Harveyville, a tiny Kansas community, is among the worst-hit areas. According to Sharon Watson of Kansas Division of Emergency Management Services, nearly 40% of the town was damaged by a tornado. At least, three persons were reported to be critically injured in the storm.

The governor’s office press release stated that a church and several homes were damaged. The storm also downed trees and power lines in the area.

As per the National Weather Service, a brief tornado touch downed southwest of Hutchinson. Trained tornado spotters and law enforcement stated that golf ball-size hail and winds with speeds of approximately 70 mph were observed north of Hillsboro in Marion County on Tuesday night.

A likely tornado was reported in Branson, Missouri at around 1.30 a.m. local time. As per the National Weather Services, trees and power lines were down in several areas of the town. Damage was reported in the famous downtown section along Lake Taneycomo. Area along the popular Highway U.S. 76 strip in Branson was also damaged by the storm. No early reports of confirmed injuries have been received from the area. Reports of extensive storm damage were also received from the Kimberling City.

The potent storm system over the central U.S. is expected to advance toward the northeast through the Upper Midwest Wednesday. Areas from the Upper Mississippi Valley all through the Northern Appalachians are most likely to receive heavy snowfall. Rain and thunderstorms are also expected in areas of the Southern Plains, the Eastern Valley and the Mid-Atlantic, according to the Weather Underground Forecast.

There are chances of storms turning severe over the Lower and Mid-Mississippi Valleys through the Mid-Atlantic and coastal areas of the Carolinas.

Updrafts and downdrafts of a thunderstorm cause heavy precipitation. Powerful wind gusts, lightning and thunder produced by the thunderstorms pose a great threat to people and property. Thunderstorms cause cataclysmic flooding, very powerful winds, multi-cell storms and tornadoes that can have a pronounced damaging effect over a huge area.

You need to get the help of a well-established property restoration service immediately in an event your house is damaged by a storm. Successful recovery from storm damage requires the help of an experienced property restoration company that knows how to uncover and repair invisible structural damage. Jarvis Property Restoration is a reputable company that provides a quick response to storm damage emergencies.

The flash flood warning is for places like Will County, Kendall, Southern Kane Counties, Southern DuPage, Southern Cook County, Southern DeKalb, Southern Ogle, northern LaSalle, Northern Grundy until 5.30 pm. Rapid rise has been witnessed in steams along the portions of Blackberry Creak, Hart Ditch, Du Page River and the Little Calumet River.

Though roads have been cleared of flooding as of now, the roads in Will County were flooded in the early afternoon. The Chicago Department of Aviation said that airlines in and out of O’Hare International Airport have been delayed by 2 hours and more than 425 flights have been cancelled due to the rainy weather. However, the good thing about these rains, if one may say so, is that they have been a good break in the two day heat wave that has sweltered the city into near dehydration.

With northeast winds to speed along the length of Lake Michigan into Chicago, the temperatures are predicted to reconcile into the mid 50s along the Lake Michigan shoreline and into the low and mid-60s inland–a reduction of more than 40 degrees in a day. The highs were observed when it reached 95 at O’Hare, only two degrees less of the date’s record, 99 in Kankakee and Pontiac and 97 in Alsip, Lincoln Park, Hickory Hills, Geneva, Downers Grove,

Flossmoor, Hinsdale and Munster.

The National Weather Service estimates a 50 percent possibility of rain for a fair part of the day , with the high in the mid 60s. Northeast winds may blow at 10 to 16 miles per hour, with wind gusts reaching up to 30 miles per hour during the morning hours. Thunderstorms and showers are also expected with temperatures receding o mid 50s; these conditions will last well until Friday with a warning that that the temperature as much as 80s with coolers temperatures by the lake.

The area’s hottest early season since 1933 ended late Wednesday and the highest temperature of 95 fell only two degrees below the record. On Wednesday, ie; June 15 2011, there will be a free public meeting sponsored by y Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, the National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency officials and local television meteorologists where people will get more clarity on how to take safety measures on the face of storms, floods and how people can plan, prepare and coordinate in the face of such an eventuality.

Many areas around metro Detroit have received over four inches of rain throughout the day Wednesday, adding to what has already been a very wet spring. The city of Detroit has received over four inches of rain during the day while surrounding towns and cities received at least three inches. The city of Ann Arbor reported that it has received over three inches, which has clogged sewer drains and forced the closing of several streets. So far this spring the metropolitan Detroit area has recorded over 13 inches of rainfall, making this the 5th wettest spring on record.

