Plantation, FL Water Damage and Flood Restoration

Before the North New River Canal was dug in 1912, the land under this city was Everglades, covered by two to three feet of water for much of the year. Developer Frederick Peters bought roughly 10,000 acres around 1939 and sold homes with the promise of a full acre each, and Plantation incorporated in 1953 with about 300 residents. Today more than 90,000 people live here, and the canals, pump stations and swales that drained the marsh still decide where rain goes.

The Restoration Job is a referral service. When water gets into your home, a free call to (888) 317-9980 at any hour connects you with an independent restoration provider that works in Plantation. What follows explains the local drainage picture and how to handle the first days after a leak or flood.

April 2023: Nearly 28 Inches in Eight Days

Plantation's mayor reported that the city received approximately 28 inches of rain between April 10 and April 18, 2023, with about 15 inches falling during the April 12 storm alone. That volume stressed the entire stormwater system. City departments mapped the hardest-hit areas and began a stormwater master plan funded with $1.277 million in federal recovery money.

The episode also showed how drainage is divided. The mayor singled out the area governed by the Plantation Acres Improvement District as especially problematic, describing it as the bottom of a bowl where water settles. Floods like that one rise slowly over hours and recede slowly, so homes can sit with water at the door for a long time.

Three Layers of Drainage and Who Runs Each

The city's flood page lays out a tiered system. Catch basins and roadside swales collect rain first. Canals and lakes form the second tier, including the Old Plantation Water Control District, an independent district with about 36 miles of waterways and four major pump stations. Regional canals run by the South Florida Water Management District, among them the North New River, C-12 and C-42, carry water out.

Only about 10 percent of the city's land is in a mapped flood zone, but the city states plainly that every property is subject to flooding. Keep swales clear, report blocked inlets before storm season, and if you are near a canal, keep the right-of-way free of obstructions as the district requires.

Acre Lots, Older Ranch Homes and Hidden Leaks

Many of the early acre-lot houses from the Peters era have been updated over the years, but plumbing, roof decks and slab-level drains in homes this age deserve attention. Jacaranda, developed from the mid-1960s on, and the larger estate lots in Plantation Acres add bigger homes with longer pipe runs and more fixtures. Typical sources of indoor water include:

• Slab leaks in older copper or galvanized lines.
• AC condensate overflows from air handlers in attics or closets.
• Failed water heaters and washing machine hoses.
• Roof leaks after wind, especially with mature trees overhead.

If you suspect a leak, shut off the main and call a plumber first. For the wet structure, water damage restoration starts with moisture mapping, then removal of wet materials and controlled drying.

Drying the House and Keeping Mold Away

Central Broward stays humid for most of the year, so drying has to be deliberate. Keep the house closed and the AC on if the system was not damaged, and avoid opening windows to dry rooms out in summer. A provider handling structural drying will typically use dehumidifiers and air movers, open wall cavities where water wicked up, and take daily readings. Drywall, carpet pad and particleboard cabinets that stayed wet for more than a day or two are common places for mold to start, so it is usually better to remove them than to hope they dry.

Wind Damage Has a Long Local History

Severe hurricanes struck this area in 1926 and 1928, before the city existed, and the floods of 1947 and 1948 put much of it under water. In October 2005, Hurricane Wilma left damage on an estimated 70 percent of homes and businesses in Plantation and neighboring Sunrise and Davie. After any strong storm, check ceilings, the attic and around windows for wetness. Tarp the roof promptly, document everything, and get wet insulation out before it starts to smell.