#live in a place notorious for rain?? we get rain less constantly than most states. fucking shit. need cold and clouds

[shoplifting]

[earnestly-endlessly]

kind of an odd request — do you have fics where erik is grumpy with everyone else but a ray of sunshine with charles?

Hi anon, thank you for the ask. First and foremost, I'm so sorry for how long this took me but I've been searching for all the fics that come to mind that fit your request. Second, this is not an odd request because I love this trope so much. I mean, it's basically canon that he's grumpy with everyone except for his Charles, right? Anyway, I might add to this list later on, but I can't sit on this any longer and hope that you have found some fics that you enjoy!!

Fic Recs Where Erik is grumpy with everyone but a ray of sunshine with Charles

Twice as Blind – Darksknight

Summary: Erik is probably the biggest asshole on the face of the earth, and because of this, he'll probably die alone. Charles is a complete flirt and playboy and, probably, will never commit to anyone ever.

(The lesson here is that when you have two friends who are BOTH secretly seeing someone, well, it's probable that they're seeing each other.)

In the moonlight, on a joy ride – scarlettblush

Summary: Librarian AU. Charles is the young librarian and Erik is the college student who is completely besotted with him.

The Proper Care of Actors – Clear_Liqueur, Clocks, Etherei, afrocurl

Summary: Erik is an A-list action star who is notoriously difficult to work with, until the day he gets cast alongside Charles Xavier, rom-com darling who can charm the pants off movie audiences the world over and apparently even one Erik Lehnsherr. The paparazzi catch them out and about soon enough, and their real-life Hollywood movie romance becomes instant tabloid fodder.

Rumor Mill – ikeracity

Summary: Erik is the grumpiest, most foul tempered worker at Stark industries. His grumpiness is the stuff of legends.

So it's obviously the talk of the office when Erik is being made to go to the company party and he's bringing his husband. There's rumors flying round about how much of a masochist or equally antisocial bastard Erik's husband must be to put up with him. Others think he must be a meek mouse perhaps bullied by Erik.

What they weren't expecting was the confident, charming, adorable and unbelievably nice Charles that turns up on Erik's arm. What they certainly weren't expecting was how much Erik obviously adores his husband and how happy he is to let others see this.

Work/Life Balance – pocky_slash

Summary: Alex is pretty sure his weird, anti-social boss is a robot. Right up until the guy's adorable husband shows up. His adorable husband who happens to be a famous actor. His adorable husband who happens to be the very same famous actor who was the source of many of Alex's teenage fantasies.

Terrifying Domesticity – ishipitsobad

Summary: Erik is the most dangerous and notorious mafia boss around for miles, and yet the strangest things terrify him.

For example: his children, and his very pregnant mate.

Of kittens and teacups and love – Ren

Summary: Modern AU in which Charles and Erik are flatmates. Charles studies psychology and likes tea and chess and keeps bringing home stray kittens, and Erik lets him because he's maybe perhaps a little bit sort of in love with him.

Fools Rush In – LoveSupreme

Summary: Erik owns a cafe on the edge of campus and accidentally starts maybe-stalking a Biology Professor there.

Growing Pains – ikeracity

Summary: Twelve-year-old Erik Lehnsherr is an angry, closed-off foster kid with trust issues and a bad temper. Ten-year-old Charles Xavier is a lonely kid in boarding school who just wants a friend.

Logan pretends he doesn't think they're both fucking adorable.

Series

Home Together (The Finding Our Way Remix) – significantowl

Summary: Erik is not the sort of person other students strike up conversations with. His expression, his posture, every part of his manner say: Don’t talk to me. I don’t want to talk to you. But none of that stops the boy ahead of him in line with the collapsible white cane, and nothing can stop Erik from falling for him, like it or not.

Melted Ice Cream and Macaroni Art – pocky_slash

Summary: Everybody likes Charles. Nobody likes Erik. And that's really the source of Erik's doubts. Also, there's ice cream and a baby. Part of ‘the Daycare’ verse.

Walling in or Walling Out – stlkrchck

Summary: Erik stifles a sigh. Of course this is Mr. C. F. Xavier. Of course.

For the prompt: Charles and Raven are throwing a holiday party. Erik is the grumpy neighbor who is annoyed by how loud they are being. So he goes to complain, and Charles makes it up to him.

(Wise Men Say) Only Fools Rush In – wildelybroken

Summary: After reading a fic where Erik and Charles are super sluts, meet at what is presumably Raven and Emma's engagement party, and end up sleeping together, I made the following comment and just inspired myself.

"They start casually texting each other throughout the day, maybe while they’re bored or frustrated at work, and start out meeting up and sleeping together semi-frequently. And eventually they accidentally start dating without noticing it at first, not until Raven and Emma get them alone and are like “wtf you two super sluts are actually dating??” And at first they deny, but then they’re both like “holy shit, we are!” And they meet back at one of their places and they don’t have to say anything, they just look at each other and come together immediately, kissing passionately and ~making love~. In the middle of it they realise that’s what they’ve been doing for a long time now and they confess their love to each other and they live happily ever after because they deserve all the good in the world."

For Charles – Shigai

Summary: Tired of being told he has to find his 'heart', classical piano graduate Erik Lehnsherr decides to travel to Italy and drink from the famous Italian passion for music. While searching for it, he meets Charles Xavier, a graduate in Fine Arts who is basically travelling around the world perfectioning his technique, and who will turn his world upside down.

Together they will discover that, sometimes, what you thought you didn't need is what you needed the most.

Erik Hates People – Anonymous

Summary: Erik hates people- it's his rule, a way of living.

Sugar – humanitys_cutest

Summary: Erik glances at the clock for what feels like the tenth time in less than half the minutes. It feels like he's been in some meeting or other since the day started almost 10 hours ago, and he's had just about enough of listening to these pompous old men discuss what would be the best design for his building like they know anything about it. He tries as subtly as possible to massage his temples to assuage the building migraine, but he knows it's no use.

He just wants to go home.

Everyone Likes Charles – Rosawyn

Summary: '“Everyone who's met him likes him.” Cain's grin was even stupider than before. “Once you meet him, you'll see.”

It was almost like a challenge then. And damn. Erik hated saying no to a challenge.'

Still Going Strong – JackyJango

Summary: Speaking of forty-eight, Erik hates it. Hates it even more that others are aware of it. While he’s pragmatic enough to know and accept that aging is inexorable, the increase in number gives the people around him the freedom to pounce at him with questions, opinions and advice he'd fought to keep at bay all year.

Besides, Erik believes that youth is a state of mind, not a phase in one’s life.

You have a child’s mind in a man’s body, Charles constantly tells him.

But despite his age, Erik is healthy. He works out daily. His muscles are steel and he can dead-lift four hundred pounds. He can break bones without breaking a sweat. Most importantly, he can still carry Charles to the bedroom and fuck him senseless. And as long as Erik can do that, he’s perfectly happy.

All I know is pouring rain and everything has changed – hllfire

Summary: Charles meets Erik, the man he had heard about many times from his sister and some friends, on a rainy Sunday morning. The stories about Erik paint him as a distant and intimidating man, but Charles finds out that maybe the stories had been wrong.

How to Successfully Ruin Your Life – humanveil

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Charles Xavier accepts a job at his local café, expecting nothing more than a fun, new pastime. What he gets is a mysterious customer and a schoolboy crush.

Stolen – ishipitsobad

Summary: Erik is a miserable, grumpy, cantankerous bastard, and he has every fucking right to be. He drew the short end of the stick when he got the Underworld as his domain, and there isn't very much fun to be had in judging and governing dead souls who would rather be anywhere else but with Erik in the depths of Hell.

