"All hands on deck:" Restoration workers may not be able to begin Harvey cleanup for months

Paul Davis

MILWAUKEE -- A south side company has sent its first crew to Texas to help in the aftermath of Harvey. A Paul Davis Restoration truck left the lot Tuesday afternoon, headed for Houston. Where exactly they'll head and what exactly they'll do is yet to be determined

Diesel-generated motor for extracting water at Paul Davis Restoration

In the coming days, more Paul Davis trucks will be packed with heavy-duty cleaning equipment before heading south.

"It's gonna be all hands on deck. They're gonna need anyone and everyone they can possibly get to get these buildings, businesses and homes back together," Paul Davis co-owner Brady Chuckel said.

Brady Chuckel

Paul Davis plans to send around 30 people from Milwaukee to Southeast Texas. The company has three offices in Houston.

"Friend of mine is an owner at the office down in Houston and he's having a tough time just keeping his phone charged," Chuckel said.

Chuckel showed FOX6 News some of the equipment that workers will use in Texas. In addition to the standard air movers and dehumidifiers, the Houston location also has a specialty washer similar to the one at the Milwaukee location; it's used to get bacteria out of clothing -- a major concern with possible sewage overflows. The crews will also bring mobile washers that can help restore items from dishware to electronics.

Paul Davis Restoration

Harvey

Paul Davis Restoration

Chuckel said with homes filled with saltwater, the cleanup will be intense.

"We're talking about a full floor-to-ceiling restoration in every single home. We'll be gutting down to studs, down to structural members only," Chuckel said.

But first, they'll have to wait for the water to recede and for cleanup crews to be cleared to enter the most affect neighborhoods. Chuckel said it could take a while.

"Something like this could take, potentially, months. Two, three, four months before we can even access or get into a home if it's in a devastated area," Chuckel said.

Paul Davis Restoration

Harvey

The Paul Davis workers headed to Texas will be down there for one or two months at a time. Chuckel said he expects the first stops to be health care and commercial buildings.