Whatcom’s pre-Christmas storm keeping plumbers and tree removal services busy

A lot of people were caught unprepared by the winter storm that struck Washington last week, leaving plumbers and tree removal services working their ways through calls across Bellingham.

“Fifteen bids dropped in my lap today,” said Brandon Brodie, owner of Earthworks Tree Service on Tuesday, Dec. 27. “I’m getting a lot of calls about broken branches and trees split in half.”

The increase in falling trees and branches was caused by the freezing rain before Christmas. Rainwater froze on tree branches, making them heavier and causing them to break.

The freezing temperatures also caused problems for piping. Barron Heating, Air Condition, Electrical and Plumbing received over 80 calls for frozen or burst pipes over the last week, according to Nick Stoner, plumbing superintendent at Barron.

“Our on-call plumbers were just going all weekend pretty much,” Stoner said. “There were a ton of them (frozen pipes) this year.”

Water expands when it freezes, and when it expands in pipes, those pipes can burst. Even if the pipe doesn’t burst, water will likely be cut off to all or large portions of the building.

The cost of fixing a burst pipe is, at minimum, $400-$500, not to mention the water damage caused to anything under or around the pipe, Stoner said.

The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management has asked Whatcom residents to report any damages caused by the storm. Anyone who has suffered weather or storm-related damages in Whatcom County since Tuesday, Dec. 13, is being asked to report damages online at whatcomcounty.us/reportdamage.

The goal is to address the damage with the hope of receiving state and federal aid for the county. Forms are available in English and Spanish.

The Northwest Insurance Council, a non-profit organization, has created a list of ways for people to deal with the damage caused by storms.

▪ Damage from wind, including roof, siding or window damage from fallen trees or limbs, is typically covered under standard homeowners and business insurance policies. And your policy protects you regardless of whether trees fall from your property or your neighbor’s property.

▪ Standard homeowners, renters and business insurance policies do not include coverage for flooding and landslides.

▪ Flood Insurance can be purchased through an insurance agent or an insurer participating in the National Flood Insurance Program. Some private insurers offer coverage as well. Typically, there is a 30-day waiting period from the time a policy is purchased until you are covered.

▪ With heavy rain comes the risk of landslides in the Pacific Northwest. Damage from landslide is not covered by a standard homeowners, renters or business insurance policy, but special coverage – called a “Difference in Conditions” policy – is available for purchase as a stand-alone policy, usually from a specialty lines broker.

▪ Damage to your vehicle caused by wind, falling trees, flood and landslide is covered, but only if you have optional collision or comprehensive coverage.

The NW Insurance Council recommends that if your home has suffered storm damage:

▪ Contact your insurance company or agent as quickly as possible to estimate the damage and get the claims process underway.

▪ If it is safe to do so, make emergency repairs that prevent damage from worsening.

▪ If your vehicle is damaged, contact your insurance company or agent as quickly as possible and if possible, provide mobile phone photos of the damage to help speed your claim.