How Delaware County Homeowners Could Be Affected by Storm Damage During Hurricane Season

7/13/2021 (Permalink)

Blog Summary: SERVPRO of Media highlights the storm damage risk from hurricanes and tropical storms for residents of Media, PA, and the surrounding communities.

As the Atlantic hurricane season approaches, homeowners and business owners across the east coast should begin preparing for the possibility of storm damage from hurricanes. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “The Atlantic hurricane season extends from June 1 through November 30.” NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center anticipates that the 2021 season will likely see above-normal activity, with forecasters projecting a 60% chance of above-average hurricane and tropical storm probability. The potential for severe weather during this time is a motivating factor for homeowners to plan their response to storm damage resulting from hurricanes and tropical storms.

Is Media, PA, at Risk of Storm Damage From Hurricanes?

Homefacts, an online resource for homebuyers, lists Media, PA, as having a “moderate hurricane risk.” The neighboring community of Broomall also has a moderate risk of hurricanes.

A History of Hurricanes in Delaware County and the Media, PA, Area

Recent hurricanes and tropical storms that have affected Media and surrounding communities include Tropical Storm Andrea in 2013, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and Hurricane Irene in 2011. Both Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Irene were destructive storms, and Sandy was the worst storm of the 2012 hurricane season in terms of strength, destruction, and deaths.

In 2012, Delaware County saw over 10,000 people without power as high winds and heavy rainfall from Hurricane Sandy churned through the area. Thankfully, Delaware County did not end up being directly in the path of the hurricane and was spared from a worst-case scenario. The Delaware County Daily Times wrote of the close call, “Just how bad the results could have been for Delaware County, no one knows for sure. But you can be sure that no one wants to find out. Steve Giancristoforo, the Delaware County System Communications Manager for the Delaware County Emergency Services and the Emergency Management Director for Tinicum Township, is one person who has to be prepared for that dreaded worst-case scenario. ‘There would have been considerably more damage,’ Giancristoforo said if Sandy’s path had been in line with Delaware Bay. ‘We tried to prepare for that. If you listen to what everybody was saying, we were in the direct path.’”

As with Hurricane Sandy, Delaware County residents were spared a worst-case scenario from Hurricane Irene in 2011. However, Irene caused “dangerous flooding” and storm damage throughout eastern and central Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported, “Dangerous flooding threatened residents of Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey early Sunday, as Hurricane Irene washed over the region with slow, damaging bands of heavy rain. The storm barreled into the Philadelphia region and the Jersey shore late Saturday and then pushed further north up the East Coast. Irene chased hundreds of thousands of people from their homes and from shore vacations; thousands ended up in temporary shelters.” Mayor Michael Nutter, the mayor of Philadelphia at the time, described Hurricane Irene as “one of the worst storm events that has hit Philadelphia in the last 50 years.”

Only a few miles away from Philadelphia, Delaware County experienced heavy flooding on Darby Creek, and local officials implemented evacuations in Darby, Eddystone, and Chester. Shelters were also opened for those displaced by the storm.

Recovering From Storm Damage in Media, PA

One of the chief advantages of working with SERVPRO of Media for storm damage restoration in Media, PA, is the company’s ability to call upon national storm resources to respond to a disaster. As part of the SERVPRO franchise, the company has access to the personnel and equipment of the SERVPRO network, which comprises over 1,700 franchises across the nation. In addition, elite and highly-trained Disaster Recovery Teams can be deployed to provide specialized services for severe storms and disasters. In contrast, other local damage restoration companies can easily be overwhelmed by a hurricane or severe storm.

The national scope of resources and personnel is complemented by SERVPRO of Media’s ties to the community. SERVPRO of Media is locally owned and operated, and the company’s team members live and work in the communities of Delaware County. When a hurricane or other severe weather event strikes the local area, the community can have confidence that the damage restoration company is genuinely invested in helping those affected by storm damage.

To learn more about water damage restoration in Broomall, PA, contact SERVPRO of Media by email at office@SERVPROmedia.com or by phone at (610) 566-5720.