Flood Hazards

Flood hazards are a concern and a reality in Southwest Florida. For some residents, flooding only becomes a worry when a tropical disturbance nearby will produce an extensive amount of rainfall. But for residents who live in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), a rainstorm that goes on for an extended period of time can be a cause for concern.

The Lee County Board of County Commissioners adopted the Joint Unified Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) for Lee County, Florida most recently in June 2022 as part of the five year revision cycle. This strategy also serves as the County's floodplain management plan, and documents progress made on its mitigation goals and objectives.

Flood and Tidal Monitoring

Lee County has partnered with Hohonu to provide residents and visitors with accessible, real-time water level monitoring, especially in areas known for frequent flooding. These tools offer timely updates that support public safety, emergency response, and community awareness.

Sensors are installed in several inland locations prone to flooding, such as Pine Island and Downtown Fort Myers. Tidal gauges are also placed at coastal locations, including Sanibel, the Matlacha Bridge, the Cape Coral Bridge, and several others.

Funded through the County’s All-Hazards Fund, these sensors cost a fraction of traditional sensors while delivering accurate data. Currently, Lee County has 15 tidal and land gauges.

Matlacha Tidal Guage

With Hohonu's technology, we’re gaining:

A precise understanding of how high, how often, and how long low-lying infrastructure floods
The ability to profile flood behavior across different parts of the community during flood events
Insight into how inland flooding aligns with coastal tides, giving a full picture of water behavior across the county

Learn more about Hohonu and to view the dashboard.

Download TideCast by Hohonu iOS app for real-time water level updates.

Where can I find more information for Lee County

Flood Safety

When talking about flood safety, the term "flood mitigation" is used quite often. Mitigation is the action or steps taken to prevent something from happening (in this case, flooding). There are a number of things that can be done to help prevent flood damage, but sometimes damage from flooding cannot be completely avoided. Purchasing flood insurance is one way to help mitigate the loss of your home and belongings, so you will have the money needed to make repairs.

Only flood insurance covers flood damage. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) defines flood as a general and temporary condition where two or more acres of normally dry land or two or more properties are inundated by water or mudflow. Flooding can be caused by a number of factors: rapid rainfall, river-flow and tidal surge, clogged drainage systems, changes resulting from building or development, and many others.

What is the difference between a Flood Zone and a Surge Zone?

Flood Zones are floodplains and areas subject to coastal storm surge identified as Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA). Homes in these Flood Zones are required to have flood insurance. The Flood Zones page explains each zone.

Surge is water from the Gulf or rivers that is pushed onshore ahead of and during a tropical storm or hurricane. Surge Zones maps are broken into five evacuation zones, A through E, based upon the greatest to the least threat of being impacted by storm surge.

Flood Warning

Lee County Emergency Operations Center is the County's warning point for floods and other weather-related hazards. Emergency Management receives updates from the National Weather Service, and if there is an imminent threat, we will alert the public using CodeRED, our social media pages, our website's Breaking News, text message alerts and press releases to the media. Natural Resources Hydrological Monitoring gathers rainfall data, which we review. We also monitor NOAA Weather Radio alerts for a number of threats, including flood predictions.

Flood Zones

What Are Flood Zones?

Flood zones determine the premium for flood insurance rates and set construction standards for parcels located in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), commonly called the FEMA floodplain.

The SFHA is an area that could be inundated by a flood event, with a 1 percent chance of reaching or exceeding the Base Flood Elevations (BFE) in any given year. This is also called the 100-year flood.

Flood zones in the Special Flood Hazard Area begin with V or A. Most mortgage lenders require flood insurance in these zones. Insurance rates are calculated using the Base Flood Elevation (BFE).

Find My Flood Zone

Here is an easy tool to quickly find your Flood Insurance information. Click Find My Flood Zone. When the map opens, click the magnifying glass in the upper right corner and enter your address. The map will zoom to the location and a dialog box will open with your property information. You can also open the Flood Report and the Property Report.

Flood Zone Explanations

Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) - The land area that could be covered by the floodwaters of the base flood is where the NFIP's floodplain management regulations must be enforced and where the mandatory purchase of flood insurance applies for federally backed mortgages.

Zone	Explanation
A	Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event generally determined using approximate methodologies. Because detailed hydraulic analyses have not been performed, no Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) or flood depths are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. (In unincorporated Lee County, the county has estimated BFEs in these areas.)
AE, A1-30	Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual chance-flood event determined by detailed methods. Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply.
AH	Areas subject to inundation by 1-percent-annual-chance shallow flooding (usually areas of ponding) where average depths are between one and three feet. Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) derived from detailed hydraulic analyses are shown in this zone. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply.
AO	Areas subject to inundation by 1-percent-annual-chance shallow flooding (usually sheet flow on sloping terrain) where average depths are between one and three feet. Average flood depths derived from detailed hydraulic analyses are shown in this zone. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply. Some Zone AO areas have been designated in areas with high flood velocities such as alluvial fans and washes. Communities are encouraged to adopt more restrictive requirements for these areas.
AR	Areas that result from the decertification of a previously accredited flood protection system that is determined to be in the process of being restored to provide base flood protection. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply.
A99	Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event, but which will ultimately be protected upon completion of an under-construction Federal flood protection system. These are areas of special flood hazard where enough progress has been made on the construction of a protection system, such as dikes, dams, and levees, to consider it complete for insurance rating purposes. Zone A99 may only be used when the flood protection system has reached specified statutory progress toward completion. No Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) or depths are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply.
V	Areas along coasts subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event with additional hazards associated with storm-induced waves. Because detailed hydraulic analyses have not been performed, no Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) or flood depths are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply.
VE, V1-30	Areas subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event with additional hazards due to storm-induced velocity wave action. Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) derived from detailed hydraulic analyses are shown. Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements and floodplain management standards apply.

Zones outside the SFHA (floodplain) - Moderate flood hazard areas, labeled Zone B or Zone X (shaded) are also shown on the FIRM but are not considered part of the Special Flood Hazard Area.

Zone	Explanation
X (shaded), B	An area of moderate flood hazard that is determined to be outside the Special Flood Hazard Area between the limits of the base flood and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (or 500-year) flood.
X (unshaded), C	An area of minimal flood hazard that is determined to be outside the Special Flood Hazard Area and higher than the elevation of the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (or 500-year) flood.

Additional Resources

National Flood Insurance Program	800-379-9531
South Florida Water Management District	239-338-2936
Florida Department of Environmental Protection	239-344-5600
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers	239-334-1975

Flood Hazards

Flood and Tidal Monitoring

With Hohonu's technology, we’re gaining:

Where can I find more information for Lee County

Flood Safety

What is the difference between a Flood Zone and a Surge Zone?

Flood Warning

Flood Zones

What Are Flood Zones?

Find My Flood Zone

Flood Zone Explanations

Zone

Explanation

Zone

Explanation

Additional Resources

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