A river city with a tidal river
The St. Johns is unusual. It flows north, it's wide and slow, and its lower reaches through Jacksonville rise and fall with the ocean tide. When a storm pushes water in from the Atlantic while heavy rain drains down from upstream, the river has nowhere to go. That's what happened during Hurricane Irma in September 2017, when the river reached record flood levels downtown and water poured into neighborhoods along both banks, including Riverside, San Marco and parts of Mandarin, even though the storm's center passed well to the west.
The river's tributaries carry that risk inland. The Ortega and Cedar rivers on the west side, the Arlington River and Pottsburg Creek on the east, and Julington Creek to the south all back up when the St. Johns is high. A home a mile from the main river can still take on water if it sits beside one of those creeks.
Coastal storms and nor'easters
At the Beaches, the threat comes from the ocean side. Hurricane Matthew tracked just offshore in October 2016 and brought surge, erosion and wind damage to Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach. Northeast Florida also gets nor'easters in the cooler months, multi-day wind events that push water onto the coast and drive rain sideways into windows, doors and stucco walls. Wind-driven rain is one of the most common sources of interior water damage we see in coastal homes, and it's covered on our storm and hurricane damage page.
Older homes, freezes and slab leaks
Jacksonville's housing ranges from 1910s homes in the historic districts to newer suburbs on the Southside and Westside. Older homes often have original cast iron drains and galvanized supply lines, and many were built on crawlspaces. Jacksonville also gets more hard freezes than South or Central Florida, and exposed pipes in attics, crawlspaces and exterior walls can split during a cold snap. In newer slab-on-grade neighborhoods, the more common failures are supply lines, water heaters, AC condensate overflows and slab leaks.
Check your flood risk
Jacksonville's flood risk changes from street to street along the river and its creeks. Enter your address in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center to see your property's current designation, and remember that standard homeowners policies don't cover rising water. Flood coverage comes from a separate NFIP or private flood policy.
Most-requested services in Jacksonville
In Jacksonville, most of our calls fall into three groups: flood cleanup when the St. Johns and its creeks back up, as they did in Irma; burst pipe repair in older Riverside and San Marco homes with original plumbing; and storm & hurricane damage restoration after nor'easters drive rain through windows and doors. Not sure which fits your situation? Call and describe what you see, or compare all 12 services.
All 12 services in Jacksonville
- Water Damage Restoration
- Flood Cleanup
- Burst Pipe Repair
- Ceiling & Roof Leak Repair
- Storm & Hurricane Damage Restoration
- Mold Remediation
- Structural Drying & Dehumidification
- Sewage Cleanup
- AC & HVAC Condensation Leak Damage
- Insurance Claims Assistance
- Hurricane & Flood Damage Reconstruction
- Commercial Water Damage Restoration
Jacksonville neighborhoods and nearby communities
These pages cover local conditions in more detail:
Jacksonville questions
Do you have an office in Jacksonville?
No. SwiftFlow's only office is in Tallahassee. Jacksonville jobs are coordinated from there through our statewide response network, and we'll give you an honest arrival estimate when you call.
Is river flooding covered by homeowners insurance?
Usually not. Rising water from the St. Johns or its creeks is typically a flood loss, covered only by a separate flood policy. Wind-driven rain entering through a damaged roof or window is often handled under the homeowners policy.
Do Jacksonville pipes really freeze?
Occasionally, yes. Northeast Florida gets hard freezes most winters, and pipes in attics, crawlspaces, exterior walls and outdoor plumbing are the most at risk. Leaks usually appear as the pipes thaw.