So when he meets Charles, brilliant and lovely Charles who is more popularly known amongst the mortals as Persephone, and feels the promise of something wonderful that could make his eternally doomed existence infinitely more bearable... you can bet all your drachmas Erik's not going to let Charles go any fucking time soon.

Erik Lehnsherr's Guide to Saving the Universe By Meeting Your Soul-Mate and Falling in Love in Less than 72 Hours – magneto, pangea

Summary:Army Pilot Erik Lehnsherr is just trying to enjoy his day off when a mostly naked person crashes through the roof of his car. Even more alarming, the strange falling naked person—who goes by Charles Xavier when he's not speaking an ancient dead language—brings tidings of the apparent potential end of the world, and begs Erik to help him put a stop to it.

Well. His mother has been nagging at him to go out and meet new people.

The Theory of Partnership Dynamics – Pangea

Summary: “Detective Lehnsherr, how wonderful to see you out on the job!” The fed in the front greets him as they draw nearer. He’s shorter than the other two by a full head, and he’s beaming at Lehnsherr as if completely undeterred by Lehnsherr’s paint-peeling scowl.

“What do the feds want?” Lehnsherr asks bluntly.

“You know I can’t tell you that,” the fed answers cheerfully. Then his gaze lands on Alex, and, impossibly, his grin gets even brighter. “Did you get a new partner?"

“No,” Lehnsherr says through his teeth while at the same time Alex says, “Yes.”

[jakehglover]

What Happens When a Hurricane Hits a CAFO?

By Dr. Mercola

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are among the most notorious polluters on the planet, but when they're located in hurricane-prone areas like North Carolina, it adds another degree of potential for environmental disaster.

North Carolina is home to 1,222 CAFOs, compared to about 300 in a more land-locked state like Illinois.1 Of North Carolina's active CAFOs, at least 45 of them are located in 100-year and 500-year floodplains that were at risk of being flooded by streams and rivers during September 2018's Hurricane Florence.2

New information is still coming in daily on the devastation Hurricane Florence caused to North Carolina CAFOs, and I'll be documenting the full extent of this tragic — yet predictable and preventable — event in an upcoming article.

As you might imagine, when CAFOs raise tens of thousands of pigs or more in one facility, some churning out millions of pigs a year, waste is a major problem. There's no healthy or natural way to get rid of that much manure, which for North Carolina adds up to 10 billion gallons of wet animal waste annually — enough to fill more than 15,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.3

That's in addition to the 2 million tons of dry waste created annually by poultry CAFOs in the state.4 In the U.S., 97 percent of pigs are raised in CAFOs, many of them spending their entire lives confined to indoor pens with slatted floors. Their waste falls through the slats where it collects before being pumped into outdoor cesspools of waste, dubbed "lagoons" by the industry.

Even under the best circumstances, the waste pits are known to leak their noxious contents into nearby waterways and streams, but during a hurricane the risks become exponentially higher.

Hurricane Floodwaters Can Breach Waste Pits, Leading to Spillover

CAFO waste sits in open-air lagoons, waiting to be sprayed onto neighboring fields (and often unfortunate neighbors). But when excess levels of rain fall, such as is common during a hurricane, they can become flooded, leading to spillover.

In North Carolina, Andy Curliss, the CEO of the North Carolina Pork Council, estimated that CAFO lagoons could handle up to 25 inches of rain without a breach, but some forecasts called for as much as 40 inches of rain during Florence.5 It's not a new problem for the area but, rather, one that's been looming for decades.

In 1997, following manure spills that proved to be disastrous, North Carolina implemented a ban on the construction of new CAFOs, but the ban expired in 1997 (and loopholes allowed some CAFOs to be built even during the ban).6 In 1999, floodwaters from Hurricane Floyd breached waste lagoons, causing the toxic sludge to flow out into waterways and agricultural fields.

Farmers saw their crops covered in waste while rescue workers were sickened by the fumes. Algae blooms flourished, killing off fish and other marine life. Area residents were faced with contaminated water and millions of animals, including poultry and hogs, also drowned during the disaster.7

That same year, eastern North Carolina experienced a "large increase" in visits to health services for intestinal infections in counties with high concentrations of pig farming that were affected by the hurricane.8 Even a splash of floodwater on your face or open cut could be enough to cause infection.

In 2016, it happened again following Hurricane Matthew, when at least 14 waste pits were flooded. The North Carolina Pork Council stated at the time that pollution due to hog lagoon breaches by Hurricane Matthew floodwaters was minimal, but aerial photographs obtained by watchdog groups showed otherwise, with multiple photos of waste lagoons leaking or subsumed by floodwaters.9

Manure Cannons to Drain the Cesspool

When waste lagoons get full, the contents are sprayed via giant "cannons" onto nearby fields. It's called "fertilizer" but in reality the excess waste often leaches into groundwater and wells, poisoning drinking water, and runs off into waterways, turning once pristine bodies of water into veritable toilets.

The resulting damage includes an excess of nutrients that lead to algae overgrowth, depleting the water of oxygen and killing fish and other marine life in expansive dead zones. In the days leading up to Hurricane Florence, many CAFO farmers scrambled to pump waste from the lagoons ahead of the storm, hoping to make room for the potentially record-setting levels of rainfall.

Although theoretically this should help to contain more of the waste, when asked whether they would actually hold up in the face of heavy, hurricane-driven rain, Marlowe Vaughan of Ivy Spring Creek Farm in Goldsboro, North Carolina, told NPR, "We don't really know. I mean, we try to pump down as much as we can, but after that, it's kind of in God's hands. We're kind of at the mercy of the storm."10

In 2016, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and the Waterkeeper Alliance unveiled the extent of waste lagoons in North Carolina, which is the second biggest hog-farming industry, and the third in poultry production, in the U.S. Their analysis revealed more than 4,100 waste pits covering over 6,800 acres, with many of them located near low-lying bodies of water. In addition:11

37 were located within one-half mile of a school

288 were within one-half mile of a church

136 were within one-half mile of a public water well

170 were located within North Carolina's 100-year floodplain

North Carolina's Neuse and Cape Fear Rivers, which provide drinking water for 40 percent of the state's residents, have been named among the most endangered rivers in the U.S. because of the many CAFOs in the rivers' floodplains.12 EWG and the Waterkeeper Alliance revealed much of the impact of Hurricane Mathew on North Carolina CAFOs in 2016, and they plan to conduct a similar analysis for Hurricane Florence.

Soren Rundquist, EWG's director of spatial analysis, explained, "Obviously, our first concern is for people directly threatened by the storm … But by mapping the impact on CAFOs, we want to drive home the recklessness of placing densely concentrated industrial-scale livestock operations in a low-lying area regularly deluged by tropical storms."13

Even Without a Hurricane, CAFOs Are Environmental Disasters

It's not only hurricane-force winds and rain that make CAFOs so atrocious for the environment and animal welfare. Even in perfect weather, these industrial farms represent an unsustainable and environmentally catastrophic method of farming. Take the hog CAFOs, where pigs are forced to live indoors standing over their own waste.

The fumes from the urine and feces would kill the pigs, were it not for giant fans that force the toxic air outside. The air inside a CAFO is concentrated with ammonia, which is formed when microbes digest nitrogen in manure. It has a pungent odor and can lead to chemical burns, cough and chronic lung disease.

Other toxic compounds commonly released by CAFOs include hydrogen sulfide, which has a rotten egg odor and can cause inflammation of eye and respiratory tract membranes, loss of olfactory neurons and even death.14

Methane, an odorless but highly flammable greenhouse gas, is also present. In an interview with Spendid Table, author Barry Estabrook, who visited an Iowa pig CAFO while researching his book "Pig Tales," said:15

"The workers inside the barns suffer from a host of respiratory illnesses, diminished lung capacity and chronic coughing. If you have asthma to begin with, you can't work in one of those places, because you would have a seizure the minute you go in — an attack.

