Coastal Flooding

When a hurricane, tropical storm, or tropical depression produces a deadly storm surge that may overwhelms coastal areas as it makes landfall. Storm surge is water pushed on shore by the force of the winds swirling around the storm. This advancing surge combines with the normal tides to create the hurricane storm tide, which can increase the average water level 15 feet or more.

You can view areas subject to Coastal Flooding and the Storm Surge Planning Zones.

Low Lying Coastal Areas also may flood during the syzygy tides, which are higher than normal tides that occur at the end of the wet season, particularly during the month of October.

As sea levels rise, the frequency of those events is expected to increase. You can see more information on what the County is doing to adapt to changing climate and sea level conditions.