County service area
Palm Beach County runs from about 47 miles of Atlantic coastline west to the shore of Lake Okeechobee. Water damage looks different along the way, from older coastal buildings to canal-laced suburbs that flood in slow tropical storms.
Palm Beach County covers about 2,383 square miles, second largest in Florida by land area. It stretches from barrier islands on the Atlantic to part of Lake Okeechobee, with the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in between. Water damage follows that geography, so the likely causes in a lakeside farm town are not the same as in an oceanfront condo.
Housing near the coast skews older. In Lake Worth Beach and the Town of Palm Beach, the median home dates to around 1970, well before the county median of 1986. Original shutoff valves, drain lines and water heater connections in buildings that age are common sources of leaks.
The coast is also exposed to ocean storms. Swells from Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 caused an estimated 14 million dollars in coastal and beach damage in the county. On the island, where most homes are in condo and co-op buildings, see the Town of Palm Beach page for how leaks between units and closed-up seasonal homes play out.
Much of the inland county drains through canal systems. The Lake Worth Drainage District alone maintains about 511 miles of canals across roughly 200 square miles, from Okeechobee Boulevard south to the Hillsboro Canal. In central Palm Beach County, the Indian Trail Improvement District manages canals and swales in The Acreage.
A slow tropical storm can overwhelm that network. Tropical Storm Isaac in 2012 dropped as much as 18 inches in about 12 hours on the western communities, and West Palm Beach went on to record its wettest August since 1888. Standing water lingered for days in the western communities, and extensive flooding was reported in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, The Acreage and Greenacres. When water sits against a house that long, it finds its way under doors and through slab edges. Residents there can find local details on the Royal Palm Beach page, and flood cleanup explains why outside water is handled as contaminated.
The far western county is rural, flat and tied to the lake. The 1928 Okeechobee hurricane made landfall on the Palm Beach County coast and pushed the lake over its south shore, killing at least 2,500 people. The Herbert Hoover Dike, a 143-mile earthen dam around the lake, was rehabilitated by the Army Corps of Engineers, with the work completed in January 2023.
The Glades page covers Belle Glade, Pahokee, South Bay and Canal Point. It also covers two lakeside towns just outside the county line: Clewiston in Hendry County and Moore Haven in Glades County.
Every community and ZIP code served in Palm Beach County is listed on this page, and one 24/7 phone line covers all of them. When calling, give the full address and describe where the water came from, whether a pipe, an appliance, the roof or rising water outside. That tells the restoration company what kind of cleanup and equipment the job needs.
Tropical Storm Isaac dropped 10 to 18 inches of rain in about 12 hours on Wellington, Loxahatchee, The Acreage and Royal Palm Beach in August 2012. Standing water lingered for days, and the South Florida Water Management District reported extensive flooding in The Acreage, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and Greenacres.
The county's median home was built around 1986, but older coastal cities skew much earlier. Census estimates put the median build year near 1969 in Lake Worth Beach and 1970 in the Town of Palm Beach, where aging plumbing is a common leak source.
About 31 percent of the county's housing units are in buildings with five or more units. Leaks in these buildings often spread to neighboring units through ceilings and shared walls.
The 1928 Okeechobee hurricane made landfall in the county and overflowed the lake at its south end.
Services
FAQ
Low, flat inland areas with networks of canals and swales can hold standing water for days after a slow storm. After Tropical Storm Isaac in 2012, extensive flooding was reported in The Acreage, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and Greenacres.
Palm Beach County publishes a flood zone map on its GIS site and a Flood Mapping Repository. Both let you look up an address. A flood zone does not change how water damage is dried out, but it helps explain how exposed a property is.
No. Districts such as the Lake Worth Drainage District maintain canals that move stormwater through the area. Water that gets into a house or business is the owner's to address, starting with removing it and drying the structure.
Yes. Belle Glade, Pahokee, South Bay and Canal Point are covered, along with Clewiston in Hendry County and Moore Haven in Glades County, all on one Glades page.
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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