Broward County
Tamarac's rainwater leaves the city through two canals, the C-14 on the west side and the C-13 on the east, and a large share of its homes share walls or floors with a neighbor. Both shape what water damage looks like here.
ZIP codes in the area
Some of these ZIP codes also include neighboring communities.
Tamarac began in 1963 as a community for active retirees. Its first neighborhood, Tamarac Lakes on the east side, was built as one-story homes around a shared clubhouse. The Mainlands and the Woodlands came next as more land was bought, which the city says explains Tamarac’s odd shape.
That history still shows in the housing. Owners occupy about three out of four homes, and the median resident age is about 47, compared with about 41 for Broward County as a whole. The city also points out that its population has become younger and more diverse over the years.
Nearly two thirds of homes are attached houses or units in multi-family buildings. About 29 percent are in buildings with 20 or more units. In that kind of layout, the first sign of a leak is often in someone else’s home: a damp closet wall, a bubbling ceiling, a baseboard that starts to swell.
Tamarac’s lakes and canals, about 523 acres of them, were built mainly by developers in the mid-1900s. They make up the secondary drainage system that carries water toward two larger canals, both of which connect the Everglades to the Atlantic.
| Part of the city | Where stormwater drains | How it moves |
|---|---|---|
| West of NW 64th Avenue (about 60 percent of stormwater) | C-14 canal, along the northern city limit | Three city pump stations help control levels in major storms |
| East of NW 64th Avenue | C-13 canal | Gravity |
Heavy rain tests both systems. Water that backs up into a garage or under a door has crossed lawns, driveways and streets, so it is handled as contaminated. Carpet, pad and soaked drywall usually come out, and everything left is cleaned before drying. The flood cleanup page walks through that work.
Flood zone maps do not tell the whole story, either. The city notes that 20 to 25 percent of flood claims come from outside the high-risk zones, and the flood map for the east side of Tamarac was revised in 2021.
With a median build year of 1981, many Tamarac homes are more than 40 years old. Only about 13 percent were built in 2000 or later. Supply lines, valves and drain connections in homes this age wear out, and slow leaks under sinks or behind washing machines can go on for weeks before a stain appears.
Because these leaks can run long, they sometimes come with mold on the back of drywall or cabinet panels. When a musty smell lingers after a leak, the mold after water damage guide explains what to look for. For a burst line or a failed water heater, water damage restoration starts with stopping the source, removing standing water and measuring moisture in every room it touched.
ZIP code 33321 is almost entirely inside Tamarac. 33319 is shared with Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes and North Lauderdale, and all of it is served by the same 24/7 line.
About 60 percent of Tamarac's stormwater, everything west of NW 64th Avenue, drains to the C-14 canal, where the city runs three pump stations to control water levels during major storms. When rain falls faster than the system can move it, yards and streets hold the water.
The City of Tamarac notes that 20 to 25 percent of flood claims come from properties outside FEMA's high-risk flood zones. A home without a flood zone designation can still take on water in a heavy storm.
The median home in Tamarac was built in 1981, and about 60 percent of housing units date from the 1970s and 1980s. Original supply lines, valves and drain pipes in homes of that age are common starting points for leaks.
Only about 37 percent of homes are detached. The rest are attached homes or units in multi-family buildings, so a leak in one home can spread through a shared wall or ceiling into the next.
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FAQ
Either one. ZIP code 33319 is split about evenly between Tamarac and Lauderhill, with a smaller share in Lauderdale Lakes and North Lauderdale. 33321 is almost entirely Tamarac. Every address in both ZIP codes reaches the same 24/7 line.
Yes. According to the city, areas east of NW 64th Avenue drain by gravity to the C-13 canal, while the west side drains to the C-14 with help from pump stations. Either system can be overwhelmed by very heavy rain, and once water gets inside, the cleanup is the same.
A revised flood map took effect for the east side of the city on March 1, 2021. It changes how flood risk is rated, not how a wet home is dried. Any water that came in from outside is still treated as contaminated, and porous materials it soaked are usually removed.
Farther than the stain suggests. Water moves along the slab, under baseboards and inside the bottom of shared walls, so both homes should be checked with a moisture meter. Drywall that stays wet for more than a day or two in South Florida humidity is also at risk of mold growth.
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