Storm damage in Miami-Dade: the building gets closed up first.
Wind-driven rain finds the smallest opening and puts water in rooms a long way from it. Closing the opening comes first, then we trace where the water actually traveled, take out what can't be saved, and dry the rest on a measured plan. We'll tell you on the call which of those parts we can take on ourselves.
Close the building up first. Everything else follows.
Most policies ask you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage after a loss, and in a storm that means closing the opening and getting the water out. Below is what that involves, and where we'd bring in someone else.
Closing the opening
Closing an opening is temporary protection rather than a repair. Tell us what's open and we'll say on the call whether we can close it or who we'd bring in to do it. The permanent work goes to a licensed roofer or contractor either way.
Clearing the wet rooms
Storm debris, wet contents and materials cleared out of the wet rooms so drying can start and the space is safe to walk through.
Intrusion tracing
Where you see the stain is rarely where the water came in. We follow it back along framing and pipe runs with a thermal camera and moisture meters, and we tell you what we can see and what we can't.
Drying ceilings and wall cavities
Soaked ceilings and wall cavities dried from the inside where the material allows it, rather than opened up by default.
Water removal
We pull the water out and dry once the building is closed up. Drying an open building is throwing equipment hours away.
Why the first two days matter
In this climate, mold growth can begin within 24 to 48 hours on wet drywall and wood. Getting the wet materials dry inside that window is the reason to call early rather than wait for an adjuster.
Flood and surge water is contaminated
Groundwater and storm surge are contaminated, so anything porous that soaked it up comes out and what stays is cleaned before drying starts. Tell us what came in and we'll tell you on the call whether it's work we can take on.
Documented for your claim
The opening we could see, the path the water took, the affected materials, and the daily readings, all recorded as we go. Storm claims turn on how the water got in, so we document the conditions in detail and leave the determination to your carrier.
Run a generator outside only, away from windows and doors, and never in a garage or a breezeway. Carbon monoxide is the part of a storm that hurts people after the wind has gone.
Stay out of standing water if power may still be on in that part of the building, and treat anything that came in off the ground as contaminated.
If the building has taken structural damage, stay out until someone qualified has looked at it. We'll tell you on the phone if that's what it sounds like.
Get your property on file before the season starts
Send us your property details before the season and we'll keep them on file: how to reach you, how to get in, where the shut-offs are, and what matters most inside. If a storm lands, we aren't collecting that while you're standing in water. It's a record rather than a building inspection. For advice on the roof, the windows, or the drainage themselves, you want a licensed roofer or engineer, and we'll say so.
Your details are already on file when you call
Shut-off locations, access instructions, and the rooms that matter most
Anything your association needs from us, sorted before it's urgent
Storm damage questions
Should I wait for my adjuster before anything is touched?
No. Policies require you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, and emergency work is normally covered separately from the main repair. What matters is documentation: we photograph and video everything before, during, and after, so the adjuster sees the original condition even though the water is already out.
Is flood damage covered by my homeowners policy?
Generally not. Rising water and storm surge fall under separate flood insurance, usually NFIP. Wind-driven rain entering through a storm-created opening is a windstorm claim on your homeowners policy. The distinction turns on how the water got in, so we document the entry point specifically.
How quickly can you get out during an active storm?
Nobody responsible sends a crew out into sustained tropical storm winds. We work through calls as soon as conditions allow, and we'll tell you where you are in that queue rather than give you a time we can't hold. If we can't get to you in a useful timeframe, we'll say so.
Do you handle the roof repair?
The permanent repair, no. We dry, clean, and document. We're not a roofer or a general contractor. What we do handle is the water: pulling it out, drying the building, and documenting the path it took, plus closing the opening where that's work we can take on. Your roofer needs that to find the source. The roof itself, the windows and any structural rebuild go to the appropriately licensed contractor, and we're happy to give you names.
The opening first. The carrier after.
Most policies ask you to prevent further damage. Call and we'll start on that, with photographs, from the first visit.