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Water Damage Restoration After a Storm in Florida

A storm can bring water into a home in several ways at once: through the roof, through windows and doors, through a failed drain, or as floodwater that rises from outside. The result is often a home that is wet in more than one place, with damage that is wider than a single leak, and a situation that feels harder to deal with because the storm may still be going on. The first steps after a storm are about safety and getting help, not about assessing the full extent of the damage, which is a job for the inspection that follows.

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

Storm water intrusion in general terms

Storm water can enter a home through the roof, through windows and doors, through vents and openings, or as floodwater that rises from outside, in general terms. Heavy rain can overwhelm gutters and drains, wind can drive rain through small openings, and rising water can enter through doorways and low openings. The water may enter in one place and travel through the structure to appear in another, which is why the damage after a storm is often wider than the point of entry suggests. The intrusion is described here in general terms only, and no claim is made about any specific storm or any specific place.

The category of the water matters after a storm. 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. The inspection is what settles which category applies to the water in your home, and the cleanup is planned from that finding rather than from an assumption. Do not assume that storm water is clean because it started as rain.

Safety first after a storm

Safety comes first after a storm, 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. If the storm is still going on, stay inside a safe part of the building and do not go outside to check the damage until the weather has passed. If there is a gas smell, an electrical danger, or a person at risk, call 911 first, from outside the building if you need to.

A building that has been through a storm may have structural damage that is not visible from outside, including a weakened roof, damaged walls, or a floor that is no longer sound. Do not assume that a building is safe because it looks sound, and do not climb onto the roof to check it. If you are unsure about the safety of the building, stay out and call for help. The flood damage cleanup page explains what professional cleanup covers in general terms.

Water Damage Restoration After a Storm in Florida — Florida water damage guide

What the restoration process covers

The restoration process after a storm 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, 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 after a storm is often wider than after a single leak, because the water may have entered in more than one place and affected more rooms. That wider scope is found by the inspection, not assumed in advance, 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 storm loss is different.

After the storm has passed

Once the storm has passed and it is safe to be near the building, take photographs of the damage from safe, dry positions, and keep a written record of the affected rooms, the belongings that were in the water, and when the storm happened. That record is useful for insurance purposes in general terms, and neither this guide nor the professional can promise any particular insurance outcome. 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 yourself.

Watch the building in the days after the visit, and note any new stains, smells or soft patches, because water can keep moving through a structure after the storm itself has passed. In Jacksonville and across Northeast Florida, the water damage restoration in Jacksonville page is the local starting point for the same statewide help described here.

Storm damage beyond water

A storm can cause damage beyond water, and that damage needs to be dealt with as well, though it is not part of the restoration job described in this guide. Wind can damage a roof, break windows, and bring down trees and debris, and that damage can let more water in if it is not dealt with. The roof, the windows and the structure should be checked after a storm, by a qualified person, before the building is lived in again, and any opening that lets water in should be covered as a temporary measure until it can be repaired properly. Do not climb onto the roof to check it, and do not try to repair structural damage yourself.

The restoration job covers the water damage inside the home: the wet ceilings, the wet walls, the drying, and the repair of the damaged materials. It does not cover the roof repair itself, or the repair of structural damage, and whether those fall within the scope of the restoration operator is a matter for the operator to confirm rather than assumed. The professional should be asked directly what is covered and what is not, so that the homeowner knows which parts of the job need a separate professional and can arrange them without delay.

It also helps to document the storm damage beyond water, with photographs and a written record, in the same way as the water damage, because the record is useful for insurance purposes in general terms. Photograph the roof, the windows, and any debris, from safe positions on the ground, and do not go into a part of the building that may be unsafe to get a better photograph. Keep the record together with the water damage record, in a single file, so that the whole history of the storm is in one place.

Temporary coverings for a damaged roof or a broken window are worth arranging as soon as it is safe to do so, because they stop more water from coming in while the permanent repair is arranged. A tarpaulin over a damaged section of roof, or a board over a broken window, can keep the next rain out, and that matters because a building that has already taken on water will take on more with each storm that follows. Do not climb onto the roof to put a covering in place, and do not try to repair the roof yourself, because that is a job for a qualified person. The temporary covering should be arranged by a professional, and it should be checked after each storm to make sure it is still holding.

Key Takeaways

Storm water can enter a home through the roof, through windows and doors, through vents and openings, or as floodwater that rises from outside, in general terms.
Safety comes first after a storm, before any cleanup or assessment.
The restoration process after a storm follows the usual sequence: inspection, water removal, drying, cleaning and repair, in general terms.
Once the storm has passed and it is safe to be near the building, take photographs of the damage from safe, dry positions, and keep a written record of the affected rooms, the belongings that were in the water, and when the storm happened.
A storm can cause damage beyond water, and that damage needs to be dealt with as well, though it is not part of the restoration job described in this guide.

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 Watertown, FL for one local example, or find your town on the service areas page.