Contributor: Industrial Flow Solutions

There is no doubt that Hurricane Florence was one of the worst weather disasters to hit North and South Carolina. The hurricane hit the Wilmington area especially hard. Flooding closed all roads leading in and out of the city at one point. The numbers tell the story well:

• 23.02 inches of rain making it the worst rainfall event in Wilmington ever (2^ndworst ever in the United States)
• 105,000 residents without power
• 1,215 people stayed in one of five shelters through the storm

Knowing the flooding would keep residents from their homes, BJM Pumps reached out to Jeremy Reese at Tencarva to offer dewatering pumps for the relief effort. BJM works closely with Reese in the Tencarva Wilmington office. As a BJM partner, Reese has a strong understanding of the best uses of the dewatering pumps. This knowledge, along with his location and community relationships, allowed him to quickly respond and find the pumps a home.

Reese was working at a neighborhood dinner for first responders when he struck up a conversation with a group of Wilmington firemen. They were assisting the volunteer fire departments in the outlying rural areas that saw most of the flooding. The dewatering pumps would help in the clean-up efforts and assist people in getting access to their homes. These pumps can clear water from a basement or garage to allow them to get their belongings.

The firemen were also excited about the pumps’ ability to help them gain surface water to help protect people. The city was running on emergency power generators. But, they had to turn off the water as the generators ran out of fuel. This meant they couldn’t use water from fire hydrants. The pumps can fill their tanker truck so they can respond to fire emergencies.

In addition to helping the firemen, Reese was also able to help one of his associates with an emergency need. The associate’s home was in danger from flooded creek water. All rental pumps were already taken leaving him helpless as water filled up his garage and came within inches of his home. Luckily, Reese had one remaining dewatering pump he was able to use to keep his associate’s home dry and safe.

BJM Pumps would like to thank Jeremy Reese and Tencarva for their efforts in the hurricane relief and throughout their community. BJM works hard to find partners that go above and beyond to make a difference for their customers in any way they can.