The general thinking about household disasters is they always happen to someone else that is until an unforeseen catastrophe finally strikes you.

What's next after the fire engines leave, or water from a flood recedes from the basement?

    While the average homeowner may have trouble thinking straight after a catastrophe hits, the people who put homes back together do. They're called disaster remediation and restoration specialists. They're one-stop shops that help put households in order, from clean up to reconstruction and even dealing with insurance companies.

  "A lot of people have no idea that we as an industry exist until they have a need for us," said Andy Beumel, co-owner of First Priority DKI in South Elgin. From the Daily Herald.