But you can develop asthma by working there. Even veterinarians who visit these places only occasionally have diminished lung capacity. Again, you're breathing poisonous gases."

CAFO Fumes Prove Deadly

CAFO fumes are so toxic that a father and son were killed at an Iowa pig farm while trying to repair a pump. A piece of equipment fell into the manure pit, and they were overcome by the gasses while trying to retrieve it.16

Given the fact that these fumes are regularly pumped outdoors, it's not surprising research has found that people living near Iowa CAFOs have elevated rates of respiratory symptoms compared to those not living near the industrial farms.

In North Carolina, CAFO neighbors report increased headaches, runny noses, sore throats, coughing, diarrhea and burning eyes,17 while the odors alone are also associated with tension, depression and anger.

Children living near pig CAFOs also have a higher incidence of asthma,18 and these polluting CAFOs are found most often in areas with larger African-American, Latino and Native American populations. CAFOs in North Carolina are far less likely to appear in white communities, especially those low in poverty. "This spatial pattern is generally recognized as environmental racism," researchers wrote.19

CAFOs Spread Disease

The risks of an overflowing CAFO waste lagoon are many, including not only the overgrowth of fish-killing algae but also the spread of disease. For instance, a sometimes-fatal pig virus that causes diarrhea and vomiting in pigs, the porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), first identified in Hong Kong in 2012, has recently been shown to have the potential to leap to humans.20Antibiotic-resistant disease is also common in CAFOs. Estabrook noted:21

"The people who work inside hog confinement buildings are often exposed to deadly bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics. They become resistant because these pigs are constantly fed a diet of low-level antibiotics. The germs that are resistant are the ones that survive and go on to breed."

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have even been found in the air both inside and downwind of a hog CAFO, with researchers noting, "This could pose a potential human health effect for those who work within or live in close proximity to these facilities."22 Antibiotic-resistant genes were further identified in manure from a hog CAFO as well as in groundwater 250 meters (820 feet) downstream from the lagoon.23

Another study found that people with the highest exposure to hog-CAFO manure were 38 percent more likely to contract community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and 30 percent more likely to get health care-associated MRSA.24

Level of exposure was calculated based on proximity to hog farms, the size of the farms and how much manure the farm in question used. So being in an area touched by CAFO manure-contaminated floodwater following a hurricane may be akin to stepping into a petri dish of antibiotic-resistant disease.

'Big Ag Is King'

You may be wondering how Big Agriculture can get away with all of this, but the fact is it's not only completely legal but considered "state of the art" when it comes to raising pigs.

Elsie Herring, who lives in eastern North Carolina next to a field regularly sprayed with CAFO pig manure, has said it's so bad, "You stand outside and it feels like it's raining but then you realize it isn't rain. It's animal waste. It takes your breath away. You start gagging, coughing, your pulse increases. All you can do is run for cover."25

She and other residents have gone to local, state and federal governments for help but "gotten the runaround," according to Estabrook, who pointed out the power wielded by Big Ag in states like North Carolina:26

"Politically, wherever pork is produced in large quantities, Big Ag is king. You think of states such as North Carolina, Iowa and Minnesota. Big Ag is a very, very, very powerful political force. It doesn't matter whether the politicians are Democrats, Republicans or Libertarians; they dance to the tune of Big Agriculture."

More than two dozen nuisance lawsuits have been filed against Murphy Brown LLC, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork producer, alleging that the stench, filth, noise and flies from the neighboring CAFOs were ruining their quality of life.

Although the first two suits have had favorable outcomes to the plaintiffs in recent months, the damages awarded are expected to be reduced due to a North Carolina law that limits punitive damages to no more than three times the amount of compensatory damages or $250,000, whichever is greater.

Further, in June 2018, North Carolina legislators passed a law restricting future nuisance lawsuits aimed at pig CAFOs. While those already filed will not be affected, future lawsuits will be nearly impossible for CAFO neighbors to file, proving once again that "Big Ag is king."

How to Find Superior Pastured Pork

Every time you buy CAFO pork (or any CAFO product), you're supporting this atrocious industry and all of their dangerous and inhumane practices. I encourage you to avoid CAFO meats and instead either buy your meat direct from a trusted grass fed farm or look for the American Grassfed Association (AGA) logo, a grass fed standards and certification for American-grown grass fed meat and dairy.27

The AGA pastured pork standards include a forage-based diet derived from pasture, animal health and welfare, no antibiotics and no added growth hormones. At the very least, if you buy pork from a supermarket, look for an antibiotic-free label, which may signal that the pig was raised in somewhat better conditions, or a certified organic label, which also means the pigs weren't fed antibiotics.

The ideal method for raising pigs, however, is on pasture, so always look for pastured pork when possible. Buying pastured pork means you're not supporting a corrupt, polluting and disease-spreading method of agriculture, and you'll also benefit from superior flavor.

"Once you've tasted well-raised pork, you really can't go back to the old stuff," Estabrook said. "I tell people it's the difference between a January tomato in a supermarket and a nice summer tomato from your garden; factory pork and well-raised pork is that different."28

from HealthyLife via Jake Glover on Inoreader http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/09/25/hurricane-floods-manure-lagoons.aspx

[sherristockman]

