Martin County
Say whether the water came through the roof, over the seawall or up through the drains, and the cleanup gets set up for that kind of water.
ZIP codes in the area
Some of these ZIP codes also include neighboring communities.
Port Salerno sits about 5 miles southeast of Stuart, with the St. Lucie River to the north, the Manatee Pocket to the northwest and U.S. 1 along its southwest side. South Florida Restoration Co gets water damage cleanup started here for waterfront houses, older cottages, mobile homes and the boat-yard businesses around the Pocket. The town incorporated as Salerno in 1921, gave up its charter in 1935 and added “Port” to the name in 1960. Commercial fishermen still work out of the Pocket, on the strip the Manatee Pocket Walk runs past.
The eye of Hurricane Frances came ashore near Sewall’s Point early on September 5, 2004, and a tower in Port Salerno recorded a pressure of 963.1 millibars as the center passed. Jeanne made landfall at nearly the same place three weeks later. Twenty years after that, on October 9, 2024, Hurricane Milton’s outer bands dropped two tornadoes on the area in about 90 minutes: an EF1 that ran 3 miles through Port Salerno and an EF2 that cut 5.7 miles through Hobe Sound and Port Salerno.
Wind like that lifts shingles, pulls soffits loose and cracks the seal around windows and sliders, and the rain behind it soaks attic insulation and runs down inside the walls. A tarp goes on first. After that, wet batts come out, the ceiling and walls get moisture readings, and the drying runs until the framing reads dry. The storm damage restoration page covers that work, and the hurricane checklist helps with photos and notes after the storm.
The waterfront here sits low. During Hurricane Dorian in 2019, the county’s coastal engineer reported flooding at high tide around the Pocket, with water over some docks and onto the street, and at Sandsprit Park it reached the benches by the water. The king tide on October 26, 2026 flooded Sandsprit Park again. Fall king tides, a storm offshore or a stalled front can push the water up the yard toward the house.
Water off the Pocket is brackish and dirty, so it gets flood cleanup. Carpet and pad come out, drywall is cut above the wet line and the slab and wall faces are washed before any drying gear is set. Salt left in a wall cavity keeps pulling moisture from the air, so skipping the wash leaves the wall damp. The king tide guide lists what to move up before the high-tide dates in the fall.
Many Port Salerno homes are still on septic tanks. Martin County has worked for years on a vacuum sewer for Port Salerno and New Monrovia, and its 2026 construction bid covers about 960 single-family parcels and 10 apartment parcels. Until a house is connected, a soaked drain field can send wastewater back up through the tub, the shower or a floor drain after a long rain.
That’s black water. Wet flooring, baseboards and the lower drywall it touched come out, and the slab is disinfected before drying starts. West of the Florida East Coast tracks, between Salerno Road and Cove Road, the blocks include many mobile homes and older houses, and with a mobile home the cleanup also happens underneath the floor. The sewage cleanup page and the sewage backup first steps guide cover the rest.
Addresses in 34992 are covered. Don’t see your ZIP? Call anyway and we’ll check your address.
When you call, say whether the water came from the roof, from the Pocket or up through a drain, and whether the house is on septic or sewer. For a mobile home, mention it, since the drying setup is different.
On October 9, 2024, an EF1 with winds near 95 mph crossed Port Salerno around 4 p.m., and about 90 minutes later an EF2 with winds near 120 mph tracked through Hobe Sound and Port Salerno, the National Weather Service found.
At 1 a.m. on September 5, 2004, the National Hurricane Center placed Hurricane Frances's center near Sewall's Point, in the vicinity of Port Salerno, where a monitoring tower read 963.1 millibars.
During Hurricane Dorian in September 2019, a Martin County coastal engineer reported flooding at high tide around the Manatee Pocket, with water in places over the docks and onto the street.
Martin County is bidding a vacuum sewer system for Port Salerno and New Monrovia to serve about 960 single-family parcels and 10 apartment parcels that now rely on septic tanks.
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FAQ
Yes. Port Salerno addresses in 34992 are covered. Give the street address when you call, and mention whether the house is on the water.
On a septic system, probably. When the ground is soaked, the drain field can't take more water and wastewater comes back up at the lowest drain in the house. Stop running water, keep people and pets off the wet floor and call. Anything that sewage touched gets removed or disinfected before drying.
Yes. Water from the Pocket is brackish and carries mud and whatever was on the yard and street. The garage floor and the lower walls get washed down first, and drywall the water touched is cut out above the wet line before fans and dehumidifiers go in.
Stay out from under the sag. Once the roof is tarped, the soaked insulation and any ceiling board that's falling come down, and drying of the walls and floors below starts right away rather than waiting on the roofer's schedule.
Call now
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
