Stuart sits where two hurricanes came ashore within three weeks in 2004. How to keep a Treasure Coast home ready before a storm, what to clean after one, and where house cleaning stops.
Few places on the Florida coast have a storm history as concentrated as Stuart's. In September 2004, Hurricane Frances and then Hurricane Jeanne both made landfall at the southern end of Hutchinson Island, just east of the city, three weeks apart.
This guide is about the house cleaning side of the season: keeping a home in a state where storm prep is quick, cleaning up the everyday mess a storm leaves behind, and knowing when a problem belongs to a restoration company instead.
The National Hurricane Center's report on Hurricane Frances records landfall as a Category 2 hurricane over the southern end of Hutchinson Island on September 5, 2004, with a storm chaser at Sewall's Point measuring a pressure of 962 millibars. On September 26, Hurricane Jeanne's eye crossed the coast at the same spot, with winds estimated at 105 knots.
The season itself runs from June 1 to November 30, and the Hurricane Center puts its peak on September 10. In Stuart that peak lines up with the wettest stretch of the year, when August and September each normally bring more than 8 inches of rain even without a named storm.
Martin County's hurricane preparedness page points residents to storm surge evacuation zones and to a page on storm debris pickup after a storm. Check your zone at the start of every season, since it decides whether you stay home or leave during a surge threat.
On Jupiter Island, the Town's Beach Protection District, created by the Legislature in 1982, levies a tax specifically to protect the beaches from erosion, storms, waves and high water. Barrier island homes face sand and salt spray in a way that homes inland in Palm City or Port St. Lucie do not.
Storm prep is mostly about clearing space and moving things. A home that is already clean and uncluttered makes that work faster and leaves less to deal with afterward.
Once a storm has passed, the power is back and the home is safe to enter, ordinary cleaning can start. That means floors tracked with sand and leaves, wet towels and mats, sills and tracks full of grit, and a refrigerator that needs wiping after an outage.
Storm debris outside the home goes through the county's own pickup program, not a cleaner. Inside, cleaners do not move furniture or carry out damaged items, and they do not clean up after flooding or water intrusion.
Water that came in through a roof, window or floor is a restoration job, not a cleaning job. The Florida Department of Health says mold larger than about 10 square feet, or any mold tied to water damage, calls for an experienced professional. After a storm, that line matters: drywall, carpet pad and cabinets that got wet need drying and assessment before any surface cleaning helps.
Smaller patches of surface mildew on tile, grout or caulk in a dry, sound home are part of normal cleaning. If you are not sure which side of the line your home is on, call your insurer or a restoration company first.
Martin County Mosquito Control notes that mosquitoes breed in standing water, and after heavy rain every bucket, plant saucer and clogged gutter becomes a nursery. Tip out standing water around the house, and the county takes requests to report adult mosquitoes, report breeding areas or schedule a home inspection.
Inside, humidity climbs fast when the air conditioning is off. The Florida Department of Health recommends keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent to help prevent mold. Once power returns, run the air conditioner and bathroom fans, open closets, and wipe damp surfaces before mildew starts.
The questions Stuart homeowners ask most often about this topic, answered plainly.
TotalCare Cleaning will service Stuart and surrounding areas with background-checked cleaners and is insured up to $1 million. Re-clean guarantee: if we missed something, tell us by the end of the next day and we come back to fix it. Beyond Clean. TotalCare.
