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Got a call @ 5:30 this morning, Shop had at least 2 inches of water on the floor. Got there and at least 8" of water was covering everything.
Computers, Vinyl, Papers, what a mess. I can't even imagine the loss yet. After all the snow we got lately this latest rain storm just killed me. With no where to go the water chose to set up in my shop.
This couldn't have come at a worse time, I hope I can save some of the computer equipment.
Just the loss of materials is gonna be astounding,
Now I have a slight idea what Glenn Taylor must have fealt when his shop got really flooded
Man this is gonna Hurt for some time.
------------------ Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA bob@creativesignworks.com
"Some people's kids"
Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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Ahhhh Bob. I am sorry. Here I am bragging about the nice weather we are having in Seattle.....and this happens to you. Just goes to show you how fast things can change. I found that out with the earthquake experience. Things will get better. Keep your chin up.....and let us know if we can send you anything. The Letterhead movement is the greatest you know.........!
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Bob, Sorry 'bout the flood! It happened to us several years ago and it takes a while to get it back in order. Our shop is on an old flood plain of a small creek and several times the water has gotten up around us but had never run through the shop until one year some property next to us was sold and the new owner wanted a 'bridge' across the creek. His bridge consisted of a wooden flat-bed trailer just layed across the creek (no anchoring or abutments just layed there) well the first good rain washed his bridge down to the main bridge on the highway and got turn up edgewise and formed a dam (yeah, damn) and so the 'great signshop flood of 1977'. We had 6" of water RUNNING through here and my little Datsun 2000 RLS was setting outside with the headlights under water. Oh, and BTW, you have to have a specific flood insurance policy, your general policy doesn't cover jacksh-t! Hate to be a bearer of bad news. We had sheets of MDO and other wood products that soaked up a lot of it and all I could do was take a loss on materials when it came time to file income tax for that year and then a guy from the state came to see us about that. Stuff Happens, sometimes in large quantities.
------------------ Larry
Elliott Design McLemoresville, Tn.
If you can't find the time to do it right, where gonna find the time to do it over?
Posts: 486 | From: McLemoresville, TN. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Well the Boston Aquarium called, they said we couldn't have a tank that size without there consent.
But seriously, Insurance don't cover jack, We used a nice rental pump that pumped 75 gal per minute. Shop is drained, now we suck up the rugs and plan for the next storm. More rain is due tonight. My computers are probably toast ( we're still drying them ).
The funny thing is my brushes still work when they get wet
Good thing I took up scuba diving, I might need those skills to get to my desk tomorrow.
This is why I set my expectations low, anything beyond waking up and sucking air is a good day!
Now back to my bath!
------------------ Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA bob@creativesignworks.com
"Some people's kids"
Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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Bob, really sorry to here about your mess. If there is anything at all I can do for you, please call. I'm less than an hour away.More than happy to help out a fellow Head.
------------------ Mike Kelly theSignWorx Ashburnham, MA 978.827.4439 thesignworx@hotmail.com
Posts: 42 | From: Ashburnham, MA | Registered: Jun 2000
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I see your sense of humor is afloat... that is a good thing for you! Don't let this disaster suck the life out you while it soaks up the cash flow for a bit. Let us know if we can help... and what we can do for you. Don't be afraid to ask.
I hate water so much I moved to the TOP of a 4000' hill. We get snow and rain, but it ALL goes down the hill!
The up in the clouds side of the Moon
------------------ The Moon aka: Stefenie Harris Moonlight Designs Pollock Pines, CA learnin' somethin' new every day!
Posts: 550 | From: Pollock Pines, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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If you have any vinyl jobs that you need help with....Id volunteer to donate one.... I bet others would too.... We'll keep ya afloat....after all..us yankees is into this winter with all we have.. let me know if I can help.
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Do you have a Commercial policy for you business? The wife looked over you statement and said if you have the commercial coverage then you will be covered for it. But if it's under your home owner insurance WELL Good Luck!!! Flooding will be covered if under commercial insurance with contains and building liabilities... Hope you have some and hope this helps!