What Happens When a Hurricane Hits a CAFO? Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are among the most notorious polluters on the planet, but when they're located in hurricane-prone areas like North Carolina, it adds another degree of potential for environmental disaster. North Carolina is home to 1,222 CAFOs, compared to about 300 in a more land-locked state like Illinois.1 Of North Carolina's active CAFOs, at least 45 of them are located in 100-year and 500-year floodplains that were at risk of being flooded by streams and rivers during September 2018's Hurricane Florence.2 New information is still coming in daily on the devastation Hurricane Florence caused to North Carolina CAFOs, and I'll be documenting the full extent of this tragic — yet predictable and preventable — event in an upcoming article. As you might imagine, when CAFOs raise tens of thousands of pigs or more in one facility, some churning out millions of pigs a year, waste is a major problem. There's no healthy or natural way to get rid of that much manure, which for North Carolina adds up to 10 billion gallons of wet animal waste annually — enough to fill more than 15,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.3 That's in addition to the 2 million tons of dry waste created annually by poultry CAFOs in the state.4 In the U.S., 97 percent of pigs are raised in CAFOs, many of them spending their entire lives confined to indoor pens with slatted floors. Their waste falls through the slats where it collects before being pumped into outdoor cesspools of waste, dubbed "lagoons" by the industry. Even under the best circumstances, the waste pits are known to leak their noxious contents into nearby waterways and streams, but during a hurricane the risks become exponentially higher. Hurricane Floodwaters Can Breach Waste Pits, Leading to Spillover CAFO waste sits in open-air lagoons, waiting to be sprayed onto neighboring fields (and often unfortunate neighbors). But when excess levels of rain fall, such as is common during a hurricane, they can become flooded, leading to spillover. In North Carolina, Andy Curliss, the CEO of the North Carolina Pork Council, estimated that CAFO lagoons could handle up to 25 inches of rain without a breach, but some forecasts called for as much as 40 inches of rain during Florence.5 It's not a new problem for the area but, rather, one that's been looming for decades. In 1997, following manure spills that proved to be disastrous, North Carolina implemented a ban on the construction of new CAFOs, but the ban expired in 1997 (and loopholes allowed some CAFOs to be built even during the ban).6 In 1999, floodwaters from Hurricane Floyd breached waste lagoons, causing the toxic sludge to flow out into waterways and agricultural fields. Farmers saw their crops covered in waste while rescue workers were sickened by the fumes. Algae blooms flourished, killing off fish and other marine life. Area residents were faced with contaminated water and millions of animals, including poultry and hogs, also drowned during the disaster.7 That same year, eastern North Carolina experienced a "large increase" in visits to health services for intestinal infections in counties with high concentrations of pig farming that were affected by the hurricane.8 Even a splash of floodwater on your face or open cut could be enough to cause infection. In 2016, it happened again following Hurricane Matthew, when at least 14 waste pits were flooded. The North Carolina Pork Council stated at the time that pollution due to hog lagoon breaches by Hurricane Matthew floodwaters was minimal, but aerial photographs obtained by watchdog groups showed otherwise, with multiple photos of waste lagoons leaking or subsumed by floodwaters.9 Manure Cannons to Drain the Cesspool When waste lagoons get full, the contents are sprayed via giant "cannons" onto nearby fields. It's called "fertilizer" but in reality the excess waste often leaches into groundwater and wells, poisoning drinking water, and runs off into waterways, turning once pristine bodies of water into veritable toilets. The resulting damage includes an excess of nutrients that lead to algae overgrowth, depleting the water of oxygen and killing fish and other marine life in expansive dead zones. In the days leading up to Hurricane Florence, many CAFO farmers scrambled to pump waste from the lagoons ahead of the storm, hoping to make room for the potentially record-setting levels of rainfall. Although theoretically this should help to contain more of the waste, when asked whether they would actually hold up in the face of heavy, hurricane-driven rain, Marlowe Vaughan of Ivy Spring Creek Farm in Goldsboro, North Carolina, told NPR, "We don't really know. I mean, we try to pump down as much as we can, but after that, it's kind of in God's hands. We're kind of at the mercy of the storm."10 In 2016, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and the Waterkeeper Alliance unveiled the extent of waste lagoons in North Carolina, which is the second biggest hog-farming industry, and the third in poultry production, in the U.S. Their analysis revealed more than 4,100 waste pits covering over 6,800 acres, with many of them located near low-lying bodies of water. In addition:11 37 were located within one-half mile of a school 288 were within one-half mile of a church 136 were within one-half mile of a public water well 170 were located within North Carolina's 100-year floodplain North Carolina's Neuse and Cape Fear Rivers, which provide drinking water for 40 percent of the state's residents, have been named among the most endangered rivers in the U.S. because of the many CAFOs in the rivers' floodplains.12 EWG and the Waterkeeper Alliance revealed much of the impact of Hurricane Mathew on North Carolina CAFOs in 2016, and they plan to conduct a similar analysis for Hurricane Florence. Soren Rundquist, EWG's director of spatial analysis, explained, "Obviously, our first concern is for people directly threatened by the storm … But by mapping the impact on CAFOs, we want to drive home the recklessness of placing densely concentrated industrial-scale livestock operations in a low-lying area regularly deluged by tropical storms."13 Even Without a Hurricane, CAFOs Are Environmental Disasters It's not only hurricane-force winds and rain that make CAFOs so atrocious for the environment and animal welfare. Even in perfect weather, these industrial farms represent an unsustainable and environmentally catastrophic method of farming. Take the hog CAFOs, where pigs are forced to live indoors standing over their own waste. The fumes from the urine and feces would kill the pigs, were it not for giant fans that force the toxic air outside. The air inside a CAFO is concentrated with ammonia, which is formed when microbes digest nitrogen in manure. It has a pungent odor and can lead to chemical burns, cough and chronic lung disease. Other toxic compounds commonly released by CAFOs include hydrogen sulfide, which has a rotten egg odor and can cause inflammation of eye and respiratory tract membranes, loss of olfactory neurons and even death.14 Methane, an odorless but highly flammable greenhouse gas, is also present. In an interview with Spendid Table, author Barry Estabrook, who visited an Iowa pig CAFO while researching his book "Pig Tales," said:15 "The workers inside the barns suffer from a host of respiratory illnesses, diminished lung capacity and chronic coughing. If you have asthma to begin with, you can't work in one of those places, because you would have a seizure the minute you go in — an attack. But you can develop asthma by working there. Even veterinarians who visit these places only occasionally have diminished lung capacity. Again, you're breathing poisonous gases." CAFO Fumes Prove Deadly CAFO fumes are so toxic that a father and son were killed at an Iowa pig farm while trying to repair a pump. A piece of equipment fell into the manure pit, and they were overcome by the gasses while trying to retrieve it.16 Given the fact that these fumes are regularly pumped outdoors, it's not surprising research has found that people living near Iowa CAFOs have elevated rates of respiratory symptoms compared to those not living near the industrial farms. In North Carolina, CAFO neighbors report increased headaches, runny noses, sore throats, coughing, diarrhea and burning eyes,17 while the odors alone are also associated with tension, depression and anger. Children living near pig CAFOs also have a higher incidence of asthma,18 and these polluting CAFOs are found most often in areas with larger African-American, Latino and Native American populations. CAFOs in North Carolina are far less likely to appear in white communities, especially those low in poverty. "This spatial pattern is generally recognized as environmental racism," researchers wrote.19 CAFOs Spread Disease The risks of an overflowing CAFO waste lagoon are many, including not only the overgrowth of fish-killing algae but also the spread of disease. For instance, a sometimes-fatal pig virus that causes diarrhea and vomiting in pigs, the porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), first identified in Hong Kong in 2012, has recently been shown to have the potential to leap to humans.20 Antibiotic-resistant disease is also common in CAFOs. Estabrook noted:21 "The people who work inside hog confinement buildings are often exposed to deadly bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics. They become resistant because these pigs are constantly fed a diet of low-level antibiotics. The germs that are resistant are the ones that survive and go on to breed." Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have even been found in the air both inside and downwind of a hog CAFO, with researchers noting, "This could pose a potential human health effect for those who work within or live in close proximity to these facilities."22 Antibiotic-resistant genes were further identified in manure from a hog CAFO as well as in groundwater 250 meters (820 feet) downstream from the lagoon.23 Another study found that people with the highest exposure to hog-CAFO manure were 38 percent more likely to contract community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and 30 percent more likely to get health care-associated MRSA.24 Level of exposure was calculated based on proximity to hog farms, the size of the farms and how much manure the farm in question used. So being in an area touched by CAFO manure-contaminated floodwater following a hurricane may be akin to stepping into a petri dish of antibiotic-resistant disease. 'Big Ag Is King' You may be wondering how Big Agriculture can get away with all of this, but the fact is it's not only completely legal but considered "state of the art" when it comes to raising pigs. Elsie Herring, who lives in eastern North Carolina next to a field regularly sprayed with CAFO pig manure, has said it's so bad, "You stand outside and it feels like it's raining but then you realize it isn't rain. It's animal waste. It takes your breath away. You start gagging, coughing, your pulse increases. All you can do is run for cover."25 She and other residents have gone to local, state and federal governments for help but "gotten the runaround," according to Estabrook, who pointed out the power wielded by Big Ag in states like North Carolina:26 "Politically, wherever pork is produced in large quantities, Big Ag is king. You think of states such as North Carolina, Iowa and Minnesota. Big Ag is a very, very, very powerful political force. It doesn't matter whether the politicians are Democrats, Republicans or Libertarians; they dance to the tune of Big Agriculture." More than two dozen nuisance lawsuits have been filed against Murphy Brown LLC, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork producer, alleging that the stench, filth, noise and flies from the neighboring CAFOs were ruining their quality of life. Although the first two suits have had favorable outcomes to the plaintiffs in recent months, the damages awarded are expected to be reduced due to a North Carolina law that limits punitive damages to no more than three times the amount of compensatory damages or $250,000, whichever is greater. Further, in June 2018, North Carolina legislators passed a law restricting future nuisance lawsuits aimed at pig CAFOs. While those already filed will not be affected, future lawsuits will be nearly impossible for CAFO neighbors to file, proving once again that "Big Ag is king." How to Find Superior Pastured Pork Every time you buy CAFO pork (or any CAFO product), you're supporting this atrocious industry and all of their dangerous and inhumane practices. I encourage you to avoid CAFO meats and instead either buy your meat direct from a trusted grass fed farm or look for the American Grassfed Association (AGA) logo, a grass fed standards and certification for American-grown grass fed meat and dairy.27 The AGA pastured pork standards include a forage-based diet derived from pasture, animal health and welfare, no antibiotics and no added growth hormones. At the very least, if you buy pork from a supermarket, look for an antibiotic-free label, which may signal that the pig was raised in somewhat better conditions, or a certified organic label, which also means the pigs weren't fed antibiotics. The ideal method for raising pigs, however, is on pasture, so always look for pastured pork when possible. Buying pastured pork means you're not supporting a corrupt, polluting and disease-spreading method of agriculture, and you'll also benefit from superior flavor. "Once you've tasted well-raised pork, you really can't go back to the old stuff," Estabrook said. "I tell people it's the difference between a January tomato in a supermarket and a nice summer tomato from your garden; factory pork and well-raised pork is that different."28