The National Weather Service issued numerous flood warnings for several areas located along the Rouge, Huron and Clinton Rivers. The Clinton River floods when it reaches 16 feet and it is expected to crest at over 19 feet today in Sterling Heights and Clinton Township. Officials have blocked off many roads in the area already because water is starting to flood over them. Residents living near the river are being told to prepare for possible forced evacuations.

Metro Detroit’s heavily traveled I-75 was turned into a big flooded “parking lot” on Wednesday as traffic backed up for several miles heading downtown from Oakland County. What should be a 40 minute drive from northwestern Detroit to Sterling Heights turned into a trip that took at least three times that long as cars crawled slowly along the heavily flooded expressway. The entire I-75 expressway leading out of Detroit was peppered with emergency vehicles and tow trucks during rush hour yesterday. Many homeowners have reported that they arrived at their Detroit area homes after work to discover several inches of water inside their basements.

In Highland Park, Michigan, residents report finding more than three feet of water rising inside their homes due to the heavy downpours that flooded streets there. Highland Park’s water department is attempting to clear clogged sewers with hopes that the waters will recede but so far the mayor’s office has received over 300 calls about flooded basements. The ground is extremely saturated and the storm drains simply could not handle the heavy rains that fell all day Wednesday.

In Poplar Bluff, Missouri which is located about an hour and a half’s drive southwest from St. Louis, officials say that the levee there is sure to break. One thousand residents of Poplar Bluff have already been evacuated from the southeast side of the city and many more are being warned to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. It is thought that if the levee breaks that it will only take 30 minutes for the southern portion of the town to be completely flooded.

Many of the 1,000 evacuees have found shelter at the Black River Coliseum, a 5,000 seat concert and meeting center that overlooks the black River and a park that is already flooded over. Others are staying with family members outside the flood zone while a few have been staying in a local church. Scores of schools have been forced to close across Missouri and Kentucky and an unknown number of roadways have been forced shut due to flooding.

Sandbagging efforts were put on hold in Poplar Bluff as it was quickly discovered that it was to no avail. There are simply too many places along the river to sandbag and if you sandbag one location, the water will just run to the next. If the levee does break, it will send a wall of muddy, murky water into the city and will likely force at least 7,000 people out of their homes.

Volunteers in Paducah, Kentucky which is located in the Ohio River valley are building flood walls and adding rocks to the top of earthern levees in an attempt to hold back water as the rain continues to pour out of the skies. Homeowners in the area are busy sandbagging with the hopes that it will be enough to protect their properties from flooding.

Flooding can cause so much inconvenience to a household particularly on the basement of the house. Because it is at the bottom-most portion, the basement is one of the commonly affected parts of the house that needs immediate cleaning right after a casualty such as flooding occurs. Acting on it immediately will save you from having to deal with further damage and hassle.

The severity of the flood is something to consider in your basement cleanup. If the flooding has caused great damage, it is best to contact professionals that provide cleaning services. But a light casualty can simply be managed with a do-it-yourself clean-up procedure.

Basement Clean-Up Preparation

Before starting with your cleaning process, be ready with the materials and equipment you will need. To ensure protection, prepare your hand gloves, waterproof boots, long sleeved shirts and a pair of pants. Mold contamination can be prevented by wearing protective facemasks. Prepare the materials needed for cleaning. This will include a bucket, mop, shovel, antibacterial soap, and a chemical disinfectant.

Basement Flooding Hazard

Once you are all set for cleaning, being mindful of the possible basement flooding hazards is another thing to consider. Be extra cautious of electrical charges, so make sure to turn off electricity on that area before stepping foot on the basement floor.

Do-It-Yourself Basement Clean Up

Now that you are ready to clean up your basement, the first thing to do is to check for accumulated mud caused by dried up floodwaters. Thick mud must be shoveled up before cleaning the floor with water. Do not forget to remove mud on carpets, furniture, rugs, and other items. If there is no mud but has presence of floodwater, you may use a sump pump to easily suck up all remaining water content on the floor. That way, it is easier to clean the basement without having to walk on mud or contaminated water.

Dehumidification is a critical part of the cleanup which involves opening the windows and doors to allow proper ventilation. Start cleaning the carpets, rugs, and any furniture item you can find on your basement. Assess whether these items, especially the carpet, need to be saved or not. If the dirt is hard to remove this time, you would rather discard the item than allow molds to thrive.

