Restoration Referral in Orlando, FL

September 2022 is the wettest month Orlando has recorded

Hurricane Ian pushed September 2022 to the rainiest month on record for Orlando. Orlando International Airport finished the month with 22.42 inches, and picked up more than a foot of rain in the 24 hours of September 28 to 29. The previous wettest September in Orlando was 1945, at 15.87 inches.

Rain was uneven across the county. National Weather Service totals put Orlando between 9 and 15 inches for the storm, and Union Park, east of the city, above 17 inches, the highest in Orange County. The City of Orlando described historic flooding throughout the city, and the rain flooded Lake Eola downtown.

Orlando's housing is newer than most people assume

The City of Orlando's 2023 American Community Survey summary counts 152,600 housing units. About 40 percent (62,397) were built from 2000 on, roughly 69 percent after 1980, and about 14 percent before 1960 (3.5 percent in 1939 or earlier, 2.0 percent in the 1940s, 8.4 percent in the 1950s).

That mix matters when you look for the source. Older neighborhoods such as Thornton Park, College Park and Colonialtown can have aging supply lines and drains. Newer subdivisions have their own usual suspects: a failed water heater, a supply line, an air conditioner drain line backing up, or a roof leak during an afternoon storm. A newer house is not a dry house, and any of these can run inside a wall for days before a stain shows.

Rising water and leaking water are handled differently by insurers

Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation has said a basic homeowners policy does not cover flooding. Flood coverage is a separate policy from a private insurer or the National Flood Insurance Program. Water that came from a pipe, an appliance or a storm-damaged roof is a different cause of loss from water that came up from the ground, and your policy decides what is covered, not the restoration company.

Before anything is thrown out, take dated photos and video of the waterline and every wet room, and write down in order what happened and when you noticed it. If you are not sure which kind of loss you have, call your insurer to report it and ask. Ryan can match you with a restoration company that documents the loss with photos and moisture readings, but he does not file or negotiate claims.

Why the first two days matter in Orlando's humidity

The EPA advises drying wet materials within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth, and Orlando's summer humidity gives little margin. Floodwater that came from a lake, river or storm drain is treated as Category 3 (grossly contaminated) water in the IICRC S500 standard, which changes what can be dried in place and what has to come out.