HomeService AreasHudsonStorm Damage Electrical Repair
Storm Damage Electrical Repair in Hudson, FL
Salt-Water Flooding and Re-Energizing|Pasco Flood-Zone Permits|Licensed & Insured, EC13011268
Mention whether the power company has restored your street.
For a Hudson house that took on saltwater, one risky moment comes after the storm has passed: the day the power company restores power to the street. The service to the house is live again, and whatever the water left in the panel and the walls is about to carry current. Don't touch a panel the water reached, and don't turn the power back on until it's been checked.
Call (352) 251-2795, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or send a request online. Calls after hours are returned the next business day.
The Fire After Helene
A Hudson House Fire After Helene
On the morning of October 1, 2024, a house in one of the parts of Hudson hit hardest by Hurricane Helene's surge caught fire. The family who lived there told 10 Tampa Bay that the fire broke out minutes after the power was restored. Fire inspectors didn't confirm that, and the cause was under investigation.
What county officials said that day
A Pasco County Fire Rescue commander told WFLA that the neighborhood's power had recently been turned back on and warned that homes and wiring saturated with seawater could be energized before anyone had checked them. The commander's point: power reaching the house doesn't mean the house has to be switched back on. Pasco's power-restoration waiver form says the same in writing, recommending that a licensed electrician perform a safety inspection before the house is powered again.
Salt Water
What Salt Does After the Water Drains
When the water drains, the salt stays: on breaker terminals, on the panel's bus, and inside the outlets and switches that were filled with water. Salt draws moisture back out of humid air and keeps corroding the metal it sits on, so a connection that carried current on the first day can heat up weeks later. The check looks for salt and corrosion wherever the water stood, whether or not anything has failed yet.
Bringing the House Back
Bringing a Flooded Hudson House Back, in Order
-
1
1. The main stays off
With the street restored, the wires feeding the main breaker are live. The panel is opened with that in mind, and the main stays off until the panel has been checked.
-
2
2. Salt and corrosion inside the panel
Breakers, the bus, and the main are checked for salt, water marks, and corrosion. Parts that the water reached are replaced before the panel is turned back on.
-
3
3. Circuits above the water line
Circuits that run entirely above the water line are tested and switched on first, so lights and the refrigerator circuit can come back while the rest waits.
-
4
4. Circuits the water reached
Outlets, switches, and boxes below the water line are opened, and wet devices are replaced. The lowest circuits go on last.
Pasco permits
Hudson Flood Zones and the Permit for a Wet Switch
Pasco County allows some small jobs to be done without a permit, including replacing existing light fixtures or switches. Its post-storm guidance says those exemptions don't apply to any property in a Special Flood Hazard Area.
Opening the walls first helps the electrical check too. With the drywall off below the water line, the wiring behind it can be looked at without cutting in. We file the permit, and Pasco says storm-related permits are expedited.
| After a flood, in a Hudson flood zone | Permit? | What Pasco says |
|---|---|---|
| Tearing out wet drywall, insulation, or flooring | No | Removing wet or damaged materials that could cause mold needs no permit. |
| Swapping a wet switch or light fixture | Yes | The usual exemption for that swap doesn't apply in a flood zone. |
| Replacing wet wiring, outlets, or a service panel | Yes | Any electrical system repair needs a permit. |
We had outlets replaced after Idalia. Do they need checking again?
Should we unplug everything before power is restored?
Billing
Hourly Billing on Hudson Flood Work
Repair and troubleshooting visits are billed by the hour from arrival: $100 residential, $150 commercial, one-hour minimum, then half-hour increments, plus materials. No trip charge and no service fee. No hidden fees: the 3.5% surcharge on card and ACH payments is listed in our terms.
How flood repairs are covered afterward
02If something we installed fails because of our workmanship within 30 days of completion, we waive the hourly labor to put it right. Materials Kennedy Electric purchases for your job carry the manufacturer's one-year warranty. To replace defective materials we supplied, or materials damaged by storm, flood, fire, or other acts of God, we charge a reduced warranty labor rate of $50 an hour residential and $75 an hour commercial. The warranty does not cover materials not purchased by Kennedy Electric, work performed by the customer, or materials the customer purchased or damaged. Our warranty terms are printed on the estimate, the invoice, and the receipt, and the product boxes stay with you so you can register each product with its manufacturer.
Reviews
Customers on Working With Our Electricians
Straight from Google, in our customers' own words.
Contact us
Get a Flooded Hudson House Checked Before It's Re-Energized
Send the address, how high the water stood inside, and whether the power company has restored your street. Our office will reach you during business hours.