Do the same procedure for the floor and the rest of the items. Just always remember to keep yourself fully protected with the necessary gears. After doing the initial cleanup, you can let the cleaning service experts take care of the rest of the damage. They are experts on what to do during cleanups and they can provide the best suggestions as to how to address any basement-flooding problem.

Though the effects of mold on people can vary a lot, some of the common things that can happen due to high mold exposure include nasal and sinus congestion, wheezing and breathing problems, cough, eye irritation, sinus infections, chest congestion, sore throat, skin irritation etc. Even if some people may not be impacted on a short-term basis, there is always the risk of long-term damage. The people who are at high risk due to mold growth include:
Infants and small children under 12 years of age

Individual with sensitive nasal passage, for instance those who get frequent sinus problems and asthma attack
People with weak immune system due to fever, infection, surgery, chemotherapy patients etc.
Look out for and sniff out mold growths. You can detect molds by its musty smell. After floods, it is natural for mold formation to take place. Molds are conspicuous by their leathery, cottony texture and different colors like green, yellow, black, brown, white and gray or even discolored to some extent.

After the a flooding disaster it is possible that there will be mold growth. It will be very important to contact a water damage restoration professional. If you want to remove molds yourself, you can wear protective gear like rubber glove, eye goggles, long-sleeved shirts and respirators. It is however, better to leave the work of cleaning and mold removal to a specialist after a natural disaster has taken place. They will not clean the area and sanitize it but they will also take measures to prevent mold formation in your home if possible.

Mold growths are not only seen in obvious moist places like bathrooms, courtyard etc but also in certain places that you least expect. It is not possible to extent the damage by just seeing or sensing molds. A mold removal specialist is well-trained in identifying the lesser known spots where molds germinate. Also do not ask professionals to test the mold, it is a wasteful thing to do where you will be just blowing money. Mold is there, period; after a water clogging issue in your home. Even if mold removal professionals are working and you want to check how things are being done, you should wear a protective gear like N95 or N100 disposable respirator. If you are allergic to molds and have sinus problems or worse breathing problems in such conditions, then either ask someone else to check or wear a more protective respirator like P100 with HEPA filter.

Mold can also be seen on hard plastic, metal, glass, hard wood etc but all of these can be removed by proper cleaning. After removing mold and other types of dirt, the mold removal specialist will use a disinfectant which may remove all traces of mold growth.

The storm resulted in seven inches of rain falling on the city in just two hour’s time, causing the widespread flood damage that has exceeded $28.5 million in Milwaukee County. Jim Doyle, Wisconsin’s governor declared that the county was in a state of emergency Friday, which should pave the way for more state aide as well as assistance from FEMA.

Residents in one of the worst hit areas were voicing their frustration Friday as they worked removing damaged items from their homes. The $122 million flood management project on the north side of the city did indeed help to keep rain from the near-record storm from overflowing the banks of Lincoln Creek. It did not however, stop the rainwater from entering basements. Residents are upset because most in that area did not purchase flood insurance because they had thought that the work that was finished in 2002 at the creek had eliminated the possibility of their homes being flooded. At least five basements collapsed in one city block close to the creek.

Meanwhile, city officials are trying to figure out how quickly they can respond to the over 2,500 calls that poured in from residents reporting backwater filling their basements. The number of calls placed to the city’s Public Works Dept. set a record and the city says it hopes to investigate every one of the complaints over the next few days.

The city is not going to collect any fees for large trash pickup now as the many affected residents remove water soaked furniture and personal belongings from their flooded homes. All parking citations will also be waived due to the fact that many cars were abandoned on city streets as flood waters rushed in. Telltale signs of the flooding can be seen in many parts of the city as residents are piling soaked and soiled household items on curbs, flood restoration company vans are lining the boulevards and garden hoses are snaking from homes to the city streets.

Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport had troubles as well as the storm water flooded the runways during the Thursday night storm. Airport personnel worked hard to clear leftover debris so that the runways could open again on Friday, but the possibility of more showers could create further disruptions.

Problems can result from a number of causes, including motor burn-out or a broken control switch, but the most common cause of failure is blockage due to debris, dirt or other objects. As debris builds up it will cause an obstruction in the inlet screen that will begin to decrease and eventually prevent the pump’s ability to drain the sump, resulting in an overflow. The inlet screen is capable of removing small fragments of waste materials along with the water but not larger particles. These, together with the residue of grit and other debris are what cause the eventual blockage.

