Hurricane Katrina. These two words name an event that has had alasting effect on countless lives. Beyond the massive,incomprehensible devastation, this natural disaster providednumerous lessons for nearly every segment of society. Withoutquestion, the insurance industry was among those most impacted byKatrina's far-reaching implications.

While the majority of attention has been focused on theincredible structural devastation — understandably so — the impactof textiles on insurance claims provides a valuable lesson forfuture catastrophes.

Textiles have become a greater component of residentialrestoration over the past few years as more professionalalternatives to the typical corner drycleaner have increased theirservice levels. For commercial losses, such as those with Katrina,a responsive solution for textiles can lead to a quicker turnaroundfor using the space again, as well as financial savings, whether itbe a hotel, warehouse, or office building.

Looking specifically at the Louisiana and Mississippi areas, dueto the climate and geography of the area as well as the time ofyear, the conditions after Hurricane Katrina created a proverbialperfect storm. The conditions also were right for textilerestoration to have a significant impact.

One example is a high-end luxury hotel in New Orleans. Thoughprimary damage was limited to the main level, the entire buildingwas affected due to every floor of the hotel being exposed to aliteral explosion in mold spore contamination. The windowtreatments alone at this property were quoted at $500,000, with areplacement cost estimated to be above $3 million.

Research conducted by the Certified Restoration DrycleaningNetwork and others in the industry has proven that just becausefabric items were in a moldy environment does not mean that theymust be replaced. Studies have shown that mold spore contaminationcan be nearly eliminated (reduced to lower than naturally occurringlevels). Once mold growth occurs on fabric items, however, itbecomes much more difficult to restore them. In 2005, CRDN handled569 jobs involving mold. Of the 162,042 pieces affected in thesejobs, more than 90 percent were able to be restored, due to thesystematized approach to response and handling, and due to thespecially formulated cleaning techniques developed with years ofexperience.

A 2004 FabriCare Foundation study sponsored by CRDN evaluatedthe effectiveness of various cleaning methods on the most commontypes of fabrics: cotton, polyester, silk, and wool. Of these,polyester proved to be the easiest to clean. Polyester fibersshowed essentially no change and little evidence of fungal growth,while wool was the most vulnerable. Clearly, the key is speed ofresponse, as the study showed that fabrics exposed to long-termconditions (two months or more in a favorable environment forfungal proliferation) were very difficult to clean regardless ofthe type of fabric, cleaning process, or type of fungi.

The FabriCare Foundation study confirmed the findings of a 2002CRDN study of 88 samples from six job sites over eight months. Moldspore contamination was found in 58 percent of water-damagedgarments, while mold growth contamination was found in 25 percent.After the cleaning process, nearly 100 percent of mold sporecontamination was eliminated, and mold growth contamination wasreduced by nearly 90 percent.

Speed of response by service providers and first responders isthe most important component, and one that sets the tone for thesteps that follow. If restoration is to be an option, expeditiousand proper removal and treatment of affected items isessential.

In New Orleans, our team witnessed the lack of knowledge abouthandling textiles and the absence of planning when dealing withliterally tons of window treatments, bedding, and towels affectedby mold spore contamination in the moist, humid conditions. Innumerous cases, these textiles — often still wet from exposure tothe elements — were placed in plastic bags and piled wherever spacewas available. After a significant period of time, the structuralintegrity of the fabrics began to deteriorate, ensuring thatrestoration was not viable. While many businesses and structuralrestoration contractors have pre-arranged agreements for dealingwith a catastrophe, textiles remain the missing component.

All of the research and experience bodes well for commercialbusinesses and insurance companies as they plan for future losses.Commercial window treatments, for example, typically are made of apolyester blend, which tends to have a very high restoration rate.On the residential side, the role of textile restorationspecialists is more commonplace and is becoming a standard elementin the claim process. Contractors and contents-cleaning companiesnow more frequently rely on such sources to remove fabric itemsexpeditiously so that their work can begin efficiently.

Damage caused by smoke, as well as water, poses distinctchallenges that are best addressed by specialists who are equippedand adept at handling these situations. A professional will focuson key areas of the cleaning process, beyond prompt response, suchas equipment that enables proper agitation of items to preventre-deposition of contaminants. Detergent formulas specificallydesigned for restoration contaminants also lead to a highersatisfactory salvage rate.

The 2005 hurricane season truly was historic, yet the severityand frequency of such storms likely will be comparable in the yearsahead. As the industry becomes more familiar with those whospecialize in textile restoration, the potential for exponentialcost savings will increase substantially.

Wayne M. Wudyka is chairman and CEO of the CertifiedRestoration Drycleaning Network. He can be reached at1-888-DryClean, www.crdn.com.