[paulgdaluzusa]

Water Damage Rochester Hills – 5 Flood Prevention Tips

Hey Rochester Hills!

These pro tips are for you – and the rest of the great state of Michigan, and anyone who can benefit from the advice we’re about to share.

We’re MI Floodmasters, the state’s foremost experts on water damage restoration. And as water restoration companies know, not all water damage is avoidable. Sometimes things just happen – like “flash flooding,” for instance.

However, that’s not always the case. Sometimes the old Franklin adage – an ounce of prevention and all that – actually holds water.

Ouch. That’s a bad joke, but great advice. Water damage from manmade sources – plumbing issues and overflows and so on – is avoidable with proper maintenance and vigilance. Flood damage is a bit more complicated, but there are still things you can do to minimize your risk.

So let’s talk about … well, all of that!

Water creates as many problems where it isn’t wanted as vermin or fire. It can cause major structural damage to your property and it can wreak unbelievable cosmetic havoc.

It can cause mold to grow in your walls, leading to respiratory infections and allergic reactions. And in the case of contaminated water, it can carry microbes that can cause illness or even death.

So, as a residential or commercial property owner, how do you mitigate the risk factors?

Many would say that a great step one is don’t build in a floodplain. But we humans aren’t really like that. We’re adventurous and tenacious. If we build in Tornado Alley, we’re going to build anywhere. So we’ll gloss right by that piece of information and jump into some real, manageable, actionable tips you can take right away.

Water Damage Prevention

First off – most water damage in Rochester Hills isn’t caused by flooding and natural disasters. Most cases of water damage are caused by plumbing and poor roof maintenance. So we’ll start there, before we dive into the flood damage prevention tips.

So:

A View From the Top: Or, Roof Rage!

The roof of your home is the perfect way to stay dry …

… until it isn’t. All it takes is a blockage in the gutter or a couple of loose or missing shingles to start allowing water to seep in and wreck the joint. You may not have a visible hole in your roof but that doesn’t mean you aren’t in trouble.

Keeping an eye on that is pretty easy. Call a roofer for an annual inspection, and make sure shingles and gutters are being properly maintained. Your dry belongings will thank you.

About Your Appliances

That washing machine. That dishwasher. That icemaker.

Anything in your home that has a water supply line could be the culprit when gallons of unwanted water go sloshing around your home or office. If you want to ensure that nothing goes horribly awry, you’d better:

Check supply hoses and ensure they’re tight – but not too tight.

Have your valves manually inspected.

Look for kinks in any hoses.

Check for leaks, pooling water, or other signs of potential issues.

Oh, and your sink can be an issue as well. That means:

Check the plumbing under the sink any time you get a chance.

Make sure the shutoff valve is in working order, and that you and everyone else in the building know where it is and how to operate it.

Check for kinks and clogs.

Call a plumber if you’ve got little repetitive issues like a constantly clogging drain or a leaky tap.

Your hot water heater is another potential source of damage. Most hot water heaters live less than a decade … but most hot water heaters aren’t replaced until they fail.

Lots of things undermine the integrity of that appliance. Sediment pools inside them. They’re rarely maintained by homeowners, and property managers often overlook them as well. They’re also rusting basically all the time.

Did you know:

Your hot water heater doesn’t rust for only one reason. There’s a bar inside called an anode, made of a reactive metal like magnesium or aluminum, that essentially does all of the rusting so your water heater won’t.

Anodes only last a couple years, though. And most homeowners don’t bother having them replaced. That’s like losing a member of the Secret Service and not replacing him.

You’re leaving the Appliance-In-Chief vulnerable to attack. Simply replacing that anode could extend your water heater’s life by double, and keep the water damage at bay.

Maintaining that appliance will keep your home out of hot water.

Lastly, on the topic of appliances, keep an eye on your toilet. Wait until it finishes flushing to leave the bathroom, pay attention to ensure that it doesn’t run longer than it should, and have it inspected annually if you can.

Do that and you will drastically improve your chances of avoiding a toilet-based disaster that buries your floor in a few inches of questionable liquid.

Plants are lovely – but shouldn’t be planted without a little knowledge.

A lot of us like to do our own landscaping. One area where you’ve got to be careful, though, is trees. Willow trees, for instance, are notorious for their deep and long roots.

They can travel many feet from the tree’s trunk – and they can rupture anything in their path. We’ve done some cleanups that resulted from a willow tree’s roots puncturing a septic tank.

That can be fairly unpleasant, to say the least.

When you’re planting, it wouldn’t hurt to get a little professional advice on where to safely embed your green and growing friends. Watch out for underground pipes, drainage sources, sprinklers, septic tanks, wells, and so on.

Your. Water. Bill.

Your water bill can predict the future. If it stays relatively consistent, things are probably okay. However, if you notice it climbing a bit (or a lot) each month, you can safely wager that there’s a leak in your pipes somewhere.

You can also safely assume that it means you harm. A leak will either continue leaking, or it will get worse. It will not get better. And even a small leak could be damaging your property by causing mold to grow behind your walls or weakening the foundation with slow seepage.

Get intrepid – go looking for leaks.

And if you’re not feeling up to that, call a contractor. We love looking for trouble.

Most water damage that results from plumbing could have been avoided. Don’t be a statistic.

Invest in a drain snake – not chemicals.

A drain snake is a one-time purchase that costs about as much as two bottles of your average clog-eating chemical. So why do most homeowners reach for the Drano?

Because it’s advertised as safe and easy … but the reality is a little uglier.

While it might seem easy to drop a couple caps of caustic chemicals down the drain to deal with that clog:

They’re eating your pipes.

They’re releasing noxious vapors into your home.

They only work once.

They’re EATING YOUR PIPES!

You only have to buy a drain snake once. It always works, and it isn’t hard to use. Stow it in a closet or under a sink when you’re not using it, and never buy drain cleaner again.

That’s a fair collection of tips that you can use to avoid causing water damage. Neglecting your own plumbing is unwise, so we hope you’ll take the advice we’ve given you here to heart. If you don’t, we’ll be here to help you clean up the mess.

Now it’s time to discuss flood damage, which is a whole different ballgame.

