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Hurricane Water Damage in Florida: The Restoration Process

Hurricane water damage is different from an ordinary leak, not because the process is different, but because the scale is larger and the water comes from more than one direction at once. Wind-driven rain can enter through the roof and windows, storm surge and flooding can bring water in from outside, and the building may be without power for a time, which means the usual drying and pumping equipment cannot run until power is restored. The restoration process itself follows the same sequence as any water loss, but the circumstances around it are harder.

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This guide covers hurricane water damage in general terms: safety first, and the removal, drying, cleaning and repair process. It makes no claim about any specific hurricane, any specific place's storm history, or any specific property's flood risk. What it does is explain the process in general terms, so that you know what to do after a hurricane and what to expect from the restoration that follows.

Hurricane water damage in general terms

Hurricane water damage, in general terms, comes from wind-driven rain entering through the roof, windows and doors, and from floodwater and storm surge entering from outside. The two kinds of water are different: rainwater that enters through the roof is different from floodwater that has crossed streets and yards, which is treated as Category 3 black water and needs professional-only handling. A home after a hurricane may have both kinds of water in it at once, in different rooms, and the inspection is what settles which category applies where.

The scale of the damage is often wider than after a single leak, because the water may have entered in more than one place and affected more rooms, and the building may have structural damage as well as water damage. The restoration process is planned from what the inspection finds, not assumed in advance, and the plan covers the water damage rather than the structural repair, which is a separate matter. No claim is made here about any specific hurricane or any specific place, and no flood risk is stated for any place.

Safety first

Safety comes first after a hurricane, before any cleanup or assessment. Do not enter a flooded building, do not touch electrical items in or near standing water, and keep children and pets away from the water. Do not return to a home that has been evacuated until the authorities say it is safe to do so, and do not assume that a building is safe because it looks sound from outside. A building that has been through a hurricane may have structural damage, damaged wiring, and gas leaks that are not visible from the doorway.

If there is a gas smell, an electrical danger, or a person at risk, call 911 first. Do not climb onto the roof to check it, and do not go into an attic while water is coming in. If the power is out, do not use a generator inside the building, and do not try to restore power yourself. The safety rules after a hurricane are the same as after any flood, and they are worth following exactly, because the dangers are the same even when the scale is larger.

Hurricane Water Damage in Florida: The Restoration Process — Florida water damage guide

Removal, drying, cleaning and repair

The restoration process after a hurricane follows the usual sequence: inspection, water removal, drying, cleaning and repair, in general terms. The inspection covers the affected area and the rooms around it, checks for moisture behind surfaces, and aims to find where the water entered and how far it spread. Water removal takes out the standing water, drying draws the moisture out of the structure with air movement and dehumidification, cleaning deals with what the water left behind, and repair covers the materials that could not be dried or cleaned back to their previous condition.

The process may take longer after a hurricane than after a single leak, because the water has reached more materials and the building may have been wet for longer before the work could start. No duration is promised for any specific property, and no outcome is promised for any specific loss. The flood damage cleanup page explains what professional cleanup covers in general terms, and the structural drying and dehumidification page explains the drying stage.

Documentation and next steps

Documentation after a hurricane matters more than after a single leak, because the damage is often wider and the insurance process is more involved. Take photographs of the damage from safe, dry positions before anything is moved or cleaned, and keep a written record of the affected rooms, the belongings that were in the water, and the work that was done. Do not throw anything away until you have photographed it and spoken to your insurer, and do not start repairs before you have spoken to your insurer, unless the repair is needed to stop further damage.

Keep copies of everything you send to your insurer, and keep a record of the restoration visit, including what was found and what was done. That record is useful for insurance purposes in general terms, and neither this guide nor the professional can promise any particular insurance outcome. In Fort Lauderdale and across Broward County, the water damage restoration in Fort Lauderdale page is the local starting point for the same statewide help described here.

When power is out after a hurricane

When power is out after a hurricane, the restoration work is harder, because the pumps, the extraction equipment and the drying equipment all need power to run. The work cannot start properly until power is restored, or until a safe temporary supply is arranged, and that delay is one of the reasons hurricane water damage takes longer to deal with than an ordinary leak. Do not use a generator inside the building, and do not try to restore power yourself, because both can cause a fire, a shock, or carbon monoxide poisoning. The power should be restored by the utility or by a qualified electrician, and the building should be checked before the power is used again.

While the power is out, the priorities are safety and documentation, rather than cleanup. Stay out of flooded rooms, do not touch electrical items in or near standing water, and keep children and pets away from the water. Take photographs of the damage from safe, dry positions, and keep a written record of the affected rooms and the belongings that were in the water, because that record is useful for insurance purposes in general terms. Do not throw anything away until you have photographed it and spoken to your insurer, and do not start pulling up floors or cutting into walls.

Once the power is restored, the restoration work can begin in the usual order: inspection, water removal, drying, cleaning and repair. The inspection is wider after a hurricane than after a single leak, because the water may have entered in more than one place and affected more rooms, and the plan is built from what the inspection finds. No duration is promised for any specific property, and no outcome is promised for any specific loss, because every hurricane loss is different, and the work takes the time it takes.

Once the power is restored, check the building again for new damage that was not visible while the power was out, because the inspection that happened in the dark may have missed things that are visible in the light. Look for new stains, damp patches and smells, and check the rooms that were hardest to see during the outage, including closets, utility rooms and the space behind the water heater. Note anything new with photographs and dates, and tell the professional, because the plan may need to change to cover what the second look found. A building that has been through a hurricane deserves a second look once the power is back, and the second look is part of the job rather than an extra.

Key Takeaways

Hurricane water damage, in general terms, comes from wind-driven rain entering through the roof, windows and doors, and from floodwater and storm surge entering from outside.
Safety comes first after a hurricane, before any cleanup or assessment.
The restoration process after a hurricane follows the usual sequence: inspection, water removal, drying, cleaning and repair, in general terms.
Documentation after a hurricane matters more than after a single leak, because the damage is often wider and the insurance process is more involved.
When power is out after a hurricane, the restoration work is harder, because the pumps, the extraction equipment and the drying equipment all need power to run.

Your Next Step

If this guide matches what you found at home, the next step is a visit — not a guess. Call and describe what you found, and the visit is arranged from what you describe. The Flood Damage Cleanup page explains what that service covers, and the water damage restoration page explains how the full job is put together when more than one room is affected.

Do not step into standing water where electrics may be involved, and if water is still coming in, turn off the main water supply for the home where you can reach it safely.

Keep the guides on this site bookmarked: the first guide, the signs guide, and the preparation guide cover the checks worth repeating — after moving in, and after a storm or heavy rain.

Water damage help is available across Florida. See water damage restoration in Jacksonville Beach, FL for one local example, or find your town on the service areas page.