Palm Beach County Flooding: Business Owner Checklist 2026

Palm Beach County

Palm Beach flood checklist, updated Nov. 3: county local emergency, EOC Level 2, not in state order EO 26-227. Report damage and call your carrier.

By Brian D'Antoni November 2, 2026 7 min read

Sunday night's flash flooding in northern Palm Beach County left owners along Northlake Boulevard, the Turnpike corridor and the Haverhill and Okeechobee interchanges sorting out wet floors, closed ramps and lost hours on a Monday morning. The rain is not fully done, and the next 48 hours still carry flood alerts from the National Weather Service. What an owner does in the first day decides how smoothly insurance, county reporting and any later federal help will go. The first official step is the county's own form. Palm Beach County runs a Palm Beach County Business Damage Assessment and Reporting Tool, and the county's Division of Emergency Management business preparedness page collects its business resources in one place.

Filing a county business damage report gives emergency managers the damage counts they use when asking the state for help.

Update, Nov. 3: Local Emergency Declared, No State Order for Palm Beach

As of Tuesday morning, Nov. 3, Palm Beach County has declared a State of Local Emergency, dated Nov. 1, and its Emergency Operations Center is at a Level 2 partial activation. A county statement published by BocaNewsNow said the EOC opened Sunday afternoon for a private aircraft crash and will stay at Level 2 because of widespread flooding across the county.

The City of Palm Beach Gardens said in its heavy rainfall update that parts of Riviera Beach, The Acreage and Palm Beach Gardens received reports of more than 15 inches of rain in about 12 hours. Citing NOAA Atlas 14, the city said that total exceeds a 1 in 100 year event and approaches a 1 in 200 year event. The city listed several roads, including stretches of MacArthur Boulevard, PGA National, Hunt Club, Montecito and Steeplechase, as passable only by heavy equipment as of 10 p.m. Monday, and closed all city parks.

Riviera Beach commissioners declared a local state of emergency on Monday, Nov. 2, according to CBS12. The city's Emergency Operations Center line is 1 877 257 2374, Riviera Beach Public Works takes drainage calls at 561 845 4080, and the American Red Cross takes assistance calls at 1 800 733 2767.

Governor's Executive Order 26-227, signed Nov. 2, declares a state of emergency in Brevard, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie counties. Palm Beach County is not in that order, so no state or SBA disaster aid is open for Palm Beach owners yet. Owners with locations in Martin, St. Lucie or Indian River counties are covered by the state emergency and should watch those counties' emergency management pages for business recovery steps.

Can Palm Beach County businesses get SBA disaster loans for this flooding?

Not yet. The county declared a State of Local Emergency on Nov. 1, but the governor's Nov. 2 order does not include Palm Beach County, and SBA disaster loans open only after a state requested or federal declaration names the county.

What Happened Sunday Night

The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning for northeast Palm Beach County on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 5:23 p.m. and later extended it to 11:15 p.m. WPBF, in a report updated at 3:30 a.m. Monday, described 6 to 12 inches of rain across parts of the area, water entering homes near Northlake Boulevard and the Turnpike, 9 to 10 inches at Century Village and closures at the Haverhill and Okeechobee ramps. The same report said Okeechobee County opened a shelter and closed its offices.

Rain totals vary sharply from one neighborhood to the next in storms like this. Owners should rely on official NWS storm reports for any figure they put in an insurance claim, and on their own photos and measurements for what happened inside their building.

What Alerts Are Active Now

The National Weather Service Miami office had these alerts in place for Palm Beach County on Monday morning, Nov. 2:

Flood Watch for inland and metro Palm Beach, Broward and other South Florida zones until 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2.
Coastal Flood Advisory for coastal Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade until 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Rip Current Statement until 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The coastal advisory matters for waterfront owners because high tides can push water back up storm drains and seawalls even after the rain stops. The pattern is the same one that drove last month's alerts in the Gazette king tide flood warning owner guide.

The 24 Hour Owner Checklist

The order below is built to protect a claim first and reopen second.

Stay safe. Do not walk or drive through standing water, and keep power off in any room where water reached outlets or equipment until an electrician clears it.
Photograph and video everything before cleanup. Capture the water line on walls, damaged inventory, equipment serial plates, and the outside of the building with street signs in frame.
File with the county. Submit the Business Damage Assessment and Reporting Tool form, even if the damage looks minor.
Call your insurance agent or carrier and get a claim number. Write down the date, time and name of every person you speak with.
Separate damaged inventory and keep it until an adjuster says it can go. Keep receipts for pumps, fans, dehumidifiers, tarps and cleanup crews.
Track lost days. Record closed hours, canceled appointments and payroll paid during the closure. Business interruption coverage, if you have it, depends on these records.
Check access for staff and customers. Post updated hours on your website, Google Business Profile and front door.
Watch for mold. Florida heat turns wet drywall and carpet into a mold problem within days, so start drying as soon as photos are done.

