Hurricane and flood water in Orlando can come from rain the ground cannot absorb, lakes that rise over their banks, creeks that spill onto streets, or wind-driven rain entering a damaged roof. This guide sets out the first hours and days, what recent local storms showed, and which decisions can wait.
Key takeaways
- Safety comes first. Stay out of standing water, keep clear of electrical equipment and shut off power to wet areas if you can reach the breaker safely.
- Water from a lake or street and water from the roof are different problems, and they can be treated and claimed differently, so note where the water came from.
- Photograph and record the damage before anything is moved, and keep damaged items until you have agreed what happens to them.
- Drying should start as early as it safely can. Humidity in Orlando means that waiting for a dry spell is not a plan.
- Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Milton are described separately here because they were separate storms with different flooding.
What did Hurricane Ian show about flooding in Orlando?
News reports of Hurricane Ian in September 2022 described lakes and creeks across the Orlando area spilling onto roads and toward homes. The lesson for a homeowner is that flooding can rise from the ground up, not only come through the roof.
Local television news reports described September 2022 as the wettest on record for Orlando, Sanford and Daytona Beach, and one station reported 22.42 inches of rain for the month. The same coverage described the Little Wekiva River near Altamonte Springs flooding, along with Shingle Creek and the St. Johns River, and lake water from Lake Ivanhoe and Lake Eola running across city streets. These are press accounts, and the totals are reported here, not measured by this page.
Orlo Vista, west of downtown, is the neighborhood the county has named most often. Orange County's own FAQ on flood mitigation there says the area flooded in Hurricane Irma in 2017 and again in Hurricane Ian, and that the county is funding work to deepen ponds and add a pipeline to Shingle Creek. A homeowner in a place like that learns that water arriving from outside the house, not a broken pipe, is the typical loss, and that changes the order of the work.
Other low spots were flagged in news coverage, including Rio Pinar Country Club Estates. A 2025 news report on an Orange County flood assessment also listed retention ponds, pump stations and wastewater plants as vulnerable. Those are reports, not a flood map. Check the FEMA flood zone for the address with Orange County or the city floodplain office before deciding how much the risk applies to a given house.
What did Hurricane Milton bring in October 2024?
Milton was a separate storm with its own rain and wind. Live reports said a Flash Flood Warning covered Orlando, Deltona and Pine Hills, and gusts were recorded at two regional airports, so the first inspection should check both the roof and the ground.
Hurricane Milton reached the Orlando area in October 2024. Live news coverage reported a Flash Flood Warning covering Orlando, Deltona and Pine Hills, with forecasts of 8 to 14 inches of rain likely in places. Gusts of 60 to 63 miles per hour were recorded at Orlando Executive and Sanford airports, according to the same coverage. Final county totals and damage counts are not confirmed on this page, and the figures above are early reports.
The practical point is that wind-driven rain and flash flooding can hit the same house in one afternoon. A roof that lost tiles or a window that was pushed in lets rain in from above, while the ground around the foundation fills from below. The first inspection should check both routes, because the drying plan and any claim depend on which route the water took.
Milton and Ian should not be read as one event. Ian's lessons concern lake levels and prolonged rain, while Milton's concern fast rain and wind on the building itself. A homeowner who prepared for one may still be caught out by the other, so a plan should be built around the water in front of you rather than the name of the storm.
What should you switch off, and what should you avoid, in the first hours?
Safety comes before cleanup. Stay out of standing water where wiring may be live, shut off power to wet areas at the breaker if you can reach it safely, and close the water main if a line has burst. Leave anything electrical or gas-related to a professional.
Do not walk into standing water to reach a switch or a panel. Water can carry current from a damaged outlet, a submerged appliance or a flooded panel, and it can hide holes in the floor. If water has reached outlets, the panel or a wet appliance, switch off the breaker for those circuits if you can reach it from a dry place. If you cannot, call the utility and stay out of the room.
Gas appliances need the same caution. If water has reached a gas water heater, furnace or range, shut off the gas at the appliance valve only if you know where it is and can do it safely, and report any smell of gas straight to the gas supplier. The water main can be closed at the meter or at the shutoff near the house, which stops a burst line from filling the floor while help is on the way.
Move people and valuables out of the wettest rooms, and never run a generator indoors or close to a door or window. Fans and dehumidifiers can help the house dry, but they should be started only after the power supply has been checked. Keep a short list of what you switched off, so the electrician and the technician know the state of the house when they arrive.
How do you document damage before cleaning?
Good records make the rest of the job easier. Photograph and video every affected room, the water line on walls, the source and the damaged contents before anything is moved, and keep a written log of times and conditions.