Although not a pleasant task, regular cleaning of your sump pump is a necessity. The frequency of maintenance will depend on the location of the property. If your pump has to run frequently due to a higher water table, drainage requirements or climate conditions, you should inspect and clean out your pump several times a year. In normal conditions, an annual maintenance check and clean-out should be sufficient.

Wearing rubber gloves, you should first remove all the dirt, grit, sand and other debris that has collected. After that you need to flush out the pump with clean water using a garden hose. As it fills with water, the float will rise and trigger pumping action, to signify that all is well. If the float rises but the system fails to start, a more thorough inspection is required.

It is advisable to keep the manufacturer’s manual handy so you can check the troubleshooting guidelines yourself, before calling out a plumbing expert. You may need to perform a basic check on the electrical system by unplugging it and testing the outlet with an appliance which you know works. Your manual may advise you to reset the motor to make sure it has not burnt out, which sometimes happens when it has continued to run while obstructed. Alternatively, the fault may be with the float switch and simply require a cleaning of the contacts.

With the help of your manual, you should be able to identify the problem and fix it yourself. However, with regular careful maintenance, your sump pump should work effectively, safeguarding your basement and your possessions from flood damage.

How do you prepare yourself for storms and flooding? How do you keep your home safe? To find out the answers, the first thing to do is to know if your home is at risk. Check with a floodplain manager in your locality. If you are living in an apartment or condominium unit, you can make an appointment with the building official or the city engineer, since they are the ones who can determine which areas are prone to>flooding.

If you found out that your home is indeed situated in a flood-prone area, it is highly recommended that you contact your local contractor to see how you can build proper elevation and reinforcement, as this helps keep the water level down and can keep your home from falling apart, which is often what happens when there are strong winds and high water levels.
This is the best course of action to take but it could also easily cost you big amounts of money. If your budget is a bit constrained now, you can put this off to a later date, and for the meantime, take other measures to prevent flooding. See to it that nothing is blocking drainage systems, and gutters should be properly cleaned and kept-free from obstruction.
Floodwalls, posts, and beams can prevent water from entering your home. Basements, crawl spaces, and cracks in walls must be sealed using high quality waterproofing materials to avoid seepage. Small cracks could cause walls and floors to break in the event of floods so never risk it. Additionally, getting flood insurance would prove to be more beneficial than you think. Although many people classify this as an unnecessary expense, not getting one might be something you will regret in the event that a flooding disaster will ruin your home.
Do not wait until it’s already too late. The cost of taking safety measures against flood damage is very minimal, compared to what could happen if you fail to do anything about it.

The basement sump is generally a deep, wide hole that has to be dug at any basement corner. The hole is connected to a sump pump that is placed in its own casing. The sump basin is sealed tightly with cement and concrete; so much that you only see the top part of the entire system with pipes that function to remove water regularly. The pumps come in two forms-submersible or mounted on a pedestal, though the former ones are more of the silent nature and are installed inside the sump basin. When you buy a sump pump, make sure that it comes with a battery backup so that it can still work and pump out water in case of electricity failure or outage during floods.

It is always advisable to leave the job of installation of these sump pumps to sump pump experts or plumbers who are familiar with the entire system and know how to customize its functioning to suit your basement. There are automatic versions as well, that ensure that the pump turn on automatically when the water attains a certain level. When you check online or at a plumber’s shop, you will find many manufacturers have the right product for you but you may take an expert along or do your research to know what suits your home, the best.

The sump pumps’ costs can range anywhere from $100 to $2,500. The installation process can take around a day, though the procedure also has a bearing on the price of the product, the features of the sump pump and the kind of house you live in. You can go for a pump that has extra value added functions like removal of debris like pebbles, twigs and sand. There are some systems that come with a backup or secondary pump that can be useful if the primary pump does not work or if the water is moving too fast, especially during floods.

Some of the popular brands among pumps include NexPump, Goulds, Basement Watchdog, Storm Pro, Wayne, Liberty, Zoeller etc. You can choose a great sump pump product from any home improvement store, maintenance store or even online. Do not make the price the only criterion of buying a good product, because then you are just risking the promise of complete protection to your home. Make sure you find out the rates of installation, the service factor in case your pumping system faces a problem, warranty, prices, features, your basement conditions etc before basing your decision on buying a sump pump.