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Lee County's flood
hazard
 Is flooding much of a problem in Lee County?
With
47 miles of Gulf and bay coastline and more than 60 miles of river
shoreline, flooding is very much a concern for Lee County residents. Add
in an average rainfall of almost 55 inches and a flat terrain that rises
on average 2.5 feet per mile - and the potential for flooding is
clear.
Just in the past decade, damaging floods have hit somewhere
in the county on these dates:
March 12, 1993 (The Storm of the Century)
Aug. 24-25, 1995 (Tropical Storm Jerry)
Oct. 5, 1995 (Hurricane Opal)
June 18, 1999
July 23, 2001
Sept. 14-17, 2001 (Tropical Storm Gabrielle)
June 23-July 13, Aug. 20-Sept. 15 and Sept. 29-Oct. 13, 2003
Aug. 3 - Sept. 14, 2004 (Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne)
What areas are the most flood-prone?
The
map shows the 100-year flood risk areas of the county - those places where
damage from flooding is likely without some sort of protection.
Countywide, 122,125 buildings are located in this floodplain, representing
a potential loss of almost $2.8 billion should a catastrophic disaster
strike.
How can I find out if my property is likely to
flood?
The Lee County Department of Community Development offers
information on a property's flood hazard to property owners and others.
You can also get information about the flood insurance purchase
requirement and can request the property's elevation certificate.
A
copy of the county's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), as well as people
who can help you review your potential flood concerns, is available from
the department's office at 1500 Monroe Street in downtown Fort Myers
between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. You can also call the department's office
at (239) 479-8585 or find the information online at the Lee County
Property Appraiser's Web site, www.leepa.org.
How much property is at risk?
Looking at
the risk by area based on historical data, residents and property owners
in these areas should be most concerned about potential flooding problems
(and their cost based on loss of building, contents and functional
use):
- Fort Myers Beach - $786.7 million
- Cape Coral - $483.1 million
- Sanibel & Captiva Islands - $463.6 million
- South Lee County - $394.8 million
- North Lee County - $196.6 million
Looking only at storm-based flooding, here are minimum and maximum loss
estimates based on various potential storm events:
|
|
Minimum |
Maximum |
Total value at risk |
|
Tropical storm |
$178.9 million |
$399 million |
$9.62 billion |
|
Category 1 |
$189.3 million |
$914.3 million |
$13.81 billion |
|
Category 2 |
$1.55 billion |
$6.64 billion |
$26.1 billion |
|
Category 3 |
$5.17 billion |
$17.5 billion |
$37.52 billion |
|
Category 4-5 |
$13.36 billion |
$23.35 billion |
$43.96 billion |
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Is flooding much of a problem in Lee County?