Flood Damage Prevention Tips

We will – once again – be skipping right over “Don’t build in a floodplain.” Most people don’t. Some people do. We don’t really have any power over where you’ve chosen to live. If you live somewhere near a river that occasionally hops its banks, you can do more than shake your head ruefully when record rains fall.

Floods are, of course, among the most dangerous (and most common) hazards our earth has to offer. Here are just a few ways you can protect yourself against them.

Seal your basement walls with waterproofing compound.

Seepage is a serious issue. Whether you do or don’t have great drainage, a sump pump and waterproof walls will go a long way to keeping your home safe when the water rises.

This isn’t an easy DIY project, but it’s something good contractors can handle for you. With more than half of all homes in the US suffering from a case of “wet basement,” it’s not something you should take lightly.

Keep a weather eye out.

Most of the time, floods don’t catch us completely off-guard. If you think there’s a chance you’ll need to be prepared, keep your radio or TV on the appropriate station and listen for the information you need.

Elevate your furnace and water heater.

Other permanent appliances can be elevated, as well, but those jump to mind immediately. Have them placed on risers above the expected flood levels in your area, if you live in a known flood zone.

Inspect your sump pump and drainage annually.

Or, better yet, have a professional do it for you to make sure you don’t miss something! Your sump pump takes water entering your perimeter drains, or natural ground water, or rain overflow, and send it to a municipal drain or dry well.

As far as home appliances go, these unglamorous little guys are your best friends in a flood.

Install a generator.

An electrician can help you create a redundancy in case of power loss that will keep your sump pump operational in the event of a flood. A battery backup is also possible, and if it’s an option, you should take it.

Install a backflow prevention valve.

A plumber can easily minimize your risk of sewage backup – and we cannot stress how glad you will be that they did if the worst should happen. Sewage is by far the most hazardous kind of flooding damage your property can sustain.

It comes with many health hazards – not to mention a distinctly unpleasant odor. While water damage restoration experts – like MI Floodmasters here in Rochester Hills – can take care of that for you, it will be an unpleasant experience for everyone.

Create floodwalls and other barriers where possible.

Anything you can do to keep water from getting into your home is a valuable thing. You can use beams, sandbags, and other materials to create levees and floodwalls. Stockpiling sandbags isn’t a bad idea if you live in an area prone to occasional flooding.

Know a “Flood Watch” from a “Flood Warning.”

In the minds of many property owners, these two terms are interchangeable. Unfortunately, they do not mean the same thing, and should not be taken with the same degree of seriousness.

A “flood watch” is an informal thing. It means a flood is possible, and that the community should keep a weather eye on things. A “flood warning” is like a tornado warning; it means a flood is either happening or is likely to happen.

A flood watch means you should start preparing, just in case. A flood warning means you should activate those preparations, grab the survival kit you’ve packed for just such an occasion, prepare your home as best you’re able, and be ready to seek high ground.

While our job as water damage restoration technicians is to worry about your home or property, your job is to stay safe. Flash flooding is always a possibility, and you shouldn’t remain in your home if that could happen.

Move your essential items and important documents to the top floor. Disconnect electrical appliances and shut off your utilities if you need to.

After a flood, if water damage has still been sustained, restoration companies like MI Floodmasters will be there to help you clean up the damage.

Whether the cause is manmade or naturally-occurring, the best water damage restoration crews in Rochester Hills are available 24/7/365, for residential and commercial cleanups. Let us keep you dry. Call (586) 842-8142 today

The post Water Damage Rochester Hills – 5 Flood Prevention Tips appeared first on MI Floodmasters.

source http://www.mifloodmasters.com/water-damage-rochester-hills-5-flood-prevention-tips/ from MI Floodmasters http://mifloodmasters.blogspot.com/2017/10/water-damage-rochester-hills-5-flood.html

[mifloodmasters]

Water Damage Rochester Hills – 5 Flood Prevention Tips

Hey Rochester Hills!

These pro tips are for you – and the rest of the great state of Michigan, and anyone who can benefit from the advice we’re about to share.

We’re MI Floodmasters, the state’s foremost experts on water damage restoration. And as water restoration companies know, not all water damage is avoidable. Sometimes things just happen – like “flash flooding,” for instance.

However, that’s not always the case. Sometimes the old Franklin adage – an ounce of prevention and all that – actually holds water.

Ouch. That’s a bad joke, but great advice. Water damage from manmade sources – plumbing issues and overflows and so on – is avoidable with proper maintenance and vigilance. Flood damage is a bit more complicated, but there are still things you can do to minimize your risk.

So let’s talk about … well, all of that!

Water creates as many problems where it isn’t wanted as vermin or fire. It can cause major structural damage to your property and it can wreak unbelievable cosmetic havoc.

It can cause mold to grow in your walls, leading to respiratory infections and allergic reactions. And in the case of contaminated water, it can carry microbes that can cause illness or even death.

So, as a residential or commercial property owner, how do you mitigate the risk factors?

Many would say that a great step one is don’t build in a floodplain. But we humans aren’t really like that. We’re adventurous and tenacious. If we build in Tornado Alley, we’re going to build anywhere. So we’ll gloss right by that piece of information and jump into some real, manageable, actionable tips you can take right away.

Water Damage Prevention

First off – most water damage in Rochester Hills isn’t caused by flooding and natural disasters. Most cases of water damage are caused by plumbing and poor roof maintenance. So we’ll start there, before we dive into the flood damage prevention tips.

So:

A View From the Top: Or, Roof Rage!

The roof of your home is the perfect way to stay dry …

… until it isn’t. All it takes is a blockage in the gutter or a couple of loose or missing shingles to start allowing water to seep in and wreck the joint. You may not have a visible hole in your roof but that doesn’t mean you aren’t in trouble.

Keeping an eye on that is pretty easy. Call a roofer for an annual inspection, and make sure shingles and gutters are being properly maintained. Your dry belongings will thank you.

About Your Appliances

That washing machine. That dishwasher. That icemaker.

Anything in your home that has a water supply line could be the culprit when gallons of unwanted water go sloshing around your home or office. If you want to ensure that nothing goes horribly awry, you’d better:

Check supply hoses and ensure they’re tight – but not too tight.

Have your valves manually inspected.

Look for kinks in any hoses.

Check for leaks, pooling water, or other signs of potential issues.

Oh, and your sink can be an issue as well. That means:

Check the plumbing under the sink any time you get a chance.

Make sure the shutoff valve is in working order, and that you and everyone else in the building know where it is and how to operate it.

Check for kinks and clogs.

Call a plumber if you’ve got little repetitive issues like a constantly clogging drain or a leaky tap.

Your hot water heater is another potential source of damage. Most hot water heaters live less than a decade … but most hot water heaters aren’t replaced until they fail.

Lots of things undermine the integrity of that appliance. Sediment pools inside them. They’re rarely maintained by homeowners, and property managers often overlook them as well. They’re also rusting basically all the time.

Did you know:

Your hot water heater doesn’t rust for only one reason. There’s a bar inside called an anode, made of a reactive metal like magnesium or aluminum, that essentially does all of the rusting so your water heater won’t.

Anodes only last a couple years, though. And most homeowners don’t bother having them replaced. That’s like losing a member of the Secret Service and not replacing him.

You’re leaving the Appliance-In-Chief vulnerable to attack. Simply replacing that anode could extend your water heater’s life by double, and keep the water damage at bay.

Maintaining that appliance will keep your home out of hot water.

Lastly, on the topic of appliances, keep an eye on your toilet. Wait until it finishes flushing to leave the bathroom, pay attention to ensure that it doesn’t run longer than it should, and have it inspected annually if you can.

Do that and you will drastically improve your chances of avoiding a toilet-based disaster that buries your floor in a few inches of questionable liquid.

