Raleigh Water Damage from Storm-Related Flooding

12/15/2020 (Permalink)

Raleigh Has a Good Local Government backed by SERVPRO for Storm Damage Restoration

SERVPRO Supports Raleigh, A Community with A History of Looking Forward

Raleigh, and North Carolina as a whole, is unique both in history and geography. Our region is home to three of the East Coast’s major Native American peoples; the Algonquian, Iroquois, and Siouan. The area is also home to Virginia Dare, the first child born of settlers in the first attempt to establish an English colony. North Carolina was the first of the thirteen colonies to call for independence from England in 1776 with the Halifax Resolves.

In the next decades, Raleigh became one of the centers for our state’s early industrial operations, distinguishing it from the other Southern states. It also maintained a larger number of yeoman farmers (small landowners) rather than seeing a small group of families owning large estates (i.e. the Gentry) and therefore controlling the lives of a large share of the poorer population.

A Place for Higher Education

This attitude and outlook also fueled the appreciation for higher education. Throughout the 19th and early 20th century, local and state officials laid the foundation for what is our nation’s finest community college network and a public school system that regularly outperforms a majority of the other states. To help fund them both, Raleigh and North Carolina officials developed a network of paved state roads to ensure fast, efficient transportation that helped our state continue to thrive even in the dark days of the Great Depression.

The diverse number of people at Raleigh’s beginning is still reflected today in the composition of its city council. Local representatives still have that appreciation for higher education and the ability to look ahead for what our capital city needs in the future and not get lost in short-sighted efforts rarely even meet short-term goals.

Raleigh City Council – Representative Local Government at Its Best

The Raleigh City Council consists of eight area citizens elected for two-year terms. The Mayor is also a member of the Council and is one of three council members elected at large. Each of the other five is elected from within their home districts. The Raleigh City Council establishes City policy, enacts local laws, and adopts the municipal budget annually. Current Council members include the following:

• Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin - Chair of the Safe, Healthy, and Vibrant Community Committee and a member of the Economic Development and Innovation Committee. Previously, the Mayor served as Raleigh’s liaison to the State General Assembly and worked extensively on both the Public Works and Transportation Committees. 
• Nicole Stewart, Mayor Pro-Temp and At Large Council Member – Chair of the Growth and Natural Resources Committee and member of the Transportation and Transit Committee. Member Stewart is also the Development Director of North Carolina Conservation Network, which combines the efforts of more than 60 groups to protect North Carolina’s environment.
• Jonathan Melton, At Large Council Member – Chair of the Economic Development and Innovation Committee and Member of the Transportation and Transit Committee. Member Melton is a family law attorney helping Raleigh families find solutions that resolve custody and other issues. He is also a founding member of Stonewall Sports Inc., an LGBTQ sports league. 
• Patrick Buffkin, District A Council Member – Vice-Chair of the Transportation and Transit Committee and member of the Safe, Healthy, and Vibrant Community Committee. Member Buffkin is a staff attorney with North Carolina Utilities Commission and previously served on Raleigh’s Parks, Recreation, and Greenways Advisory Board. 
• David Cox, District B Council Member – Council Liaison to the Environmental Advisory Board, Human Relations Commission, and Stormwater Management Advisory Commission. Member Cox is also the Vice-Chair of the Safe, Healthy, and Vibrant Community Committee and volunteers with the National Kidney Foundation and Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO). 
• Corey Branch, District C Council Member – Chair of the Transportation and Transit Committee and member of the Economic Development and Innovation Committee. Member Branch also serves as the Regional Leadership Chair with a Summer leadership program that hosts high school students from North Carolina and six other states. 
• Stormie D. Forte, District D Council Member -  Advisory to N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities Ethics Bowl and a Commissioner on North Carolina Commission for Racial and Ethnic Disparities. Member Forte is also a licensed attorney in North Carolina and with the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of the North Carolina Federal Court. 
• David Knight, District E Council Member – Vice-Chair of the Economic Development and Innovation Committee and member of the Growth and Natural Resources Committee. Member Knight has previously served as Chair of the Wake County Water Partnership and the Raleigh Water Conservation Task Force as well as Assistant Secretary of Natural Resources for the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. 

What Does SERVPRO Do to Support Raleigh Flood Restoration?

Raleigh residents still have to deal with the weather though. Hurricane season may be short, but thunderstorms can happen every month of the year. To help restore neighborhoods after flood damage, SERVPRO specialists quickly remove standing water, dry the structure, and clean both the structural and personal property.

• Water Removal – Team members use equipment that ranges in size from backpack model water extractors to truck-mounted pumps that can clear everything from a closet to clearing out Mayor Baldwin’s home. 
• Drying The Structure – Specialists use a combination of box fans and air movers to draw out the damp air inside a residence and replace it with a warm flow of air that increases the natural rate of evaporation and forces moisture out of wood and drywall.
• Cleaning Property – Teams utilize an extensive chemical cleaner inventory to remove the soils, stains, and odors left behind by the contaminants in floodwater. Quick action can return much of the affected property to its pre-flood condition. 

If your Raleigh home needs restoration or repair from flood damage after a storm, call SERVPRO of South Cary / Apex at (919) 615-1160 today. Our office is a proud supporter of our community and treats every customer like a neighbor. We are here for you.