Storm Chasers Leave After the Insurance Checks. I Don't.

Immediately — the next morning, if it's safe. Tornadoes don't have to hit your house directly to cause water damage. The outer circulation pushes wind-driven rain through every gap — under flashing, around pipe boots, through damaged ridge vents. If a tornado passed within a mile of your home, you could have water in your attic and not know it until the ceiling stains a month later. I can do a thermal scan that finds moisture behind drywall without cutting anything open. After what Newcastle has been through in 1999, 2013, and again in November 2024, you already know: the aftermath is where the real damage hides.

Grading. If the lot wasn't graded to slope water away from the foundation — or if the grading settled after construction — rain pools against the slab and finds its way in. It happens more than builders want to admit, especially in fast-growing areas where hundreds of homes go up in the same season. I've dried out brand-new homes in Newcastle subdivisions that were less than a year old. Document everything with photos and moisture readings before talking to your builder. That documentation is your leverage.

Yes. When the soil saturates — and Newcastle's red clay holds water like a sponge — the septic drain field can't absorb anymore. Sewage has nowhere to go except back toward the house. It comes up through floor drains, toilets, or shower drains. That's Category 3 water, the most contaminated classification. You can't clean it with bleach. You need full extraction, material removal below the water line, antimicrobial treatment, and structural drying. A plumber fixes the septic; I handle what the sewage did to your house.

Three questions: Where's your office? Who's your local reference? Are you IICRC-certified? Storm chasers can't answer all three. They drive in from out of state, knock doors, and leave when the insurance checks stop. They don't live here, they don't answer the phone six months later when mold appears behind the drywall they 'fixed,' and they won't be here for the NEXT storm. My office is in Edmond — 25 minutes from Newcastle. I have 77 five-star Google reviews from your neighbors. And I'll be here next spring.

A musty storm shelter isn't just unpleasant — it can be a health issue, especially for kids, elderly, or anyone with respiratory conditions. Oklahoma storm shelters are below-grade, dark, and usually unconditioned. That's a perfect mold environment. Before tornado season, get the shelter inspected. I can test the air quality, remove the mold, and recommend a dehumidifier setup that keeps it clean year-round. Don't send your family into a shelter that's making them breathe mold spores.

Newcastle sits on expansive red clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry. That constant expansion-contraction cycle stresses foundations — cracks form, and water follows. A hairline crack in a slab or stem wall is an entry point. When 4 inches of rain falls in two hours, hydrostatic pressure pushes water through those cracks. I handle the water damage and mold that results from foundation leaks. A structural engineer handles the crack itself. Often you need both — and I can coordinate that timeline.

Not necessarily from the tornado history itself, but from the rebuild. Homes rebuilt quickly after disasters sometimes have construction shortcuts — rushed framing, inadequate moisture barriers, or grading that was 'good enough' to pass inspection but not optimized for long-term drainage. If your home was rebuilt in 1999-2000, it's now 25+ years old with original plumbing, water heater, and roof. The construction is usually solid, but the age catches up. If you haven't had a moisture assessment since the rebuild, it's worth checking.

Yes — more often than you'd think. Modern homes are built tight for energy efficiency. That's great for your electric bill, but it means moisture has nowhere to go. If bathroom exhaust fans vent into the attic space instead of outside, attic mold is almost guaranteed. Newcastle's 90°F+ summers with 80% morning humidity make this worse. I see mold in 3-year-old homes that looks worse than what I find in 30-year-old homes, because at least the old homes had drafts.