LATHAM, NY — Floodwaters, especially along the Mississippi river from America's Heartland all the way to the end of the river as it dumps into the Gulf of Mexico, will without a doubt keep restoration professionals and many related services busy for months to come.

In some areas, nature alone isn't causing all of the severe flooding. The work and efforts of the United States Army Corps of Engineers is affecting thousands of people, homes and businesses, as the opening of floodgates is a tactic to save larger populated areas downstream.

What does all this mean for the disaster restoration industry?

Gearing up for the work

Of course, restoration work can't begin until floodwaters begin to subside, but restoration professionals are currently preparing for the work. It may be weeks before work can begin, and months before real efforts are underway in some areas.

But when the work begins in earnest, it isn't as simple as pulling up to a job and performing typical drying. Local resources are going to be strained. Emotional victims will be a challenge. It takes special preparation and a strong mindset to tread into areas victim to flooding.

"Without previous experience of working outside your market and not doing your homework, you can find yourself in financial disaster," said Chris Taylor, a restoration veteran with the Aspire Educational Institute and an Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC)-approved instructor in the categories of Water Restoration Technician (WRT) and Applied Structural Drying (ASD), along with cleaning related courses.

Taylor said it may be smart for companies traveling to disaster areas to partner up with local companies as additional resources to do work that is already captured, as well as sending out sales representatives to capture their own work.

As far as working with local restoration crews, Taylor said it would be good to create an "attitude of synergy" between local and outside companies.

"Many times, the locals see the outside companies as a negative, and possibly stealing their business," Taylor warned. "You won't totally extinguish it, but maybe you can get some of them to consider the possibility of being an asset to them and their community."

Does the fact that there is restoration work to be done mean everyone will profit? Not necessarily. In fact, the reverse can be true.

"Meticulous planning and tracking of overhead is a daily must," Taylor said. "Be real and plan for the worst case scenario. Lack of consideration of the overhead costs has left companies deploying to other markets wishing they had never done it in the first place."

Some simple aspects of the work to consider include lodging and meals for your crews. Lodging may be an issue, Taylor said, as locals often take what is available, so restoration crews often resort to "camping."

Insurance concerns

According to Peter J. Crosa, an independent, licensed professional adjuster, it is uncertain whether the heavy floods in the Mississippi River delta will add to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) deficit.

"Even though current flooding is the worst since 2005, the resulting damages may be covered by NFIP premiums collected," he said. "It's doubtful that this year's flooding will be anywhere near the magnitude of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, which devastated the lower Mississippi and the Gulf Coast in 2005."

Crosa said, long term, that some in the industry are hoping that the recent heavy Mississippi flooding will reinforce the need for prompt congressional action for a long-term NFIP extension.

"Congress is about tackle H.R. 1309, the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011, which may reauthorize NFIP for five years," he said. "That bill is needed to prevent more short-term extensions. Ten short-term extensions have been passed since September 30, 2008. The current NFIP reauthorization expires September 30, the end of the current government fiscal year."

The mold angle

Richard Driscoll, a mechanical engineer and an instructor for the Restoration Sciences Academy (RSA) MR-110 and MR-210 microbial remediation classes, warns that with the extent of contaminated Category 3 flood water originating with this disaster, there is going to be a large amount of demolition work.

"This means a different set of skills from the technicians doing the work, as demo work is different from routine drying," Driscoll said. "Once the demo work is accomplished, there is going to be mold everywhere. Having been flooded for weeks, mold growth will have extended way beyond the structures 'flood line.'"

While the demolition will remove much of the contamination, the structure that is going to be saved (if there is any) will have to be both dried and cleaned, Driscoll said. Inferior work in the remediation phase is going to ultimately lead to litigation, he warns.

Driscoll also has words for worker safety.

"With the level of microbial contamination that will present, appropriate personal protective equipment is a must. With all the government agencies involved in this disaster, the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA) will be monitoring for worker safety."

Cleanfax magazine will continue to monitor the situation in flood areas and bring breaking news to subscribers.