Plants are lovely – but shouldn’t be planted without a little knowledge.

A lot of us like to do our own landscaping. One area where you’ve got to be careful, though, is trees. Willow trees, for instance, are notorious for their deep and long roots.

They can travel many feet from the tree’s trunk – and they can rupture anything in their path. We’ve done some cleanups that resulted from a willow tree’s roots puncturing a septic tank.

That can be fairly unpleasant, to say the least.

When you’re planting, it wouldn’t hurt to get a little professional advice on where to safely embed your green and growing friends. Watch out for underground pipes, drainage sources, sprinklers, septic tanks, wells, and so on.

Your. Water. Bill.

Your water bill can predict the future. If it stays relatively consistent, things are probably okay. However, if you notice it climbing a bit (or a lot) each month, you can safely wager that there’s a leak in your pipes somewhere.

You can also safely assume that it means you harm. A leak will either continue leaking, or it will get worse. It will not get better. And even a small leak could be damaging your property by causing mold to grow behind your walls or weakening the foundation with slow seepage.

Get intrepid – go looking for leaks.

And if you’re not feeling up to that, call a contractor. We love looking for trouble.

Most water damage that results from plumbing could have been avoided. Don’t be a statistic.

Invest in a drain snake – not chemicals.

A drain snake is a one-time purchase that costs about as much as two bottles of your average clog-eating chemical. So why do most homeowners reach for the Drano?

Because it’s advertised as safe and easy … but the reality is a little uglier.

While it might seem easy to drop a couple caps of caustic chemicals down the drain to deal with that clog:

They’re eating your pipes.

They’re releasing noxious vapors into your home.

They only work once.

They’re EATING YOUR PIPES!

You only have to buy a drain snake once. It always works, and it isn’t hard to use. Stow it in a closet or under a sink when you’re not using it, and never buy drain cleaner again.

That’s a fair collection of tips that you can use to avoid causing water damage. Neglecting your own plumbing is unwise, so we hope you’ll take the advice we’ve given you here to heart. If you don’t, we’ll be here to help you clean up the mess.

Now it’s time to discuss flood damage, which is a whole different ballgame.

Flood Damage Prevention Tips

We will – once again – be skipping right over “Don’t build in a floodplain.” Most people don’t. Some people do. We don’t really have any power over where you’ve chosen to live. If you live somewhere near a river that occasionally hops its banks, you can do more than shake your head ruefully when record rains fall.

Floods are, of course, among the most dangerous (and most common) hazards our earth has to offer. Here are just a few ways you can protect yourself against them.

Seal your basement walls with waterproofing compound.

Seepage is a serious issue. Whether you do or don’t have great drainage, a sump pump and waterproof walls will go a long way to keeping your home safe when the water rises.

This isn’t an easy DIY project, but it’s something good contractors can handle for you. With more than half of all homes in the US suffering from a case of “wet basement,” it’s not something you should take lightly.

Keep a weather eye out.

Most of the time, floods don’t catch us completely off-guard. If you think there’s a chance you’ll need to be prepared, keep your radio or TV on the appropriate station and listen for the information you need.

Elevate your furnace and water heater.

Other permanent appliances can be elevated, as well, but those jump to mind immediately. Have them placed on risers above the expected flood levels in your area, if you live in a known flood zone.

Inspect your sump pump and drainage annually.

Or, better yet, have a professional do it for you to make sure you don’t miss something! Your sump pump takes water entering your perimeter drains, or natural ground water, or rain overflow, and send it to a municipal drain or dry well.

As far as home appliances go, these unglamorous little guys are your best friends in a flood.

Install a generator.

An electrician can help you create a redundancy in case of power loss that will keep your sump pump operational in the event of a flood. A battery backup is also possible, and if it’s an option, you should take it.

Install a backflow prevention valve.

A plumber can easily minimize your risk of sewage backup – and we cannot stress how glad you will be that they did if the worst should happen. Sewage is by far the most hazardous kind of flooding damage your property can sustain.

It comes with many health hazards – not to mention a distinctly unpleasant odor. While water damage restoration experts – like MI Floodmasters here in Rochester Hills – can take care of that for you, it will be an unpleasant experience for everyone.

Create floodwalls and other barriers where possible.

Anything you can do to keep water from getting into your home is a valuable thing. You can use beams, sandbags, and other materials to create levees and floodwalls. Stockpiling sandbags isn’t a bad idea if you live in an area prone to occasional flooding.

Know a “Flood Watch” from a “Flood Warning.”

In the minds of many property owners, these two terms are interchangeable. Unfortunately, they do not mean the same thing, and should not be taken with the same degree of seriousness.

A “flood watch” is an informal thing. It means a flood is possible, and that the community should keep a weather eye on things. A “flood warning” is like a tornado warning; it means a flood is either happening or is likely to happen.

A flood watch means you should start preparing, just in case. A flood warning means you should activate those preparations, grab the survival kit you’ve packed for just such an occasion, prepare your home as best you’re able, and be ready to seek high ground.

While our job as water damage restoration technicians is to worry about your home or property, your job is to stay safe. Flash flooding is always a possibility, and you shouldn’t remain in your home if that could happen.

Move your essential items and important documents to the top floor. Disconnect electrical appliances and shut off your utilities if you need to.

After a flood, if water damage has still been sustained, restoration companies like MI Floodmasters will be there to help you clean up the damage.

Whether the cause is manmade or naturally-occurring, the best water damage restoration crews in Rochester Hills are available 24/7/365, for residential and commercial cleanups. Let us keep you dry. Call (586) 842-8142 today

The post Water Damage Rochester Hills – 5 Flood Prevention Tips appeared first on MI Floodmasters.

from MI Floodmasters http://www.mifloodmasters.com/water-damage-rochester-hills-5-flood-prevention-tips/

[cristinkgarzaky]

Water Damage Rochester Hills – 5 Flood Prevention Tips

Hey Rochester Hills!

These pro tips are for you – and the rest of the great state of Michigan, and anyone who can benefit from the advice we’re about to share.

We’re MI Floodmasters, the state’s foremost experts on water damage restoration. And as water restoration companies know, not all water damage is avoidable. Sometimes things just happen – like “flash flooding,” for instance.

However, that’s not always the case. Sometimes the old Franklin adage – an ounce of prevention and all that – actually holds water.

Ouch. That’s a bad joke, but great advice. Water damage from manmade sources – plumbing issues and overflows and so on – is avoidable with proper maintenance and vigilance. Flood damage is a bit more complicated, but there are still things you can do to minimize your risk.

So let’s talk about … well, all of that!

Water creates as many problems where it isn’t wanted as vermin or fire. It can cause major structural damage to your property and it can wreak unbelievable cosmetic havoc.

It can cause mold to grow in your walls, leading to respiratory infections and allergic reactions. And in the case of contaminated water, it can carry microbes that can cause illness or even death.

So, as a residential or commercial property owner, how do you mitigate the risk factors?

Many would say that a great step one is don’t build in a floodplain. But we humans aren’t really like that. We’re adventurous and tenacious. If we build in Tornado Alley, we’re going to build anywhere. So we’ll gloss right by that piece of information and jump into some real, manageable, actionable tips you can take right away.

Water Damage Prevention

First off – most water damage in Rochester Hills isn’t caused by flooding and natural disasters. Most cases of water damage are caused by plumbing and poor roof maintenance. So we’ll start there, before we dive into the flood damage prevention tips.

So:

A View From the Top: Or, Roof Rage!

The roof of your home is the perfect way to stay dry …

… until it isn’t. All it takes is a blockage in the gutter or a couple of loose or missing shingles to start allowing water to seep in and wreck the joint. You may not have a visible hole in your roof but that doesn’t mean you aren’t in trouble.