------------------ Raven/2001 Airbrushed by Raven Lower Sackville N.S. deveausdiscovery@sprint.ca
Posts: 4327 | From: Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000
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Thanks everyone for the offers and concern, It's real nice to know when your in a real bind that letterheads always seem to come through for ya.
Cam was also willing to drive up some supplies just so we could do a job this weekend, hell he lives over 2 hours away. That's too cool.
After 15 hours of cleaning, pumping, vacuming, whining, complaining, cursing, and tossing stuff out, we looked around & cursed some more.
We finally got one computer saved and the other one...well it's gone to swim with the fishes. At least we will be able to open omorrow.
Pulled the computer from home and after a little frankenstein act, voila new sign PC.
It's still gonna rain like a bastard tonight but I'm ready now.
Bought a mega sump pump that will pump 161 gals per minute. Now lets see the rain come in, We'll shuffle it's ass out the door so fast it'll turn to a mist.
Not to mention I have the computer hanging from the cieling with bungie cords ( not really )
Tomorrow we try out the cables to the printers and plotters. I've got a lot of long cables so I hope I don't have to replace them.
By the looks of the news tonight it looks like the rest of the state got it worse than we did, some people had 3 to 4 feet of water covering cars and stuff. Damn! I got out lucky.
It's 10:00 and I'm going to bed, ..... on high ground!!
------------------ Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA bob@creativesignworks.com
"Some people's kids"
Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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I too offer my assistance....even tho I live across the country from you...I will do what I can.
Cheryl is right...all you have to do is ASK!
------------------ Jackson Smart Jackson's Signs Port Angeles, WA ...."The Straits of Juan De Fuca in my front yard and Olympic National Park in my backyard...
"Living on Earth is expensive...but it does include a free trip around the Sun"
Posts: 1002 | From: Port Angeles, Washington | Registered: Jan 1999
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Something that I'm not understanding.... Is this the first time it rained since you've been there? Did you anticipate it ? Has there been evidence of flooding before? What can be done to prevent it in the future?
------------------ The SignShop Mendocino, California "Where the Redwoods meet the Surf"
Oh, for the faith of a spider! He begins his web without any thread.
Posts: 6806 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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It was just a bunch of unlucky events, first let me explain where my shop is.
It is home based in the basement. Occasionally we always get little trickles of water every spring, and fall. About 25 years ago this happened, but not since then.
Since then we have had ground work done to avert this thing from happening again. Since it had not happened in 25 years, the fear factor was nill.
Next, this winter, this area had recieved over 3' of snow in a short time. the ground being frozed, and covered by still a foot of snow, with the first 3" or so being ice could not hold much water.
This storm produced a lot of rain in a short amount of time. some areas in Mass recieved 7" of rain in one night. If that had been snow 7" of rain would become 40-50" of snow.
That's a crap load of water if the ground isn't absorbing it. Not to mention as it rained it melted the already foot or more of snow.
We did not have a sump pump in place, which is mistake number one. The old one rotted out about 18 years ago and since then we did not need one.
But you can bet your bottom, every 4 years or so we will be replacing the pump we bought yesterday.
Sometimes you think your covered and then you find out you missed something of importance.
As far as insurance goes, my business policy does not cover it, Home owners does not cover it and even if we had flood insurance, it still would not have been covered. Flood insurance does not cover a rise in ground water.
To prevent it the future we will have all computers above desk level but I still will put the Surge supressors on ground level. When the water hit them they did trip as not to zap the computers. The thing that did get my main system was water.
I firmly believe that we did not dry the system long enough before booting it up. Even though it seemed dry there must have been the least bit amount of moisture somewhere.
If you ever owned an old Dodge car on a rainy day you will under stand that scenereo.
------------------ Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA bob@creativesignworks.com
"Some people's kids"
[This message has been edited by Bob Rochon (edited March 23, 2001).]
Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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Bob, I am so sorry to hear of your loss,this sounds like all of our nightmares,God I know I would probably cry (don't repeat that)If there is anything I can do short of replacing your equipment at my cost please write.May God help you through this the good book says he never gives you more than you can bare but that's pushing it.
PU! :P
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