Start with a wide video of each room, then close photos of wet materials, the water line on the walls and any visible source. Photograph the outside too: standing water on the lot, a fallen fence, a blocked storm drain and the state of the roof. Note the time for each set of photos, because the order of events can matter later when a claim is reviewed.
Keep damaged items until you have agreed what happens to them. A technician may need to see a ceiling panel, a cabinet base or a wet carpet before it is removed, and a written list of contents with approximate age and condition is more useful than memory. Keep receipts for emergency measures such as tarps, pumps and temporary repairs, because those costs are often recorded separately from the restoration itself. The insurance claims guide covers how these records are usually used.
Write down the name of every person you speak to and the date of each call. A simple log kept on a phone is enough. It becomes the history of the loss and makes it easier to answer later questions from an insurer, a contractor or a public office without relying on recollection.
Why does drying need to start early?
Orlando's rain and humidity keep the air full of moisture, and wet building materials can hold it for a long time. Early removal of water and wet materials generally limits what has to come out later, and it limits the cost that follows.
The National Weather Service office in Melbourne publishes 1981 to 2010 normals for the area. They show June through September as the wettest stretch, with average monthly rain of roughly six to eight inches, and mean temperatures near 81 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit. A house that stays wet after a storm sits in warm, damp air for days, and that is the condition in which trouble grows.
Drying works best when the standing water is removed first, then air is moved across the wet materials and the humidity is lowered. Early action can often stop a wet floor from rising, let a technician lift flooring before it cups, and remove a soaked wall base before the damage spreads. A plan that waits for a dry day has usually lost the early window.
A drying plan should be written down, with the materials to be dried, the readings to be taken and the date each reading will be checked. If the house does not reach the target on the expected day, the plan should say why, so the decision to continue or stop rests on numbers rather than on how the room looks.
Where do the flood zone and the lot matter?
Flood zones and drainage decide how often a street or a lot floods, but they do not describe the risk for one house on their own. Check the FEMA flood zone for the address, then look at how water leaves the property.
FEMA flood zones are set for each address, and the quickest way to check one is through Orange County or the City of Orlando floodplain office. Neither the zone nor local news reports can tell you how a particular floor will behave, so the zone is a starting point rather than the answer.
Look at the lot itself. Where does rain go after a storm? A grade that slopes toward the house, a driveway that channels water to the door, a blocked swale or a retention pond nearby all change the picture. Storm drains that back up in heavy rain are a common reason a street floods and a yard fills at the same time.
Substantial damage rules matter in a floodplain. The local building official decides whether repair costs are large enough, measured against the building's value, to require it to be brought up to current rules. Interior drywall alone is usually well below that level, but the decision belongs to the county or city, so ask the building office before rebuilding.
What can wait, and what cannot?
Safety and drying cannot wait. Claims paperwork, finishes and permanent repairs can, as long as the drying is documented and the damage is recorded before anything is covered up.
The first steps are the ones that stop more damage: making the building safe, removing standing water, lifting the wettest materials and starting air movement. Those steps protect the rest of the house, and they are the steps an insurer is most likely to expect to see taken promptly.
Permanent repairs can wait while the drying plan runs and the records are completed. New drywall, paint, flooring and cabinets should not be closed over wet framing. The rule is simple: finish a wall only after the readings say it is dry and the scope has been checked against what came out.
Call (833) 490-5225 and ask for an assessment and a written drying plan. If a question comes up that the technician cannot answer on the spot, ask for the answer in writing and keep it with the rest of your records.
Frequently asked questions
Should I stay in the house after a flood?
Only if it is safe. Check for standing water, sparks, gas smells and sagging ceilings before going in, and if you are unsure, stay out and ask for help.
Is wind-driven rain treated like flood water?
Not always. Rain that enters through a damaged roof or window is generally handled differently from water that rose from the ground, and the policy and the insurer decide how each is treated.
Can I start drying the house myself?
You can lift rugs, move furniture off wet floors and set up fans once the power has been checked. Removing wet materials and setting equipment is best left to a technician who will take readings.
How soon should I document the damage?
Before anything is moved or thrown away. Start the photos and the log in the first hour, then keep adding to them as the house is opened up.
Can I check a flood zone myself?
Yes. Ask Orange County or the City of Orlando floodplain office for the zone at your address. It is a quick check, and it shapes several of the decisions that follow.
Sources
- Orange County, Florida: Orlo Vista and Westside flood mitigation FAQ
- National Weather Service Melbourne: monthly climate normals
This guide is general information for Orange County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.