Your LBI Home or Garage Flooded: What Should You Do Next?
Your Long Beach Island Home or Garage Flooded in the Nor'easter of September 2026: What Now?
Your LBI Home or Garage Flooded: What Should You Do Next? Did your LBI home or garage flood during the recent nor’easter? Learn about documenting damage, cleanup, mold, insurance and future real estate considerations by Nathan Colmer, LBI real estate agent at The Van Dyk Group on Long Beach Island
Your LBI Home or Garage Flooded: What Should You Do Next?
The September 2026 nor’easter brought significant coastal flooding to Long Beach Island, and many LBI homeowners are now assessing what happened to their properties and want to better understand flood insurance on LBI. In some cases, the primary living areas remained dry while floodwater exposed garages, ground-level spaces, storage areas, vehicles, equipment, and personal belongings.
If your LBI home took on water, it can be difficult to know where to start. The most important thing is not to rush into cleanup without thinking about safety, insurance documentation and the possibility of damage that may not be immediately visible. Below are some practical steps LBI homeowners should consider after a flooding event.
By: Nathan Colmer | LBI Real Estate Agent | The Van Dyk Group
Cell: 609-290-4293 | Office: 800-222-0131 | ncolmer@vandykgroup.com
Your Long Beach Island Home or Garage Flooded in the Nor'easter of September 2026: What Now?
1. Make Sure the Property Is Safe Before You Start Cleaning
It is natural to want to get into a flooded garage immediately and start getting things out, however, safety comes first. Flooded homes can present electrical, structural, and contamination hazards. Luckily, in a garage most electrical systems are elevated above base flood elevation-but this is not always enough. You should make sure that the wires, outlets, etc. are not going ot pose a risk. This is especially true if you have "finished" part of your garage into living space and added components that could now cause a risk.
This is particularly important in an LBI garage where floodwater may have reached:
Electrical outlets
Extension cords
Garage-door equipment
Appliances
Power tools
Mechanical equipment
Electrical panels or components
If you have questions about the property's structural or electrical safety, bring in the appropriate professional before proceeding who is familiar with Long Beach Island and flooding.
2. Take LOTS of Pictures and Video Before Cleanup
This may be one of the most important things you do. Before throwing things away or beginning repairs, photograph and video the damage in detail, as long as it is safe to do so.
Take clear photographs and videos of damaged items before cleaning, repairing, or discarding them. It recommends capturing both wide and close-up views and recording serial numbers from damaged electronics and appliances. Keep in mind that items in a garage often aren't covered by flood insurance, so check with your insurance company to understand your coverage.
For an LBI garage, consider documenting:
How high the water reached
Visible water lines
Walls and drywall
Floors
Doors
Electrical equipment
Appliances
Furniture
Bicycles and recreational equipment
Tools
Stored belongings
Vehicles
Exterior areas showing where water entered
Don't just photograph the expensive items. Document the entire affected area.
FEMA also recommends keeping receipts for purchases made to repair or replace damaged property and retaining samples of certain damaged materials when appropriate for an insurance claim.
3. Contact Your Insurance Provider
Once you address immediate safety issues and begin documenting the damage, contact your insurance provider as soon as possible. Importantly, homeowners insurance and flood insurance aren't necessarily the same thing. FEMA states that most Long Beach Island homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage and that flood insurance is generally a separate policy. Your actual coverage depends on your policy, so don't assume something is covered or excluded based on what happened to your neighbor. Ask your insurance representative what documentation they need and what steps you should take before authorizing significant cleanup or repairs. FEMA specifically recommends consulting your insurance adjuster or insurance company before signing a cleaning, remediation or maintenance agreement. Again, items in a garage often aren't covered by flood insurance on Long Beach Island, so check with your insurance company to understand your coverage, and since the majority of flooding seems to be localized in a garage, this could prove to be an unpleasant surprise for many homeowners on Long Beach Island.
4. Don't Assume the Damage Ends Where the Water Line Ends
Once the water disappears, a garage may look much better very quickly, but that doesn't necessarily mean the problem is over.
Water may have affected materials such as:
Drywall
Insulation
Trim
Wood
Flooring
Stored cardboard
Furniture
Electrical components
EPA guidance emphasizes drying the home and addressing water-damaged materials following a flood, with particular attention to preventing indoor-air and mold problems. This is an area where bringing in a qualified water-damage or remediation professional may make sense, particularly when the extent of the water intrusion isn't obvious.
