Following the massive polar vortex and sub-freezing temperatures that have engulfed much of the country this month, homeowners and businesses are contending with one of winter’s most costly and damaging exercises: fixing the damage caused by frozen pipes. Also, with a large amount of snow in some portions of the Northeast and Midwest, isolated melt-related flooding could also accompany any pipe-related issues.
 
Just as the polar vortex has been an unprecedented storm, the need for qualified service professionals to help clean up related damage has exceeded all previous catastrophic weather events, because it is impacting such a huge part of the country. ServiceMaster Restore and ServiceMaster Clean, a restoration and cleaning franchises for more than 60 years, are ready to respond to any home or businesses that may experience damage during this unprecedented weather event. With a nationwide footprint, local crews, equipment and mobile command centers are assisting homeowners and businesses impacted by the severe winter weather.
 
The extreme cold temperatures were only the beginning to what CNN called “a ticking time bomb of sorts.” The scope of this storm has been massive, and experts aren’t sure how much additional damage this week’s weather will bring. The effects were so great in much of the Northeast and Midwest, ServiceMaster Restore mobilized at least 20 franchise crews from the West Coast to help respond to the record-breaking number of customer leads for restoration assistance.
 
The Michigan Insurance Review reported that damage from a single frozen pipe can easily reach $5,000. Damage from burst pipes and the resulting water damage are still requiring clean-up across the country, even as another deep freeze threatens many states this week. According to the Insurance Information Institute, severe winter weather claims, including those from winter storms, ice damage and deep freezes that can wreak havoc on plumbing, accounted for more than 7 percent of all insured catastrophic losses over the past 19 years, making them the third-largest cause of losses behind hurricanes and tornadoes.

“Emergencies are never planned and are not something anyone wants to experience, especially in extreme cold temperatures,” said Sherry Rose, vice president, customer service, ServiceMaster Restore. “We are finding that even though people prepared their homes and followed the proper steps to prevent frozen pipes from bursting, they still walked into flooded homes and businesses.”
 
Rose says excellent customer service, communication with customers and insurance agents are critical during this time. “Our customers are our priority before, during and after the actual clean up and restoration service is performed,” she said. “We monitor storms 24/7 so we have franchises ready to deploy as soon as we get the call.”
 
“The polar vortex is another example of how our national franchise network is ready to mobilize 24/7/365,” said Mike Pearce, chief development officer, ServiceMaster Restore. “The increased activity around the weather has prompted many inquiries from potential franchisees.”