According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this season’s influenza activity has reached epidemic levels, as widespread activity has been reported in 46 states as of January 10. 

Earlier this month, Thomas Eric Duncan became the first person in the United States to be diagnosed with the Ebola virus following his return from Liberia.

For years, we have known that family-owned businesses make significant contributions to the U.S. economy by generating approximately half of our nations GDP, employing 85% of the private sector, and creating 86% of all new jobs, among many other factors. 

We’ve covered “storm chaser contractors” (i.e. predatory contractors who knock on doors immediately after a natural disaster and pressure homeowners in to signing costly repair contracts), but it appears that there’s a new type of scam gaining popularity – “fire chasing.”

It’s no secret that one of the biggest storylines in the restoration industry over the past several years has been the lawsuits.

Every restoration business owner I talk to in the metro Detroit area is quick to tell me what a busy winter they had, thanks to the polar vortex leading to lots of broken pipes and water losses. And it appears that this August is shaping up nicely for them too thanks to record rainfall in southeast Michigan Monday afternoon.

Its estimated that up 20 million gallons of water flooded UCLA’s campus on Tuesday when a 93-year-old water main busted, spewing water 30 feet into the air and sending water throughout many of the streets and buildings on campus.

The 2014 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins on June 1 and runs for six months, is expected to be either near-normal or below-normal, according to a forecast released May 22 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In 2013, State Farm paid out $1.3 billion worth for a total of 175,000 water loss claims. Can you guess which states were in the top 10?