According to the National Weather Service, March marks the start of the spring severe weather season, “…three months of danger that can imperil the unprepared.”

Data published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reveals that severe weather events are becoming more frequent and more devastating, said Nick Ellerbroek, a disaster recovery specialist with SERVPRO of Mesa Central.

NOAA reports that the period from 1980-2021 saw an annual average of 7.4 “billion-dollar” weather and climate events — adjusted to today’s costs. When they looked at only the five most recent years (2017-2021), the annual average grew to 17.2 events. Last year alone (2021) delivered 20 “billion-dollar” weather or climate disaster events.

“It’s not unusual to see severe weather in the spring,” said Ellerbroek. “Whenever you have warm, moist air colliding with cool, dry air, you have the conditions for creating a thunderstorm, along with the possibility of lightning strikes, floods, hail, high winds, rip currents, and even wildfires and tornadoes. The problem is, you can’t prevent these severe weather events and you can’t predict very far in advance when and where they will hit. The only sensible approach is to take steps in advance to protect your family and property, especially as these disasters become more common.”

Ellerbroek urges Mesa area home and business owners to check out state and federal resources online for tips on planning and preparing for a severe weather emergency now, as the spring severe weather season arrives. One such resource is the National Center for Environmental Health of The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which offers suggestions for creating an emergency kit and preparing family members for severe weather emergencies at cdc.gov/nceh/features/springweather/index.html.

“Each year, SERVPRO professionals across the country respond to scenes of weather-related mayhem, helping families and business owners recover from flooding, fire, wind damage and more,” said Ellerbroek. “While we are standing by to help whenever we are needed, we hope that our neighbors in the Mesa area will heed this warning from the CDC: ‘…prepare for storms, floods, and tornadoes as if you know in advance they are coming, because in the spring, they very likely will.’”

SERVPRO specializes in disaster cleaning, restoration and construction services, helping to remediate damage, making it “Like it never even happened,” for both commercial and residential customers.

For more information on SERVPRO of Mesa Central, contact Nick Ellerbroek at 480-331-8378 or nellerbroek@servpro11426.com. For more information about SERVPRO, go to servpro.com.