In another life, both Chris (a rock star) and Paul (a writer) must have been restorers. How else could they have nailed what we go through when we go on the road?

This issue marks the fourth anniversary of R&R’s Women in Restoration award, again supported so strongly by Violand Management Associates. Each year we award one deserving restoration diva the top honor out of dozens of nominees. In 2019, nearly 40 women were nominated for the award—and each have at least 10 years of experience in the industry.

When Restoration & Remediation was created more than a decade ago, the purpose was pretty obvious: education for property loss contractors. Today, the brand has grown from a solely print magazine into a wide-ranging print and digital brand with nearly 20,000 monthly subscribers and a large online presence through our website, eBlasts, and social media pages.

It feels like just yesterday the R&R team, and some event staff at BNP Media, got together for the first call to discuss launching a brand new event in the disaster restoration industry. After months of careful research and planning, we are now less than one month away from the inaugural event. Booth and exhibitor space sold out early, and attendee spaces are filling up.

As I’m writing this article, Hurricane Florence is about two days away from making landfall in the Carolinas. According to CNN, if Florence stays the course, it will be the furthest north on the East Coast that a Category 4 storm has ever made landfall. Currently, the storm is nearly 550 miles wide, making it larger than the State of Michigan. More than 20 million people are in her path.

Storm season is here – along with the regular increase in restoration jobs heading your way. For many, Xactimate is one of the most essential tools for sketching, scoping, and estimating damages from virtually any kind of event.

The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was remarkably destructive, with Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria significantly impacting parts of Texas, Florida and the Caribbean.