Cleanup and drying after wind-driven rain and storm water enter through failed openings, plus what to document for your claim.
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Hurricane water damage cleanup in Port St. Lucie covers rain that entered through a damaged roof, window or door and any flood water, which is treated differently. A crew can tarp or board an opening, extract and dry, and document damage for your claim. Port St. Lucie Water Damage Restoration answers phones 24/7, and a crew is dispatched as fast as one is available.
Hurricane water damage rarely comes from one source. Wind can lift roof tiles or shingles, strip flashing and break windows, so rain pours in from above. Wind-driven rain can be pushed through gaps around doors, window frames and soffits that stay dry in an ordinary storm. At ground level, storm surge, canal rise and street flooding can enter the house as Category 3 water. A restoration crew has to work out which of these happened, because each has a different plan and a different insurance treatment.
The Treasure Coast has been through this before. Hurricane Frances came ashore on Hutchinson Island on 5 September 2004 with winds of about 105 mph, and Hurricane Jeanne followed on 25 September 2004 with 120 mph winds about five miles southeast of Stuart, damaging a hospital roof and sending thousands into shelters. Together they caused damage exceeding seven billion dollars regionally. Hurricane Ian in 2022 is tied here to rain-driven canal discharges in Martin County.
This page covers the water side of hurricane damage: stopping more rain from coming in, removing and drying what is wet, and keeping a record. It does not cover roof replacement or wind-damage repair, which belong to a roofer or contractor. For the sequence of work see water damage restoration, and for the roof see storm damage restoration.
Do not go outside during the storm, and afterward stay away from downed power lines, standing water and damaged trees. Never run a generator indoors or in a garage, because exhaust can be deadly.
Stay in until the National Weather Service and local officials say it is safe to go out, and avoid downed lines and standing water. Turn off power to the wet area only if the panel is dry and reachable.
Take photos and video of the roof, windows, ceilings, walls and floors, plus the waterline if water came in from outside. Keep receipts for any temporary repairs.
A crew can tarp a damaged roof area or board an opening so rain stops coming in. Roof replacement and permanent repair are for a roofer or contractor.
Standing water is extracted, and wet insulation, carpet and drywall that cannot be dried are removed. Dehumidifiers and air movers then run while readings are logged.
The crew shares moisture readings, photos and a list of what was removed, which you can pass to your insurer. Rebuilding is quoted after drying.
Costs after a hurricane vary more than for any other kind of water damage, because the area wet, the water category and the demand for crews all differ. The figures below are typical estimates from published cost guides, not a quote.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Roof tarp, small roof (up to about 1,500 sq ft) | $200-$1,300 | Temporary only; the roof repair is separate |
| Whole-job restoration, typical home (national) | $1,400-$6,400 | Rain through an opening, caught early |
| Gray water cleanup, per sq ft | $4-$6.50 | Rain that sat in insulation or carpet |
| Black water cleanup, per sq ft | $7-$7.50 and up | Category 3 surge or flood water |
| Water-damaged drywall section replaced | $600-$1,550 | Rebuild stage, quoted after drying |
Estimates for St. Lucie County in 2026. Large storm events can push prices and wait times up, and flooding of a whole house costs far more. Your price is explained and approved by you before work starts.
Photograph and film every wet room, the roof and openings, and any waterline before anything is moved. Keep receipts for temporary repairs and hotel stays, note the date and time you found the damage, and call your insurer early. Moisture readings and a list of removed materials from the crew add to the record.
Write down what was damaged and what you moved or threw away, and keep samples of flooring or carpet if the insurer might want them. Do not throw out damaged items until the adjuster has seen them or agreed in writing.
The crew can document the damage for your claim, and coverage is decided by your insurer. Details on the process are in what to do after storm water enters the house.
It depends on how the water entered. Wind-driven rain through a storm-damaged roof or window is often covered by a homeowners policy, while flood from surge, rising canals or street water usually needs separate flood insurance. Check your policy for a separate hurricane deductible, and ask your agent which applies.
A single storm can cause both kinds of damage in the same house, and the insurer may treat them separately. That makes the record of how and where the water came in important.
Flood policies through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer generally have a waiting period of about 30 days. Read more in flood vs homeowners insurance for water damage in Florida.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, with the peak around 10 September and most activity between mid-August and mid-October. September is also the wettest month on the 1991-2020 normals for nearby Fort Pierce, so heavy rain and storm risk overlap.
