Florida lacks elevations that exacerbated the deadly floods in Texas, but the threat of inundation is real in the Sunshine State.
Florida lacks the hilly topography that supercharged torrential rain into deadly inundations in Central Texas over the July Fourth weekend, but a host of factors make the Sunshine State the most flood-prone of any other.
Like the ground in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, where deaths in the flooding disaster have topped 100, Florida’s limestone geology poses a unique flooding threat. Added to that, recent hurricane-generated storm surges have increasingly become dangerous flooding events with inundation, whether from coastal storm surges or inland rising water, posing just as much or more of a risk than hurricane winds.
Here are five water dangers in Florida during storm season:
Man-made canals create a parking lot for water
Florida’s low-lying topography — basically it’s a coastal plain — presents a risk so great that man-made canals have been built to create something of a parking lot for water. But sometimes heavy rain can overflow canals’ capacity and flood adjacent areas. Inadequate canal capacity was deemed part of the reason for some $90 million in damage that occurred after South Florida was inundated with about 25 inches of rain in 12 hours in April 2023. Broward County has recently issued a report that calls for some $28 billion in improvements to its water handling system to prevent similar flooding in the future.
Lakes, rivers and creeks can rise
Lake Okeechobee, at 730 square miles, is the second-largest natural freshwater lake entirely contained within the lower 48 states. And its shores have been the site of flooding tragedy. A 1928 storm left thousands of people dead when a dike on that lake failed, according to the South Florida Water Management District.
But Florida’s low-lying land also means that creeks and rivers can rise to swamp the surrounding property. In Central Florida, the city of Deltona is still fighting a federal case brought by residents because of the city’s decision to open a flood control structure during Hurricane Ian in 2022, resulting in catastrophic damage to 200 residences, many of them located where the nearest body of water is called a creek.
Drainage district officials have also alerted residents to the potential for flooding from man-made lakes in residential and commercial developments.
Storm surge is most common cause of hurricane-related deaths
Inundation from rising ocean water moving inland is historically the most common cause of hurricane-related deaths in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The advancing surge combines with normal tides, potentially increasing the water level by 30 feet or more. Pounding waves can turn homes into piles of wood and sand. Hurricane Helene in 2024 broke storm surge records along Florida’s Gulf Coast, reaching 16 feet above ground level near the mouth of the Steinhatchee River, according to a National Hurricane Center report.
Rising water is not insured in typical homeowner policies
Most homeowners are not insured for the water damage that would typically result from a hurricane. Most homeowner policies would cover water damage only if it occurred because of a breach in the structure caused by high winds or a limb falling during the storm. Rising water damage is not insured in typical homeowner policies. Damage from flooding, not wind, was cited as one of the reasons that Citizens Property Insurance Corp. denied half of the claims resulting from 2024’s Hurricane Debby. Florida and Louisiana have the highest rates of homeowners insured against flood damage, but it’s a mere fraction: one in five property owners, according to the Insurance Information Institute. As of May 31, there were about 1.8 million Florida flood policies in force with the National Flood Insurance Program, which is by far the nation’s largest insurer against flood.
Lurking danger underwater
Motorists are urged to avoid standing water on the roads, because its depth is impossible to assess even if both sides of the road appear dry. Swimmers and walkers should also beware: Downed power lines, bacteria and snakes are also among the dangers that could be concealed in flood waters.
Anne Geggis is the insurance reporter at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at[email protected].Help support our journalism. Subscribe today