Jarvis Property Restoration first responders played a pivotal role in helping to assist with flood cleanup in the New England area following devastating flooding to Rhode Island and Boston in early March of this year. Jarvis presently has fourteen work crews and several semi-trucks of equipment in the Nashville area and has additional work crew’s en-route to assist with cleanup efforts. Jarvis water damage technicians are certified through the IICRC and utilize state of the art restoration equipment to extract flood waters and begin the process of drying out a property.

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen called for a state of emergency over the weekend in order to pull in resources from the National Guard. The severe rain caused flash flooding, forcing hundreds of people to need emergency evacuation from homes and vehicles. Rain storms pounded the state with as much as fourteen inches of rain in certain areas washing away numerous roads throughout Tennessee. The governor has closed all government offices and schools on Monday, and has urged for businesses and municipalities to close to help ensure public safety. Many rivers were not expected to crest until late on Monday and the potential for rain later in the week will make cleanup efforts more challenging.

Jarvis Property Restoration has worked extensively in disaster relief, specifically in FEMA declared emergency zones. In the summer of 2008, Jarvis managed 1600 workers to clean and repair over thirty government buildings in Cedar Rapids, Iowa following a devastating flood from the Cedar River. Jarvis Property Restoration was founded in 1979 by Sheryl and Bill Jarvis in Detroit, Michigan. Jarvis presently has offices in Michigan, Iowa and Florida and maintains numerous response hubs across the United States to respond to unexpected disasters. Jarvis has set up a local relief number (615) 301-1077 for Tennessee area homeowners, businesses and government agencies that are in need of water damage restoration services.

Fargo’s mayor Dennis Walaker said that he is happy with what city workers and volunteers  have done so far to prepare for flooding but he also warned residents that they should remain cautious. The Red River is expected to crest a full 20 feet above flood stage this coming weekend and there is a window of time in which eastern portions of North Dakota as well as western Minnesota will be very susceptible to flooding. Fargo’s levies are in place and ready to go and so far they look stable. The National Weather Service has said that it expects the Red River to rise once again in the middle of April as warmer air melts the new snow.

A portion of Interstate 94 in southeastern North Dakota is covered by water from overland flooding, prompting the state highway patrol to tell motorists to drive slowly in that area. Up to four inches of water is covering both lanes between Valley City and Fargo. While many residents are planning on getting out and heading for dry land, some local Fargo residents have said they will stay and beat the swelling river. Many people have canoes, row boats and kayaks tied up outside their homes-expecting the worst.  In a few Fargo neighborhoods,  several residents took government money and relocated out of the area during the past few years. Considering the uneasiness now, it is sure that many of the current homeowners may be asking themselves why they turned down the government buy-outs themselves.

If you are a resident of Fargo and live in a low lying area or along the Red River, you should busy yourself doing what you can in order to avoid having your home filled with unwanted flood water. It is important that you listen to the local news and weather reports and if advised, to evacuate as quickly as possible. Many homeowners are busy filling their own sandbags so that they can stack them around their homes with hopes of keeping the river water out of their homes.