Superstorm Sandy’s wrath is a boom for business

PITTSBURGH, PA — The trail of devastation left behind by Superstorm Sandy has meant an influx in business for local disaster restoration companies, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Western Pennsylvania companies have been receiving phone calls looking for help with anything from roof leaks to trees that have damaged houses, the article stated.

According to the article, Claude Odom, operations manager for Servicemaster of Greater Pittsburgh in Oakmont, has had 15 to 20 calls so far.

"We've seen a mix [of buildings]. Commercial buildings, brand new buildings, homes. It hasn't stopped raining, and that allows water to pond on roofs. Normal rains last an hour or two or they evaporate. This has been a wind-driven rain. When you're looking at a roof as to why it’s leaking, sometimes there’s no evidence as to why," said Jim Fanning, general manager of FireDEX.

Total Restoration Services owner Joella Black expects to receive more calls during the next couple of days, as homeowners do most of the cleanup work themselves to save some money, the article noted.

"People don’t call you right away. They're just devastated by everything. By the time they're seeing what they want to do and get a hold of their insurance company, they decide whether they want to take care of it themselves,” Black added.

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