What Insurance Usually Covers

Most standard commercial property policies exclude flood from rising surface water. Wind driven rain, burst pipes and roof leaks are often handled differently from water that came in at ground level, so the first question for an agent is how the water entered.

Separate flood coverage comes from the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood carrier. Under NFIP rules described on FloodSmart.gov, a new flood policy generally carries a 30 day waiting period before it takes effect, so a policy bought now will not cover this week's water. It can still protect against the next storm, and owners in low lying areas should price one now.

Business interruption coverage often requires direct physical damage covered by the policy. If the flood itself is excluded, interruption losses tied to it may be excluded too. Read the declarations page with your agent rather than assuming.

Why SBA Loans Are Not Open Yet

SBA disaster loans, including Economic Injury Disaster Loans, become available only after a disaster declaration. That can come from a presidential declaration or from an SBA administrative declaration requested by the state. No declaration covering Palm Beach County for this flooding has been issued. The county's local emergency declaration speeds local response but does not by itself open SBA loans, and Executive Order 26-227 covers seven other counties, not Palm Beach.

County damage reports are part of how a declaration request gets built, which is why filing in the county tool matters even for owners who expect insurance to cover everything. If a declaration is issued, the program details, deadlines and application steps will look similar to the ones laid out in the Gazette explainer on SBA disaster loans and EIDL after the Opa locka fire. The Gazette will post an update if a declaration covers Palm Beach County.

Roads and Access

WPBF reported closures at the Haverhill Road and Okeechobee Boulevard ramps overnight. Conditions change quickly as water drains, so owners with delivery schedules should check FL511 and the Palm Beach County and city alert channels before routing trucks or asking staff to come in. Any business that depends on deliveries along Northlake Boulevard or the Turnpike should confirm windows with vendors now.

Who to Call

Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management business resources: discover.pbcgov.org, Business page
Your insurance agent or carrier claims line, listed on your policy declarations page
NFIP and flood insurance questions: FloodSmart.gov
Riviera Beach Emergency Operations Center: 1 877 257 2374
Riviera Beach Public Works, drainage: 561 845 4080
American Red Cross assistance: 1 800 733 2767
Utility outages: FPL at 1 800 468 8243
Life threatening emergencies: 911

Landlords should also check on tenants. Many commercial leases put the duty to report water damage on the tenant within a short window, and a quick call right away can keep both sides aligned on who files which claim. Tenants should send written notice with photos to the landlord or property manager the same day.

Owners outside the flash flood zone but along the coast should still treat Tuesday's high tides as a risk, move inventory off the floor and clear drains.

Want flood, grant and recovery updates for South Florida owners as they happen? Join the free Sundaze Gazette newsletter.

Sources

Key Facts for Owners and Search

Are SBA disaster loans available for the Palm Beach County flooding?

Not yet. SBA disaster loans, including Economic Injury Disaster Loans, open only after a presidential or SBA administrative declaration names the county. Palm Beach County declared a local emergency on Nov. 1, but the governor's Executive Order 26-227 does not include it. Owners should still document damage and file the county report, since those reports support any later request.

How do I report flood damage to my business in Palm Beach County?

Use the Palm Beach County Business Damage Assessment and Reporting Tool on the county's secure website. The form asks for your business details and the damage you found. Filing takes a few minutes and gives emergency managers the counts they use to judge whether to seek state or federal assistance for affected owners.

Does commercial property insurance cover flood damage in Florida?

Usually not for rising surface water. Most standard commercial property policies exclude flood, while some losses from wind driven rain, roof leaks or burst pipes may be treated differently. Flood coverage comes from the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood policy. Ask your agent how the water entered and what your declarations page covers.

How long is the waiting period for a new flood insurance policy?

Under National Flood Insurance Program rules, a new flood policy generally has a 30 day waiting period before coverage begins, with limited exceptions. That means a policy bought after this week's flooding will not pay for it. It can protect against later storms, so owners in low lying parts of Palm Beach County should compare quotes now.

Is Palm Beach County under a state of emergency for the flooding?

Locally, yes. Palm Beach County declared a State of Local Emergency on Nov. 1 and kept its Emergency Operations Center at a Level 2 partial activation, and Riviera Beach declared its own emergency Nov. 2. The governor's Executive Order 26-227 covers Brevard, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie, not Palm Beach County.

Filed Under Palm Beach County Small Business