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The water level at the confluence of the Ohio River generally hovers slightly above the 15 to 16 foot mark. Flood level at the Point is set at 24 feet, and Pittsburgh normally reaches flood stage at least once a year. However, the city has experienced significant flooding in recent years.

On November 21, 2003, the river crested at 25.86 feet.  The Mon Wharf and the Allegheny Riverfront were submerged. One stretch of the Parkway East along the riverfront, leading to the Fort Pitt Tunnels, was under water and the Point was flooded up to the top of the steps leading to the fountain. The outer ring of the fountain was completely submerged and obscured from view, with only the spout above the water level. This was the result of a rather average yearly flood, with water almost two feet above flood level.

Now try to imagine what the result would be if the river waters rose to the level of 30 feet or more. It has happened over 25 times since the inhabitants of the city began charting river levels in the 1760s.  Several of these floods have been absolutely devastating, with waters cresting above 40 feet twice, in 1763 and in 1936.

One such flood came on September 19, 2004, shortly after Hurricane Ivan dumped a record six inches of rain on the Pittsburgh region.

In the downtown area, the Ohio River crested at 31 feet, disastrous but far from catastrophic.  The Point was inundated and water coursed all the way to the bridge interchange.  The wharfs were flooded and the Parkway East was shut down.  Runaway boats littered the riverfronts and Point State Park, but as bad as things were in the downtown area, the destruction paled in comparison to places like Carnegie, Millvale and Etna.

The constant downpours of Ivan on the already-saturated grounds left by Hurricane Frances caused tributaries to overflow their banks, flooding parts of the region that had never experienced it.

In Carnegie, Chartier's Creek overran its banks and the community was flooded with disastrous consequences. The water reached a depth of over four feet in some places. The estimated flood damage to the region was more than $264 million. In Millvale, water overwhelmed and damaged the retaining walls of Girty’s Run, designed to protect the town from a flood of the magnitude of a 1950 event that had been the worst flood on record. When Ivan came along in 2004, it was far beyond what that project was designed to handle. Creeks and streams needed to be dredged, catch basins and retention ponds had to be constructed, and hundreds of residents were relocated. Even with these recovery efforts, Millvale was flooded again early in 2007.

Floods are one of the most common and widespread of all disasters and are growing in frequency and severity. Businesses are more likely to be flooded than burned down, resulting in devastating financial loss, yet fire safety is often considered more important.

By taking advance action to prepare for flooding, most businesses can save 20-90% on the cost of lost stock and moveable equipment, as well as a lot of trouble and stress. It is vital that businesses find out if they are at risk from flooding, learn about flood warnings, plan to protect property and minimize financial risks, and ensure the safety of all staff.

For businesses located in an area that is susceptible to flooding, off-site storage is the best way to protect valuable information. By storing files, documents, microfilm, x-rays, backup tapes, software and architectural drawings at an off-site location, the consequences from unforeseen events at the office are minimized. The protection of vital records is an important component of any company’s business continuity planning process.

Vital records are defined as unique records that can be replaced only after significant effort, expense and delay. Businesses want to minimize the cost and efforts of restoring vital information, should the original data become compromised in any way. Documents and backup tapes can be called back from an off-site storage facility and the data can be restored within 24 hours. Vital records should not be retained only as proof of financial transactions, but also to verify compliance with legal and statutory requirements. These records are used for independent examination and verification of sound business practices.

There are several important considerations related to the safety of any company’s vital records, and should be evaluated when selecting off-site storage facilities for vital records.

The facility should be located at a sufficient distance such that a disaster would not affect both locations similarly. The facility should have adequate access roads, with alternate routes if needed. It should be accessible within a reasonable period of time, so that the records may be obtained quickly.  Building characteristics should include steel-reinforced fireproof construction and concrete rather than cement, since the combination of steel and concrete provides dual reinforcement and is less likely to collapse in the event of a natural disaster. Storage areas should also have adequate video surveillance, sprinklers, smoke detectors and security systems, plus the proper temperature and humidity controls. All personnel should have the necessary security clearances for confidential or proprietary data. Finally, an off-site storage vendor should provide a disaster recovery and business continuity plan that addresses your priorities.

Flood events in recent years have resulted in loss of life and massive damages.  Heavy precipitation cannot be managed and neither can extreme floods. The threat of climate change only increases the likelihood of an impending flood.  

Off-site storage is the key reason that information management companies exist. Documents and tapes are sent off-site for security and disaster recovery purposes, allowing a business to be safe in the knowledge that they will be able to recover quickly and seamlessly from any disaster. Business survival may depend on the availability of vital information. Without the data, there is no recovery, but storing critical information off-site requires more than just a storage warehouse.

Email us at brmdetails@businessrecords.com for more information.

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