# Hurricane and Storm Water Damage Cleanup in Fort Lauderdale, FL **Restoration Doctor of South Florida** Phone: (786) 213-9489 ยท office@restorationdoctors.com Mailing Address: 1200 Brickell Ave Suite 1950 #1007, Miami, FL 33131 Google Business Profile: https://maps.google.com/?cid=1531618495937525034 > Restoration Doctor of South Florida cleans up and dries hurricane and storm water damage in Fort Lauderdale and across Broward County, 24 hours a day at (786) 213-9489: board-up and roof tarping, water extraction, structural drying and daily moisture documentation. ## Facts at a glance - **Service area:** Fort Lauderdale and the rest of Broward County, Florida - **Hours:** 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - **Storm work:** Board-up, roof tarping, water extraction, structural drying, daily moisture documentation - **Phone:** (786) 213-9489 - **Mailing Address:** 1200 Brickell Ave Suite 1950 #1007, Miami, FL 33131 - **Standard:** IICRC S500/S520-aligned documentation ## What storm water damage looks like in Fort Lauderdale and Broward A named storm usually brings water into a building in more than one way at the same time. Wind-driven rain gets past roof tiles, flashing, windows and sliding doors. Heavy rain that cannot drain pushes water under doors and through garage thresholds. Where canals and the Intracoastal run high, surge and king-tide water can come over a seawall and into a yard or ground floor. The power often fails at the same moment, so the air conditioning stops and the building warms and humidifies while everything is wet. That is why storm losses turn from a drying job into a mold job quickly, and why the first day matters. ## The first 24 hours after a named storm 1. **Wait until it is safe, then check the building.** Do not go into a building with a damaged roof, a sagging ceiling or standing water near electrical panels. Keep people and pets out of those areas. 2. **Photograph the damage before anything is moved.** Take photos of each wet room and of the roof or window openings, and note the time. We also photograph the openings on our own visit. 3. **Call us and describe what you see.** A person answers (786) 213-9489 at any hour. Tell us the address, where the water came in and whether the power is out. A crew can be on-site in as little as 60 minutes in Miami-Dade. Broward and Palm Beach dispatches take somewhat longer. Response times vary based on crew availability and demand. 4. **Stop more water from getting in.** When an opening is still letting rain in, the crew covers roof and window openings first with temporary tarps or board-up. 5. **Extract, then dry with measured readings.** Standing water comes out first. Wet materials are mapped with moisture meters and thermal imaging, and air movers and dehumidifiers run until readings reach the recorded dry standard. ## Wind-driven rain, storm surge and street flooding are different problems Rain that came through a roof or window is not the same as water that came in from the ground. Water that enters from outside the building, whether from a flooded street, a canal or a lake, is treated as contaminated (IICRC Category 3) under the S500 standard. That means extraction, removal of the porous materials it reached such as baseboard, carpet pad and drywall up to a cut line above the wet line, cleaning and antimicrobial treatment, and measured drying. In a house that took both, we map and log each wet area by water category, because rainwater and outside floodwater are handled differently. - [Storm damage restoration](https://restorationdoctorfl.com/services/storm-damage-restoration) - [Hurricane water damage: what to do in the first 24 hours](https://restorationdoctorfl.com/blog/hurricane-water-damage-what-to-do-first) ## King tides and saltwater In the fall, king tides can put canal water over aging seawalls with no storm in sight. Salt left behind in slabs and wall bases keeps attracting moisture after the surface looks dry, so readings on a saltwater loss are taken through to the slab and the base of the wall, and wet porous materials are removed. - [King tide saltwater flood cleanup](https://restorationdoctorfl.com/blog/king-tide-saltwater-flood-cleanup-miami-beach) ## Mold after a storm: the clock In Broward's heat and humidity, wet drywall and baseboards can start supporting mold growth within a few days, and a building with the air conditioning off warms up fast. Drying that starts early lowers the chance that mold growth takes hold. Where growth is already established, we remediate under the IICRC S520 standard with containment and controlled removal. - [Condensation and mold around impact windows and sliding doors](https://restorationdoctorfl.com/blog/impact-window-condensation-mold-south-florida) - [How to stop mold after a hurricane](https://restorationdoctorfl.com/blog/how-to-stop-mold-after-hurricane-florida) ## Crews and equipment after landfall After a named storm, demand for crews and equipment rises across South Florida, and response times vary based on crew availability and demand. Calling early puts you in the queue sooner. Right after landfall, response is triaged: making structures safe with board-up and tarping comes first, then extraction and drying. ## Frequently asked questions ### Do you respond after a hurricane in Fort Lauderdale and Broward County? Yes. We operate through hurricane season. After landfall we cover roof and window openings first with temporary tarps or board-up where needed, then extract and dry. A crew can be on-site in as little as 60 minutes in Miami-Dade. Broward and Palm Beach dispatches take somewhat longer. Response times vary based on crew availability and demand. ### Storm flooding came into my Broward home. Who do I call for water cleanup? Call (786) 213-9489. Water that came in from a flooded street, a canal or a lake is treated as contaminated, IICRC Category 3. We extract it, remove the porous materials it reached, clean and treat the area, and dry the structure with daily moisture readings. ### I have a roof leak after a storm in Pompano Beach or another Broward city. What should I do? Photograph the damage and the wet rooms, move small items off wet floors, and call us. If the opening is still letting rain in, the first job is emergency roof tarping or board-up, then extraction and drying. We do not repair roofs; a roofer does that. ### How do I clean up after king tide flooding in Fort Lauderdale? Brackish canal water is contaminated, so the cleanup is more than fans. Water is extracted, wet porous materials are removed, the area is cleaned and treated, and salt-exposed materials are checked with readings taken through to the slab and the base of the wall. ### How soon does mold start after hurricane flooding in Florida? Wet drywall and baseboards can start supporting mold growth within a few days, and a building with no power or air conditioning warms up quickly. Drying that starts early lowers the chance that mold growth takes hold. Where growth is established, we remediate under IICRC S520 with containment and controlled removal. ### Do you rebuild or repair after a hurricane? No. Restoration Doctor of South Florida is a water mitigation company: we extract water, dry and document. If your property needs repairs after drying, we can refer you to licensed contractors. ### What should I photograph and write down after storm water gets in? Photograph each wet room before anything is moved, along with the roof, window or door where water seems to have come in. Write down the time you noticed the water and whether the power was out. We add our own moisture readings and photos on arrival. ## Related pages - [Water damage restoration in Fort Lauderdale](https://restorationdoctorfl.com/locations/fort-lauderdale) - [Broward County overview](https://restorationdoctorfl.com/water-damage-restoration-broward-county) - [Storm damage restoration](https://restorationdoctorfl.com/services/storm-damage-restoration) - [Condo water damage](https://restorationdoctorfl.com/condo-water-damage-fort-lauderdale) - [How to choose a restoration company](https://restorationdoctorfl.com/how-to-choose-water-damage-restoration-company-fort-lauderdale) - [Restoration company in South Florida](https://restorationdoctorfl.com/south-florida-restoration-company) --- Source page: https://restorationdoctorfl.com/hurricane-water-damage-cleanup-fort-lauderdale Phone: (786) 213-9489 Last updated: October 2026