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Flooding, hurricane information

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Water is a year-round focus for the water management district. When hurricanes and other storms bring unusually high amounts of rain in a short amount of time, flooding can result. It is a natural condition for our state, but a condition that can have disastrous implications for Florida’s residents. Partnerships between individuals and government entities are necessary to minimize flooding impacts, protect personal property and assist flood victims during and after storm events.

If you are experiencing flooding, your first contact should be your local government.

The District’s role

The District operates and maintains water control structures (such as locks, spillways, pump stations, levees and canals) in the headwaters of the St. Johns River in Brevard and Indian River counties, and in the Harris Chain of Lakes in Lake County. Those structures are the only controls the District has of water levels in the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers. The District also restores wetlands and floodplain areas that provide flood water storage. Through its permitting program, the District ensures that storm water is managed on development sites and that new drainage ditches or significant changes to existing ditches are coordinated regionally. The District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection issue permits to install stormwater systems, but it is often the responsibility of a developer or homeowners association to maintain the systems. In addition, the District assists local governments in emergency response during disasters.

Tropical Storm Fay Follow-up

The historic rains produced by Tropical Storm Fay in August 2008 demonstrated that the St. Johns River Water Management District’s flood control project in the headwaters of the St. Johns River in Brevard and Indian River counties performed as designed. However, significant local flooding occurred in portions of Brevard, Indian River and Volusia counties. Following that event and prior to the start of the 2009 hurricane season, the District and local and federal partners worked together to identify and implement water management improvements that will assist in providing long-term flood protection.

Following Tropical Storm Fay, the District:

  • Worked with Brevard County staff to resolve various local flooding issues and expedited permits relating to the county’s major stormwater projects.
  • Worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make significant progress on construction of the Three Forks Water Management Area in Brevard County, which is the last major component of the Upper St. Johns River Basin Project.
  • Partnered with the South Florida Water Management District to evaluate surface water flows in St. Lucie and Indian River counties, including potentially restoring a hydrologic connection between the two districts.
  • Improved water management at Jane Green Swamp in the Upper Basin.
  • Has been providing information to better inform the public, local government officials and the news media about the purpose of the Upper Basin Project. Specifically, the Upper Basin project is designed to:
    • Collect nutrient-laden water from surrounding citrus groves and cattle ranches in restored marshes and to naturally treat that water, thereby improving water quality
    • Slowly release stored waters to the St. Johns River during flood events, reducing the peak rate of flow in the river
    • Provide flood protection in western Indian River and Brevard counties, having little impact on water levels in the Middle St. Johns River Basin in east-central Florida
    • Allow for water to be held until it may be needed to meet minimum flows during periods of drought
    • Reduce the need to discharge freshwater to the Indian River lagoon

Your local government’s role

Local governments are responsible for emergency responses during storms, land use planning,  maintaining stormwater systems, implementing a master stormwater plan for solving flooding, and adopting local laws that focus on building and road elevations, setbacks from water bodies, fill limitations, sanitary codes and structures allowed in floodplains.

Your role

As an individual, you can protect yourself and your property by keeping debris out of storm drains and ditches, reporting clogged ditches to your local government, obtaining flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program, determining whether a home or land you are considering buying is in a floodplain or flood-prone area, and by floodproofing your home.

© 2007–2009 St. Johns River Water Management District