Flood cleanup and drying in Cutler Bay, 33189

Hurricane Andrew came ashore near Cutler Ridge in 1992 and left the area in almost total destruction. What you see today is mostly suburban single-family subdivisions and townhome communities built or rebuilt afterward, with Lakes by the Bay to the east. Nearly 70 percent of homes are owner-occupied.

Like most Florida homes, houses here sit on concrete slabs rather than basements because of the high water table. A slab dries well with the right equipment. The materials that suffer are the drywall, baseboards, carpet pad and cabinet bases right at floor level.

Elevation matters a great deal in this town. Land east of the Cutler Ridge is exposed to storm surge from the bay, while land to the west is generally protected, so the kind of water we find depends on which side you live on.

Surge water and rising floodwater are Category 3, which means porous materials they touched come out. West of the ridge, more of our jobs start with rain getting in at sliders and roofs, or with a burst supply line, and cleaner water like that leaves more room to dry materials in place.

We start by finding the high-water line on the walls and measuring moisture above it, since drywall wicks water upward. Truck-mounted or portable extraction pulls the standing water, then we lift or remove carpet and pad, cut drywall above the wet line and set air movers with dehumidifiers.

Townhome jobs often involve a shared wall, so we check the neighbor's side with a meter when they allow it. Readings are logged on every visit and shared with you and your adjuster.

Our crews cover Palmetto Bay just north, plus South Miami Heights, Goulds and Homestead. US-1 and the Turnpike's Homestead Extension run along the west side of town and keep those trips short.

After a wide storm, calls come in from all of these places at once. We sort them by how much water is still standing and how long it has been there, then give you an honest arrival window on the phone.