Hurricane Ian's lesson
In September 2022, Hurricane Ian crossed the state from Southwest Florida and slowed down over the Orlando area, dumping more than a foot of rain in places. Creeks and retention ponds that normally handle summer storms overflowed. Neighborhoods along Shingle Creek and other waterways flooded, and some residents had to be rescued by boat from homes that had never flooded before. Many of those homes were outside high-risk flood zones and had no flood insurance. Ian showed how inland Florida can flood from rain alone.
Afternoon storms, every summer
Central Florida's summer pattern is predictable: humid mornings and violent afternoon thunderstorms, often with inches of rain in an hour. That kind of rain overwhelms gutters, pushes water past sliding-door tracks and low thresholds, and finds every weak spot in a roof. Tile and shingle roofs that are fine in a light shower can leak in a Central Florida downpour. See ceiling and roof leak repair.
Lakes and sinkholes
Orange County has hundreds of lakes, many of them formed by sinkholes in the limestone underneath. The most famous is the Winter Park sinkhole of 1981, which swallowed part of a street, a house and several cars. Sinkholes of that size are rare, but the same geology means lakes rise and fall with rainfall, and lakefront homes can see water levels climb after a wet season. Check your address in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.
Vacation rentals and hospitality
Orlando has an enormous hospitality industry, from hotels and resorts to thousands of short-term rental homes near the theme parks. In rentals, leaks often go unnoticed between guests, and in hotels, one room's leak can take several rooms out of service. Our commercial restoration team works around bookings and occupied rooms.
Most-requested services in Orlando
In Orlando, most of our calls fall into three groups: flood cleanup when storms like Ian overwhelm creeks and retention ponds; ceiling & roof leak repair after afternoon downpours find weak flashing; and commercial water damage restoration in hotels and vacation rentals near the parks. Not sure which fits your situation? Call and describe what you see, or compare all 12 services.
All 12 services in Orlando
- 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
Orlando neighborhoods and nearby communities
These pages cover local conditions in more detail:
Orlando questions
Do you have an office in Orlando?
No. SwiftFlow's only office is in Tallahassee, and Orlando-area jobs are coordinated from there through our statewide response network. We'll give you an honest arrival estimate when you call.
My home flooded during Ian but isn't in a flood zone. Is it covered?
Rising water from rain is usually a flood loss, excluded from standard homeowners policies whether or not you're in a high-risk zone. A separate flood policy is what typically covers it. Rain entering through wind damage may be handled differently.
Can you work on vacation rental homes?
Yes. We work with rental owners and property managers, document the damage for the owner's insurer, and plan work around upcoming bookings when we can.