Miami-Dade County
North Miami Beach and North Miami are two separate cities near Biscayne Bay, both with a median home built in 1967. King tides, storm surge, aging apartment buildings and septic systems shape most of the water damage here.
ZIP codes in the area
Some of these ZIP codes also include neighboring communities.
The names cause confusion, so it helps to be clear. North Miami Beach and North Miami are neighbors, but they are separate cities with separate governments. North Miami Beach, incorporated in 1931, is not on the beach at all; Sunny Isles Beach lies east of it across the Intracoastal Waterway. North Miami, about 10 square miles, runs east to Biscayne Bay, with Arch Creek winding through it and an elevation of about 7 feet. Both live close to tidal water.
In North Miami, tidal flooding shows up on specific streets. The city lists NE 124th Street in Keystone, NE 125th Street near NE 15th Avenue and NE 135th Street east of Biscayne Boulevard, and says other areas may be affected. Miami-Dade County notes that king tides arrive in spring and fall, peak in the fall, and are reaching farther inland as sea level rises. North Miami Beach tells residents to expect flooding 1.5 to 2 hours on either side of peak tide.
Hurricanes raise the stakes. The National Hurricane Center’s report on Irma in 2017 describes 4 to 6 feet of inundation above ground in portions of Miami-Dade, especially along Biscayne Bay. Heavy rain alone can do damage too: the October 2000 flood put just over 9 inches on the North Miami gauge.
Tide and surge water brings salt, silt and debris indoors. Carpet, pad and the bottom of the drywall it soaks are usually removed, and surfaces are cleaned before drying equipment goes in. The flood cleanup page walks through that process.
Both cities report a median home built in 1967. Roughly 8 in 10 units went up before 1980 and more than half before 1970, and in North Miami Beach about 3 in 10 date from the 1950s alone.
The buildings are dense, too. Around 4 in 10 units in each city are in buildings with 20 or more units, and more than half of North Miami households rent. In a building that age, one failed supply line or clogged drain can soak the ceilings and walls of units below before anyone upstairs knows. Every affected unit needs its own moisture check, since water often travels beyond the visible stain. For what the drying and repair work involves, see water damage restoration.
North Miami Beach has far more septic systems than its neighbor. Miami-Dade County’s 2018 report counted about 5,265 residential parcels on septic in North Miami Beach, compared with 199 in North Miami, and projected about 3,750 of the North Miami Beach parcels to be vulnerable to periodic compromise by 2040. A septic system that cannot drain can send wastewater back through toilets and floor drains, which calls for sewage cleanup rather than ordinary drying.
Several ZIP codes on this page cross city lines. 33162 is mostly North Miami Beach, 33181 is mostly North Miami, and 33161 is about half North Miami. 33168 splits between North Miami and Golden Glades. 33167 is mainly Westview, and 33179 is mainly Ives Estates and Ojus, with only a small share in North Miami Beach. 33160 is the most mixed, covering parts of both cities plus much of Sunny Isles Beach, Aventura and Golden Beach.
The City of North Miami names NE 124th Street in Keystone, NE 125th Street near NE 15th Avenue and NE 135th Street east of Biscayne Boulevard as king tide flooding spots. Miami-Dade County says these tides run highest in the fall.
In Hurricane Irma in 2017, the National Hurricane Center reported inundation of 4 to 6 feet above ground in parts of Miami-Dade, especially along Biscayne Bay.
About 8 in 10 homes in both cities were built before 1980, and roughly 4 in 10 are in buildings with 20 or more units, according to Census estimates. Leaks in older stacked units often travel to the floors below.
Miami-Dade County counted about 5,265 residential parcels on septic in North Miami Beach in 2018 and projected about 3,750 of them to be vulnerable to periodic compromise by 2040.
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FAQ
Both cities are covered, along with the other communities inside these ZIP codes. 33167 is mainly Westview, 33179 is mainly Ives Estates and Ojus, 33161 and 33168 include much of Golden Glades, and 33160 reaches into Sunny Isles Beach, Aventura and Golden Beach. The same 24/7 line serves all of them.
It can in low-lying spots. North Miami Beach says king tide flooding can be seen 1.5 to 2 hours before and after peak tide and suggests flood panels or sandbags in low areas. If tidal water does get inside, it is handled as outside flood water, so soaked carpet pad and the lower part of drywall usually come out.
Tell the neighbor above and building management so the source can be shut off, and keep people away from any sagging ceiling or wet light fixture. After the leak stops, both units need moisture readings, because water in older buildings can spread across a ceiling or down a wall well past the visible stain.
A burst supply line releases clean water, while a septic backup brings wastewater into the house through toilets, tubs or floor drains. Anything porous it touches is usually removed, hard surfaces are cleaned and disinfected, and only then does drying start. Avoid running water in the house until the system can drain again.
Call now
Shut off the water if you can reach the valve safely, then call. Describe where it came from and which rooms are wet.
When you call, have ready