Both Frances and Jeanne came in September 2004, and in autumn, king tides can add to coastal and canal high water. Heavy rain on ground that is already saturated has little room to drain, which is how street flooding can follow even a weaker system.
The National Weather Service office in Melbourne covers this county for warnings. After a storm, local conditions change quickly, so follow official guidance before going out or returning to a flooded area.
Drying should not wait for permanent roof repairs. A temporary tarp or board-up stops more water entering, and drying starts under it. The EPA advises drying wet materials within 24 to 48 hours to limit mold, which is a guideline and not a deadline, and mold may still develop in damp materials.
After a major storm many people need roof work at once, so permanent repairs can take a while. Waiting to dry a wet ceiling and attic until the roof is done leaves insulation and drywall damp in warm weather, which is a setup for mold.
Building rules for repairs come from the Florida Building Code, which applies statewide. The design wind speed depends on the address and the building's risk category, so ask the city or county building department, and note that St. Lucie and Martin counties are outside the state's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone.
Rain entering through a roof or broken window starts as clean water but soaks insulation and ceilings, then drips into the rooms below. It usually begins as clean water but can turn Category 2 if it sits. A tarp or board-up stops the supply before drying begins.
Rain pushed sideways can enter around windows, doors and wall openings with no visible damage. The water often runs down inside the wall, so moisture mapping is how it is found.
Storm surge, canal rise and street flooding are Category 3 and are handled as described on the flood damage cleanup page. Flood is a separate insurance question from wind-driven rain.
Frances came ashore on Hutchinson Island and Jeanne came in near the southern tip of that island, about five miles southeast of Stuart, so the barrier island and the Martin County coast have a documented history of direct storm hits. A roof's age and condition, and the state of its windows and doors, tend to matter as much as the year the house was built.
After Ian in 2022, reports describe rain-driven canal discharges in western Martin County, with water pooling in Palm City at Mapp Road, SW Cornell Avenue and All American Boulevard. That is a reminder that water can reach a house from the canal side even when the roof holds.
Newer communities such as Tradition rely on lakes and ponds for stormwater, while older platted lots lean on canals and swales. Both are designed for ordinary rain and not for every storm, so ask your own building department about requirements for repair work in your area.
If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent hurricane water damage cleanup, send the form and we'll call you back.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Tarping or boarding the opening, then removing and drying the water a storm pushed into a Treasure Coast house.
What happens inside the house after a roof leak: temporary tarp, wet insulation and ceilings removed, and drying before repairs.
Cleanup, removal of contaminated materials and drying after surface flooding from heavy rain, canals, the river or the lagoon.
What a mold assessment involves, why Florida keeps assessors and remediators apart, and how moisture mapping finds the source.
After a storm pushes water into your home, make it safe first: stay out of standing water near outlets, shut off the main water valve if a pipe is involved, and photograph everything before moving it.
Water reaches homes here three ways: heavy rain that overwhelms drainage, canal and river levels that rise and back into low ground, and tidal or storm-surge water pushed in from the lagoon.
A homeowners policy often covers sudden and accidental water damage, like a burst pipe, and usually does not cover long-term leaks, flood or sewer and drain backup unless an endorsement was added.
A crew can place a temporary tarp or board an opening to stop more rain. It does not replace roofs or do permanent repairs, which go to a roofer.
Wind-driven rain through storm damage is often covered, while flood from surge or rising water usually is not. Your policy may have a separate hurricane deductible, so check it with your agent.
As soon as it is safe to enter and a crew is available. The EPA advises drying within 24 to 48 hours, but crews are in high demand after a storm, and no arrival time can be promised.
Tell the crew and the insurer exactly how the water came in. The two are treated differently, flood being Category 3 and covered only by flood insurance, so records of the rain and flood paths are useful.
Photograph them first and, if you plan to claim, ask the insurer before discarding anything. Wet carpet and pad that are contaminated or soaked usually cannot be saved, and the crew will tell you which.
It can, since warm, humid conditions favor it, and mold may grow even if materials are dried within 24 to 48 hours. If you see or smell it, see the mold inspection page for how Florida licenses assessors and remediators.