Hurricane and flood cleanup in Jacksonville
Jacksonville sees all three kinds of flooding the city's floodplain office names: coastal, inland and river. Water from the St. Johns, its creeks, the tide or a flooded street carries silt, sewage and chemicals, so it is treated as contaminated (Category 3).
The line is open 24/7 and connects you with an independent local company.
Right now
- 1Stay out of flood water. It can hide sewage, sharp debris and live current.
- 2Don't switch on power in a flooded room. Have the electrical system checked before it's turned back on.
- 3Take dated photos and video of every room before anything is moved or thrown out.
- 4Keep children and pets away from anything the water touched.
What's going on
Storm winds also push rain in around windows, sliding doors and roof edges. That water starts cleaner, but anything it soaks still has to dry within a day or two to stay ahead of mold.
Irma set record St. Johns River stages across Duval County in 2017, and Matthew pushed the Mayport tide gauge to its second-highest reading since 1898. The City of Jacksonville is a Class 6 community in FEMA's Community Rating System, and its floodplain coordinator provides flood zone determinations and copies of Elevation Certificates.
Water category: Category 3 for flood water; storm rain through openings often starts as Category 2.
What changes the size of the job
- How high the water rose on the walls
- Whether it was river, tide or street water (contaminated) or storm rain
- How long the house stayed flooded before cleanup
- How much furniture and flooring has to go
No prices here: only a written estimate from the company that sees the house can give one.
How drying usually goes
- 1
Safety and pump-out
Electrical and structural hazards are checked, then standing water is pumped out.
- 2
Remove contaminated materials
Carpet, pad, insulation and drywall that flood water touched are usually removed and bagged.
- 3
Flood cut
Drywall is cut above the water line so the wall cavities can be cleaned and dried.
- 4
Clean and disinfect
Floors, framing and hard surfaces are cleaned and treated before drying starts.
- 5
Dry and verify
Dehumidifiers and air movers run until the framing and slab read dry.
Jacksonville facts for this problem
The St. Johns set record flood stages at many Duval County gauges during Hurricane Irma, flood water in city streets reached 5 feet deep in places, and Jacksonville International Airport logged 9.20 inches of rain.
Source: National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Irma reportMatthew gusted to 82 mph near Fort Caroline, and the Mayport tide gauge reached 5.14 feet (NAVD88), second only to the hurricane of 1898 in that record.
Source: NWS Jacksonville: Quick Review of Major Hurricane MatthewDuring Hurricane Ian, the Buckman Bridge gauge reached 3.06 feet above mean higher high water and the Cedar River 2.86 feet.
Source: NWS Jacksonville: Hurricane Ian post-storm reportFEMA's NFIP records show 6,030 flood insurance claims and $213,935,673 paid across 31 residential Jacksonville ZIP codes; 32210 has the most, 913.
Calculated by Jax Water Damage Hub: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3 (calculated)In 2017, the year of Irma, those ZIP codes logged 2,050 NFIP claims with $143,528,349 paid.
Calculated by Jax Water Damage Hub: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3 (calculated)The City of Jacksonville holds a Class 6 rating in FEMA's Community Rating System; its floodplain coordinator handles flood zone determinations and Elevation Certificate copies.
Source: City of Jacksonville: Floodplain ManagementCitizens Property Insurance requires flood coverage on its personal residential policies: in FEMA flood zones since 2023, and for every remaining home policy effective on or after January 1, 2027.
Source: Fla. Stat. 627.351(6)(aa)Insurers must offer hurricane deductibles of $500, 2%, 5% and 10% of the dwelling limit, and the hurricane deductible applies once per calendar year.
Source: Fla. Stat. 627.701
Insurance, in general terms
Standard homeowners policies exclude rising water from outside; that takes a separate flood policy (NFIP or private). Wind-driven rain through damaged openings is handled under the homeowners policy, often with a separate hurricane deductible in Florida.
Questions
- Is flood water from the St. Johns River dangerous to clean up myself?
- Flood water is treated as contaminated. If you do any cleanup, wear boots, gloves and eye protection, keep children away, and throw out porous things it soaked.
- Does homeowners insurance cover flooding in Jacksonville?
- Not rising water from outside. That needs a flood policy. Citizens Property Insurance now requires flood coverage on its Florida home policies on a schedule set in Fla. Stat. 627.351(6)(aa).
- How do I find my flood zone?
- Look up your address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, or ask the City of Jacksonville's floodplain coordinator for a zone determination or a copy of an Elevation Certificate.
Other water problems
Hurricane and flood water in Jacksonville? The line is open now.
(904) 352-8877