SERVPRO Helps Local Hicksville Properties Win Against Storm and Flood Damage

12/1/2020 (Permalink)

Our crew at SERVPRO can restore your damaged property after any catastrophe!

The Trained, Certified SERVPRO Techs Are Available 24/7 for Any Size Disaster in Hicksville Homes

Most residents of the area might consider Hicksville a significant transportation center and, of course, home to the only IKEA on the East side of New York City. It is hard to envision the humble beginnings as a farming community looking around at the developed region when Robert Williams purchased 5,000 acres of land from Pugmpan, chief of the Matinecock tribe, in 1648. At the time, this part of the future state of NY was miles of prairie grass and little else. Williams did not develop the land he purchased. The area remained roughly the same for nearly 200 years until a businessman from Jericho, Valentine Hicks, decided to improve the property and created a land association in 1834. 

In the present, The Old Bethpage Village Restoration opened and currently occupies 209-acres that recreates what the original farming community looked like. This village has been open since 1970 and features dozens of historic structures that got saved from demolition by Nassau County. Within the town, actors in period costumes provide visitors a look at how local residents lived in the 19th-century and let visitors experience daily life for a blacksmith and a farmer as well as a hatter among other community members.

Hicksville Was Difficult To Get To

This new community that Hicks envisioned was in the middle of nowhere, and people had trouble getting there due to the lack of roads, and the railroad was not widespread. Hicks knew that people needed an easy way to travel and got appointed to the board of directions for the Long Island Railroad in 1837. A stop on the railway opened in the township that same year, particularly for cucumbers destined for the Heinz company.

Hicksville Gets a Fire Department

As Hicksville grew in terms of both population and businesses, the need for a fire department, the community could rely upon arose. The first fire department established in 1868 consisted of volunteers from the local area. At the end of the 1800s, three companies united to form the Hicksville Volunteer Fire Department, and ten years later, the first firehouse opened. The firemen depended on horse-drawn wagons to fight fires until 1925, when the first combustible engine truck was purchased for use by the volunteers. The two-story building still stands but serves as a restaurant after the fire department moved to a new building. In the present, the hamlet has 31 firefighters that serve and protect life and property. 

Hicksville Growth Boom

After World War II, Hicksville began to grow into the charming hamlet that many people would recognize today. By 1959, several changes had occurred, including: 

• A population increase from 8,000 to near 50,000
• Farmers switched from pickles to potatoes as the main cash crop due to cucumber blight
• Many potato farms failed and became housing developments

Take In The Broadway Mall And More In Hicksville

Many visitors from the Long Island area flock to the Broadway Mall in Hicksville. Along with department stores, with IKEA being one of the largest. The Mall features specialty shops and many choices for where to grab a bite to eat.  Overall, there are over 100 stores to explore at the Mall. Other points of interest include the Hicksville Library, which features internet access, private reading areas, and entertainment such as puppet shows or tours featuring prominent writers. Cantiague Golf Course is a well-kept course that features nine holes instead of eighteen. Children will get a kick out of attending the Long Island Puppet Theater, where they can enjoy a fun, interactive venue where it is okay to get up and dance to the music. 

Hicksville Climate 

The hamlet of Hicksville has a reputation as a comfortable place to reside. This area of the state averages 44-inches of rain yearly, which is above the average for the rest of the United States. It tends to get less snow than other parts of the state and many days are cloudy and calm rather than sunny with around 173 days of sunshine yearly, compared to the rest of the U.S. with 205 days. Although not typical, this part of the state experiences the effects of both tropical storms and hurricanes from time to time resulting in flooding and damage to properties. 

• Summers are comfortable with July high temps around 83 degrees Fahrenheit 
• Winter low temps in January tend to hit around 25 degrees Fahrenheit 
• Humidity levels tend to rise in the summer, especially in July and August

What Is The Best Method to Get Flood Damage Out of a Hicksville Home? 

There is no single best way to mitigate flood damage in a home. SERVPRO techs handle every flood water restoration service in Hicksville properties in a unique fashion. Using investigation techniques to determine the severity of the situation, including: 

• Moisture detection equipment and probes
• Visual inspections
• Tracing migration paths of the water
• Looking for signs of wicking outside the worksite

Fast action to get the moisture out of the home can work in the property owner's favor to limit the home's damage. The techs have a large selection of extraction equipment to use depending on the surface that needs their attention. Carpet, in particular, presents a problem; when contaminated by groundwater, it requires removal but is a hazard when full of water due to the sheer weight. The techs remove the water using weighted extractor heads on their pumps to pull the maximum amount of moisture out of the floorcovering to make it safe to handle. 

Opening the wall cavities is another common tactic seen during post-storm damage cleanup in a home. The techs need to expose the interior wall cavity for complete drying using their advanced drying equipment, followed up by the application of antimicrobial cleaners and sealants to inhibit mold growth. Suppose mold damage contributes to the home's problems. In that case, the techs can bring an industrial hygienist if requested to measure the particulate in the air and confirm the air quality once the remediation efforts are complete.

SERVPRO of Hicksville / Plainview at (516) 733-1800 stands ready to help local Hicksville property owners with any size flood damage cleanup and restoration needed.