Your AC after Hurricane Isaias

What Isaias did here

Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin around 8:30 p.m. CDT on October 9, 2026, as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. The National Weather Service in Mobile measured 11.65 inches near Mary Esther, 11.20 inches near Fort Walton Beach and 7.12 inches south of Crestview. The water level reached 3.68 feet above high tide at East Pass in Destin. Peak gusts over 100 knots were measured to the west in Santa Rosa County, and power was out across a wide area. FEMA approved a major disaster declaration (DR-4955).

So there are two kinds of AC damage to think about. Near the water, on Okaloosa Island and around East Pass, any flooding may have been salt water. Inland, from Fort Walton Beach up to Crestview, the risk was rain: yards and garages that flooded, and long outages followed by power coming back on. The steps differ a little for each.

Flooded unit: leave it off

FEMA's flood guidance says to turn off the main power and not to use gas appliances until a professional inspects them. No government source I found says "do not run a flooded AC" in those words. That is my advice anyway. The outdoor unit has a compressor and a control board a few inches off the pad. An air handler in a garage or closet has a blower motor and electronics at floor level. Putting power back to wet electrical parts is how a repairable situation becomes a dangerous one.

• Switch off the AC breakers at the panel, for both the outdoor unit and the air handler.
• Do not reset the thermostat to see if it works.
• Wet ducts and insulation are likely if the house took water. In October humidity that turns into mold quickly.

Inspection, and why replacing usually wins

AHRI advises replacing flood-damaged heating and cooling equipment rather than repairing it, and having a qualified technician inspect it. Salt water makes the case stronger. It corrodes coils and electrical parts, and some of that damage shows up weeks later, after the unit seemed fine. Rainwater is less corrosive, but a submerged compressor and control board are still a problem.

Ask the technician to write down what they found: which parts were under water and what they recommend. Your insurer will want that document. If someone tells you a submerged system only needs a rinse and a new capacitor, I would get a second opinion. I would also get one if a system that never saw water is suddenly "a total loss." Our repair or replace guide covers how to think about the price.

Photos for insurance

• Photograph the outdoor unit from all sides before anything is moved, with the water line or debris line visible.
• Photograph the air handler, the floor around it and any water marks on nearby walls.
• Photograph the data plate on each unit (model and serial number).
• Keep the technician's written findings and every invoice.
• Do not throw out damaged equipment until your adjuster says you can.

Wind and flood are often covered by different policies. Ask your agent which one applies to the AC before you sign a replacement contract.

No flood, but it won't start after the power came back

If your home didn't flood but lost power for days, the risk is when the power comes back. I'd leave the AC breakers off until the lights have stayed on and steady, then turn the system on and watch it for a few minutes. If the outdoor unit hums but the fan doesn't spin, or the breaker trips, shut it off and call. A failed capacitor or contactor is a common result and a relatively cheap repair: This Old House puts a capacitor replacement at $80 to $400. Ask for the failed part by name before you agree to anything bigger. If you're wondering about surge protection for next time, that is a question for a licensed electrician.

Generators and central AC

The CDC's rule is simple: never run a generator inside the home or garage, even with doors and windows open. Run it outdoors, more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents. Carbon monoxide has no smell, and the garage is exactly where people want to put a generator so nobody takes it. Don't.

Whether a portable generator can run central AC depends on the generator's size and how much power the system needs to start, which is more than it needs to keep running. I can't tell you from here. Ask a licensed electrician or HVAC professional before you try, and never back-feed the house through a dryer outlet or similar setup without a proper transfer switch.

Permits for a replacement

The Florida Building Code requires a permit to replace a mechanical system, and the City of Crestview says a simple A/C change-out permit is typically issued in a day or two. Crestview also notes that a contractor who asks you to pull the permit yourself is a warning sign that they may not be licensed. Okaloosa County processes trade permits in its Fast Lane and issues them the next day, takes applications online through its CSS portal, and posts a Hurricane Recovery Permit Guide on its permitting page. Walton County and the cities of Fort Walton Beach, Destin and Niceville run their own building departments, so confirm with the one for your address.

If your home is in a flood zone, ask the contractor and the building department whether the new outdoor unit has to sit higher than the old one, and whether that is in the price. If the contract is over $2,500, Florida law requires it to include the construction lien notice. Get written lien releases from anyone who sent you a Notice to Owner before each payment.

Booked for weeks, crews from out of town, and gouging

The common story in Florida AC threads after a big storm is the same every time: every local company is booked for weeks, and crews from out of the area start knocking on doors. Some of those crews are legitimate. Check the license yourself before you hire anyone; our license lookup guide walks through it.

Florida's price gouging law, section 501.160, covers services as well as goods. It applies in the area of a declared state of emergency, for up to 60 days under the initial declaration, and the declaration can be extended. The test is whether a price is a gross disparity from the average price in the 30 days before the declaration, unless the seller can show added costs explain it. The Attorney General activated the price gouging hotline for Isaias: 1-866-9NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226).

If someone knocks on your door and you sign in your home, Florida's home solicitation sale law generally gives you until midnight of the third business day to cancel. The FTC's warning signs apply: "in the area," pressure to decide now, everything up front or cash only. Don't make the final payment until the work is done.

This was not a one-off

Since 1856, 62 tropical systems have passed within 60 miles of Crestview, 16 of them at hurricane strength and 6 as major hurricanes. That count runs through 2025, so Isaias is not in it yet. FEMA has issued 20 major disaster declarations for hurricanes and tropical storms covering Okaloosa and Walton, 7 of them since 2017.

NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 best tracks through 2025, six-hourly positions plus landfall points, measured from central Crestview. Hurricane Isaias (October 2026) is not in HURDAT2 yet: the National Weather Service puts its landfall near Destin around 8:30 p.m. CDT on October 9, 2026, as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.

If you are replacing anyway, ask about a raised stand for the outdoor unit and where the air handler sits. Beach-side owners should also read our salt air guide. More local weather is on our heat and humidity data page.