Emergency
Storm Surge & Tidal Flooding Saint Johns, FL
Surge and tidal water rise from the ground up and carry salt and silt with them. Anything porous they soaked is treated as contaminated. Outside water that rose into the building is treated as contaminated, and porous material it reached is removed. Salt left behind in materials keeps pulling water from the air, so it is cleaned out with the rest.
Shut off the water, then pick up the phone
Often needed alongside
- Emergency Water Extraction
Standing water removed before it soaks into slab, block and flooring - the first step after any failure, and the one humid air makes urgent.
- Wind-Driven Rain Intrusion
Wind pushes rain sideways through window frames, stucco and the base of the wall. The roof can hold and the house still take water.
- Sewer & Septic Backflow Cleanup
Heavy rain and a high water table can push sewage back through the lowest drain in the building. Clear or murky, it is handled as sewage.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the siding ends swelling on a newer house near Saint Johns?
Much of the housing around Saint Johns is recent, and some of it is clad in fiber-cement lap siding. The boards shed rain well on their painted faces, but where the cut ends at butt joints and corners were left bare, they soak water up and hold it against the wrap behind. Swollen or flaking ends at the joints are the sign, and caulking and painting them seals them.
Should the sprinklers run in September at a house near Saint Johns?
Rarely, because Saint Johns stands about 11 feet above sea level, and in September the yard is already taking heavy rain. A timer that keeps the sprinklers running then sprays the base of the siding and soaks the ground at the slab edge on top of the storms. A rain sensor, or switching the system off for the wet weeks, keeps the house's lowest course drier.
By the end of the rainy season, how much room is left in a drain field near Saint Johns?
Less than in spring. Across the 32259 ZIP code area, some 1,086 properties have septic systems on record. By September the soil around a drain field has taken months of rain, and on low ground it can be close to full, so the household's water soaks away slowly. A slow tub or gurgling toilet after a stormy week is the early sign to ease off laundry and long showers.
These questions also sit on the Saint Johns page, next to its numbers.