Northwest Arkansas has seen an EF3 near Decatur, an EF2 in Rogers and an ice storm that cut power to about 300,000 homes. Here is the housekeeping side of being ready.
Storms are part of life in the Ozarks. This guide is about the housekeeping side of that: keeping a safe spot usable, knowing what to do first when something happens, and when a clean actually makes sense afterward. Official alerts and instructions always come first.
During the May 25 to 27, 2024 tornado outbreak, a very large EF3 tornado formed near Decatur in Benton County, and an EF2 tornado damaged Rogers. May is also the wettest month at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, at a normal 5.92 inches, so flooding and severe storms can overlap.
Winter brings a different risk. The January 2009 ice storm left about 300,000 homes in northern Arkansas without power and split trees as far west as Siloam Springs. In a region where oak-hickory is the main forest type, falling limbs are a real concern when ice builds up.
Many new homes have no basement, so your safe spot may be an interior closet or a bathroom on the lowest floor. Those are the same spaces that fill up with boxes and laundry. Keep yours clear, so everyone can get into it fast at 2 a.m.
A short, tidy kit stored there makes the rest easier.
Safety comes first. Keep clear of downed lines, stay out of a damaged structure until it has been confirmed safe, and follow official instructions.
Photograph all damage before you move anything. Your insurance company will want those images. Then call a roofer, a repair contractor or a restoration company for anything structural or wet. Water damage and mold are jobs for specialists, and cleaners do not do that work. Fallen limbs and storm debris also go through the proper channels; in Benton County, the Solid Waste District at 5702 Brookside Road takes large items and yard waste.
If the power is out for days, as it was for many during the 2009 ice storm, the refrigerator becomes the first indoor job. Discard spoiled food as soon as it is safe, and follow public health advice on what is safe to keep.
Once the home is safe, dry and repaired, a clean can help it feel normal again. Fine dust from roofing and drywall work tends to settle everywhere long after crews have left. A One-Time Deep Clean is well suited to that, with hand washed baseboards, wet-wiped blinds, window tracks, and fans and vents wiped in place. If a storm forces a move, the Moving Clean covers an empty home.
Neither of these is a restoration service, and neither takes the place of a repair. If you can still smell damp or see stains, have that checked before you bring in a cleaner, because cleaning over a moisture problem only hides it for a while.
Most wet spells do no damage at all. April and May normally bring 4.98 and 5.92 inches, and about 67 days a year see a tenth of an inch or more. For those days, good mats, a boot tray and clean gutters do the job. The seasonal calendar shows what to do each month.
Keep in mind that bathrooms and basements dry slowly once the humidity arrives. With a dew point near 68 degrees in July, a damp corner left over from spring may stay damp. A dehumidifier and a little airflow go a long way, and wet shoes left in a closed closet are worth moving somewhere they can dry.
The questions Bentonville homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
TotalCare Cleaning will service Bentonville and surrounding areas with background-checked cleaners and is insured up to $1 million. Re-clean guarantee: if we missed something, tell us by the end of the next day and we come back to fix it. Beyond Clean. TotalCare.