Keeping an eye on that is pretty easy. Call a roofer for an annual inspection, and make sure shingles and gutters are being properly maintained. Your dry belongings will thank you.

About Your Appliances

That washing machine. That dishwasher. That icemaker.

Anything in your home that has a water supply line could be the culprit when gallons of unwanted water go sloshing around your home or office. If you want to ensure that nothing goes horribly awry, you’d better:

Check supply hoses and ensure they’re tight – but not too tight.

Have your valves manually inspected.

Look for kinks in any hoses.

Check for leaks, pooling water, or other signs of potential issues.

Oh, and your sink can be an issue as well. That means:

Check the plumbing under the sink any time you get a chance.

Make sure the shutoff valve is in working order, and that you and everyone else in the building know where it is and how to operate it.

Check for kinks and clogs.

Call a plumber if you’ve got little repetitive issues like a constantly clogging drain or a leaky tap.

Your hot water heater is another potential source of damage. Most hot water heaters live less than a decade … but most hot water heaters aren’t replaced until they fail.

Lots of things undermine the integrity of that appliance. Sediment pools inside them. They’re rarely maintained by homeowners, and property managers often overlook them as well. They’re also rusting basically all the time.

Did you know:

Your hot water heater doesn’t rust for only one reason. There’s a bar inside called an anode, made of a reactive metal like magnesium or aluminum, that essentially does all of the rusting so your water heater won’t.

Anodes only last a couple years, though. And most homeowners don’t bother having them replaced. That’s like losing a member of the Secret Service and not replacing him.

You’re leaving the Appliance-In-Chief vulnerable to attack. Simply replacing that anode could extend your water heater’s life by double, and keep the water damage at bay.

Maintaining that appliance will keep your home out of hot water.

Lastly, on the topic of appliances, keep an eye on your toilet. Wait until it finishes flushing to leave the bathroom, pay attention to ensure that it doesn’t run longer than it should, and have it inspected annually if you can.

Do that and you will drastically improve your chances of avoiding a toilet-based disaster that buries your floor in a few inches of questionable liquid.

Plants are lovely – but shouldn’t be planted without a little knowledge.

A lot of us like to do our own landscaping. One area where you’ve got to be careful, though, is trees. Willow trees, for instance, are notorious for their deep and long roots.

They can travel many feet from the tree’s trunk – and they can rupture anything in their path. We’ve done some cleanups that resulted from a willow tree’s roots puncturing a septic tank.

That can be fairly unpleasant, to say the least.

When you’re planting, it wouldn’t hurt to get a little professional advice on where to safely embed your green and growing friends. Watch out for underground pipes, drainage sources, sprinklers, septic tanks, wells, and so on.

Your. Water. Bill.

Your water bill can predict the future. If it stays relatively consistent, things are probably okay. However, if you notice it climbing a bit (or a lot) each month, you can safely wager that there’s a leak in your pipes somewhere.

You can also safely assume that it means you harm. A leak will either continue leaking, or it will get worse. It will not get better. And even a small leak could be damaging your property by causing mold to grow behind your walls or weakening the foundation with slow seepage.

Get intrepid – go looking for leaks.

And if you’re not feeling up to that, call a contractor. We love looking for trouble.

Most water damage that results from plumbing could have been avoided. Don’t be a statistic.

Invest in a drain snake – not chemicals.

A drain snake is a one-time purchase that costs about as much as two bottles of your average clog-eating chemical. So why do most homeowners reach for the Drano?

Because it’s advertised as safe and easy … but the reality is a little uglier.

While it might seem easy to drop a couple caps of caustic chemicals down the drain to deal with that clog:

They’re eating your pipes.

They’re releasing noxious vapors into your home.

They only work once.

They’re EATING YOUR PIPES!

You only have to buy a drain snake once. It always works, and it isn’t hard to use. Stow it in a closet or under a sink when you’re not using it, and never buy drain cleaner again.

That’s a fair collection of tips that you can use to avoid causing water damage. Neglecting your own plumbing is unwise, so we hope you’ll take the advice we’ve given you here to heart. If you don’t, we’ll be here to help you clean up the mess.

Now it’s time to discuss flood damage, which is a whole different ballgame.

Flood Damage Prevention Tips

We will – once again – be skipping right over “Don’t build in a floodplain.” Most people don’t. Some people do. We don’t really have any power over where you’ve chosen to live. If you live somewhere near a river that occasionally hops its banks, you can do more than shake your head ruefully when record rains fall.

Floods are, of course, among the most dangerous (and most common) hazards our earth has to offer. Here are just a few ways you can protect yourself against them.

Seal your basement walls with waterproofing compound.

Seepage is a serious issue. Whether you do or don’t have great drainage, a sump pump and waterproof walls will go a long way to keeping your home safe when the water rises.

This isn’t an easy DIY project, but it’s something good contractors can handle for you. With more than half of all homes in the US suffering from a case of “wet basement,” it’s not something you should take lightly.

Keep a weather eye out.

Most of the time, floods don’t catch us completely off-guard. If you think there’s a chance you’ll need to be prepared, keep your radio or TV on the appropriate station and listen for the information you need.

Elevate your furnace and water heater.

Other permanent appliances can be elevated, as well, but those jump to mind immediately. Have them placed on risers above the expected flood levels in your area, if you live in a known flood zone.

Inspect your sump pump and drainage annually.

Or, better yet, have a professional do it for you to make sure you don’t miss something! Your sump pump takes water entering your perimeter drains, or natural ground water, or rain overflow, and send it to a municipal drain or dry well.

As far as home appliances go, these unglamorous little guys are your best friends in a flood.

Install a generator.

An electrician can help you create a redundancy in case of power loss that will keep your sump pump operational in the event of a flood. A battery backup is also possible, and if it’s an option, you should take it.

Install a backflow prevention valve.

A plumber can easily minimize your risk of sewage backup – and we cannot stress how glad you will be that they did if the worst should happen. Sewage is by far the most hazardous kind of flooding damage your property can sustain.

It comes with many health hazards – not to mention a distinctly unpleasant odor. While water damage restoration experts – like MI Floodmasters here in Rochester Hills – can take care of that for you, it will be an unpleasant experience for everyone.

Create floodwalls and other barriers where possible.

Anything you can do to keep water from getting into your home is a valuable thing. You can use beams, sandbags, and other materials to create levees and floodwalls. Stockpiling sandbags isn’t a bad idea if you live in an area prone to occasional flooding.

Know a “Flood Watch” from a “Flood Warning.”

In the minds of many property owners, these two terms are interchangeable. Unfortunately, they do not mean the same thing, and should not be taken with the same degree of seriousness.

A “flood watch” is an informal thing. It means a flood is possible, and that the community should keep a weather eye on things. A “flood warning” is like a tornado warning; it means a flood is either happening or is likely to happen.

A flood watch means you should start preparing, just in case. A flood warning means you should activate those preparations, grab the survival kit you’ve packed for just such an occasion, prepare your home as best you’re able, and be ready to seek high ground.

While our job as water damage restoration technicians is to worry about your home or property, your job is to stay safe. Flash flooding is always a possibility, and you shouldn’t remain in your home if that could happen.

Move your essential items and important documents to the top floor. Disconnect electrical appliances and shut off your utilities if you need to.

After a flood, if water damage has still been sustained, restoration companies like MI Floodmasters will be there to help you clean up the damage.

Whether the cause is manmade or naturally-occurring, the best water damage restoration crews in Rochester Hills are available 24/7/365, for residential and commercial cleanups. Let us keep you dry. Call (586) 842-8142 today

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