Hurricane, flood and water damage in Miami

Irma pushed Biscayne Bay inland

Irma made landfall near Cudjoe Key on September 10, 2017, as a Category 4. The National Hurricane Center reported 4 to 6 feet of water above ground in parts of Miami-Dade along Biscayne Bay, and about 1,000 homes in the county had major damage. A high-water mark of 5.1 feet above ground was surveyed at Matheson Hammock Park.

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (2017)

Downtown flooded from below

The same report says Irma's flooding in downtown Miami came from heavy rain, waves trapped behind seawalls and seawater rising through the city's drainage system. Along Brickell Avenue, most of the water was rain that could not drain because the bay was so high. Whichever way it arrives, that water counts as contaminated once it is inside a home.

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (2017)

King tides peak in the fall

Miami-Dade County says the highest tides in southeast Florida come in the fall, and that sea level rise is making king tides happen more often, last longer and reach farther inland. A king tide on top of heavy rain or a storm makes the flooding worse. If you live near the bay or a canal, watch the tide calendar along with the forecast.

Source: Miami-Dade County, King Tides

Roofs here follow their own code

Miami-Dade and Broward make up the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone of the Florida Building Code, and roofing products used there must be approved for it, often through a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance. That makes permanent roof repair a job for a licensed roofing contractor who works to those rules. We put up the emergency tarp and dry the inside until that work is done.

Source: Florida Building Code, High-Velocity Hurricane Zone provisions; Miami-Dade County Product Control

Andrew still shapes how houses are built

Hurricane Andrew made landfall on Elliott Key and then near Homestead on the morning of August 24, 1992, as a Category 5 with 165 mph winds. Florida's statewide building code, which took effect in 2002, grew out of the damage Andrew did. A house built before 2002 went up under an older local code.

Source: National Weather Service (Andrew 30th anniversary, 2022); International Code Council, The Florida Building Code Story

Condo leaks travel down

In a high-rise, water from a burst line or an open window upstairs can run down several floors before anyone shuts it off. Each affected unit needs its own readings, since walls and ceilings dry at different rates. We measure every unit we are let into and give each owner the file.