbing within your house. Particularly when utilities like power are lost to the storm, the loss of heat can cause many issues wherever water is present inside your home.
Because pressure builds as the water freezes and expands, wherever the burst occurs will continue to release water at high pressure. This is even worse inside the home because you are likely not going to notice it before major damage happens.
Power Outage
While this isn’t always an immediate problem, extended power outages can cause a variety of problems. First off, the danger to physical health from being exposed to the cold for too long is the main concern. If you are confident that you can stay warm, the next step is securing your home.
As we mentioned, power outages can lead to frozen and burst pipes if the interior of the house is cold for too long. Uninsulated pipes at freezing temperatures will begin becoming ice within 6 hours!
Have You Experienced Damage from Winter Storm Landon? Compleat Restorations Can Help
Did you know that Pennsylvania ranks at #19 out of all the United States in terms of snowfall each year? It’s no wonder that there is plenty of need for damage restoration when it comes to the snowy winter months.
Residential weather damage restoration requires a multi-faceted approach. Depending on the type of weather your house endured, the steps can differ. For example, you may need to board up and tarp your home to secure and protect it. Severe damage may even require the demolition of any unstable structures.
Hiring a professional team to repair and restore your home is the most efficient and effective way to handle residential property damage. In the case of Compleat, our team offers temporary power and lighting so you can continue to live your life, as well as providing professional drying equipment to remove the damaging water from your structure.
(Pssst! Did we mention we’ll get to your house in under 2 hours? 24/7, 365 days a year.)
It goes further than just handling the physical property. Compleat can set up a mobile command center to help things move smoothly, and assist you with navigating your winter storm damage insurance claims to make the recovery process as fast as possible. For a complete rundown of how we can help repair your home and return the comfort you deserve, visit our Storm Damage Restoration Process page.