5. Take Mold Seriously
One reason homeowners shouldn't simply close the garage door and forget about the flooding is moisture. Mold may also exist beneath or behind materials where it isn't immediately visible. For mold cleanup, use protective equipment, including at least an N95 respirator, goggles, and protective gloves. Better yet, contact experienced professionals when there has been extensive water damage, substantial mold growth, or damage involving sewage or other contaminated water. For homeowners on Long Beach Island who aren't comfortable evaluating the situation themselves, professional assessment can provide a clearer understanding of what actually needs to be removed, cleaned or repaired.
6. Be Careful With Items Stored in the Garage
LBI garages tend to accumulate a lot of things. Beach chairs. Tools. Bikes. Fishing equipment. Furniture. Outdoor cushions. Children's toys. Boxes. Appliances. Building materials. Some materials can be cleaned and dried, while porous materials affected by floodwater or mold may be much harder to restore. Before disposing of damaged belongings, however, remember the earlier point: document them first if it is safe to do so and follow your insurer's instructions.
7. Create a Permanent Flood and Repair File for Your LBI Home
I recommend this from a real estate standpoint. Create a folder, physical or digital, and keep everything associated with this event together:
Before and after photographs
Videos
Insurance correspondence
Contractor estimates
Paid invoices
Remediation reports
Electrical inspections or repair records
Permits, if applicable
Receipts
Descriptions of work performed
Dates work was completed
That file isn't just useful today. It may also be very useful years from now when you're refinancing, renovating or eventually selling the home. If a future buyer has questions about what happened during the September 2026 nor’easter, being able to explain the situation and provide organized repair documentation is much better than trying to reconstruct the details years later. This will undoubtedly become a common question in the LBI real estate market, so prepare now to be ready in the future if you need it.
8. Should You Repair Before Thinking About Selling in the LBI Real Estate Market?
Some LBI homeowners may understandably look at this storm and think:
"I've had enough. Maybe it's time to sell."
That's a legitimate conversation to have, but I wouldn't make a major real estate decision based solely on the emotional aftermath of the storm.
First determine:
What actually happened to your property?
What part of the structure was affected?
How extensive is the damage?
What needs to be repaired?
What is covered by insurance?
What remediation is appropriate?
What is the property worth today?
How would repairing the damage affect a potential sale?
What are comparable LBI properties selling for?
A flooded garage doesn't automatically tell you what an entire property is worth. Every LBI house is different, and factors such as location, elevation, age, construction, condition, flood characteristics and improvements should be considered as part of a broader property analysis.
9. If You're Considering Selling in the LBI Real Estate Market, Documentation Matters
If this storm has changed how you feel about owning your LBI property, you don't have to decide today. Use the immediate period after the storm to protect the property, document what occurred, understand the damage, and complete appropriate repairs. Then you can evaluate your real estate options with more information. If you ultimately decide to sell, you and your real estate and legal professionals can determine what information and documentation should accompany the sale and how to present the property's history appropriately. Transparency and good documentation can help avoid uncertainty. I have extensive experience dealing with storm-damaged homes in the LBI real estate market after Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and I can answer any question you have about the process.
LBI Will Recover and the LBI Real Estate Market Will Be Fine
Long Beach Island homeowners understand that living at the Shore means living close to the water. But experiencing significant flooding firsthand can still be unsettling, particularly when you're staring at a garage full of damaged belongings and wondering where to begin.
For now, focus on safety, documentation, professional evaluation when needed, insurance and proper cleanup. If the storm has also caused you to reconsider owning your LBI home, give yourself an opportunity to understand the property's condition and value before making that decision. If you're considering buying an LBI home, use this storm as a reminder that understanding the individual property is an important part of buying real estate at the Shore.
If you're considering buying or selling a home on Long Beach Island and want to understand how recent flooding may factor into your real estate decision, contact Nathan Colmer for a property-specific LBI real estate analysis.
If you're looking to buy, sell, or invest in the LBI real estate market, I bring decades of local experience and market knowledge to every transaction. I'm Nathan Colmer, a Long Beach Island real estate agent with more than 20 years of experience helping clients successfully navigate the island's unique real estate landscape, with a particular focus on second homes and investment properties.
In addition to representing buyers and sellers, I actively invest in LBI real estate, allowing me to offer practical, firsthand insight into market trends, rental potential, and long-term value. Whether you're searching for a vacation home, evaluating an investment opportunity, or preparing to sell, I provide personalized strategies and trusted guidance to help you achieve your goals.
By: Nathan Colmer | LBI Real Estate Agent | The Van Dyk Group
Cell: 609-290-4293 | Office: 800-222-0131 | ncolmer@vandykgroup.com
