Follow the current county instructions
Monroe County distinguishes evacuation zones from reentry zones. Its post-storm guidance warns that roads, utilities and emergency services may remain disrupted. Check the current county notice before travelling back or bringing a contractor to the property.
Monroe County evacuation zones · Returning to the Keys after evacuation
Record visible changes without testing the edge
- Use stable ground and keep away from undermined paving, leaning walls and damaged electrical equipment.
- Take a wide view first, then closer photographs from a safe position.
- Record wall movement, displaced cap sections, open joints and new ground depressions.
- Save older images and permits beside the new observations.
- Note the date and observed conditions without assigning a cause you cannot verify.
What belongs in your storm file?
Create one folder per event. A simple record is more useful than dozens of unlabeled photographs.
| Item | What to save |
|---|---|
Before and after | Original dated images from comparable safe viewpoints. |
Location | A sketch naming wall sections, dock connections and affected yard areas. |
Observation | What changed and when you first noticed it; keep suspected causes separate. |
Correspondence | Insurer reference, agency directions, assessment scope and written quotes. |
Expenses and actions | Invoices, receipts and a log of temporary work already carried out. |
Do not return to an unsafe edge just to complete a photograph set. Record the access limitation for the assessor instead.
Notify the insurer with the facts you have
Ask the insurer which policy provision applies and which records it needs. FEMA’s C31 appeal illustrates that the standard flood policy excludes seawalls; an insured house does not automatically mean an insured wall. Private policies and endorsements must be read separately.
Confirm the repair authorization before mobilizing
Emergency need does not identify the correct permitting path. Send the location, photographs and proposed temporary or permanent scope to the responsible offices. Check current emergency procedures directly; do not rely on an old hurricane authorization found in a search result.
NOAA review may still be relevant to resource impacts, and a conditioned county permit may require a Notice to Proceed.
Florida Keys sanctuary nearshore construction · Notice To Proceed Instructional Handout (Internet Archive copy)
How do you avoid paying for the wrong first job?
Temporary work
Have the provider describe what the temporary measure protects, its limits and how it will be checked. Ask what happens to it when permanent work starts.
Permanent work
Use the assessment and required approvals to define the lasting repair. Ask whether earlier cleanup or stabilization is included, reusable or a separate cost.
Before approving a proposal, identify the immediate objective, the responsible professional and the next decision. A rushed cleanup estimate should not silently become permission for a different shoreline structure.
Choose the next investigation
Use the assessment checklist to agree on inspection limits. If a proposal only fills a depression, ask how it addresses the cause. Keep cleanup, emergency stabilization, investigation and permanent repair as separate scope items.
Show sourcesHide sources
- Monroe County evacuation zonesSource reviewed 2026-10-25
- Returning to the Keys after evacuationSource reviewed 2026-10-25
- FEMA seawall coverage appeal C31Source reviewed 2026-10-25
- Florida Keys sanctuary nearshore constructionSource reviewed 2026-10-25
- Notice To Proceed Instructional Handout (Internet Archive copy)Source reviewed 2026-11-05