Storm Surge Maps?

[SouthFloridawx]

Does anyone have any storm surge potential maps for the entire florida coast? I have seen them posted here before.

[alicia-w]

the State of FLorida web site is updating them. they have been unresponsive to emails and phone calls.

GRRR

but here is one site that has some decent ones:

http://floridadisaster.org/PublicMapping/index.htm

[Ixolib]

Just beware that historical maps really make no difference if an unprecedented storm hits your coastline. I was foolish enough to believe that our 100-year maps indicated our home was safe from Katrina's surge. That turned out not to be the case...

In my "new" opinion, anyone who is below 40 feet above MSL should make it to higher ground anytime a CAT 5 (or previously and recently cat 5) storm is approaching their coastline. Maps are based on history, and history was just rewritten here in coastal MS.

But back on topic, the FEMA and your local EMO website ought to have the maps. Also, most phone books have them as well.

[inotherwords]

I looked at my local maps and for me they're next to worthless. In my neighborhood, they show zones 1 2 and 3 very close together with tiny variances, and it's impossible to tell where my street is on the map. There are no streets marked or any landmarks on the map other than a few major evac. routes. I thought I was on the borderline between 2 and 3, but evidently there are new maps now that I didn't know about, and I might be considered in zone 1 now.

I wish you could just enter your address and be advised of your zone.

Our local met here Bob Harrigan said that the maximum storm surge we could expect in this area from a major storm would be 16 feet. I have no idea what that means for me or what to expect with this storm. I am 13 feet above sea level but I don't know how far inland a 16 foot surge would come.

We really need better information. We also need more shelters that allow pets. I just got off the phone with my 82 year old mother who is refusing to even acknowledge that she might have to evacuate for this storm. She is being stubborn and ridiculous and saying I'm overreacting. She won't listen to reason, she won't acknowledge that what happened in Miss. could happen here. She just says "we'll end up stranded on the road like they did in Houston." If you've read my posts, it's apparent I'm not overreacting, in fact I want to be conservative and wait and see most of the time. But unless I feel confident from forecasts that this will go south of FL or hit extreme S FL, I am not going to feel confident it will make that turn in time. I'd rather get out soon and just take a little vacation and be out of its way.

[Canelaw99]

Check your local county website. I know Miami-Dade has better, more exact maps.

[SouthFloridawx]

thanks everyone!!! my uncle lives in charlotte county... he just moved there a few months ago and after charlie... He doesn't know what the storm surge would be there.

[melhow]

I looked at my local maps and for me they're next to worthless. I have zones 1 2 and 3 very close together and it's impossible to tell where I am on the map. There are no streets marked or any landmarks on the map other than a few major evac. routes. I thought I was on the borderline between 2 and 3, but evidently there are new maps now that I didn't know about, and I might be considered in zone 1 now.

I wish you could just enter your address and be advised of your zone.

http://www.scgov.net/Frame/ScgWebPresence.aspx?AAA498=C2B3BCB9B7B3C3AAC7837AA9C16FC0A6C7B3BFB5C6A27BABC180C1B9

Would this help?

[inotherwords]

Check your local county website. I know Miami-Dade has better, more exact maps.

That's where I found the worthless map.

[Canelaw99]

Sorry to hear that It's a shame that there are counties here that don't have adequate info. for their residents.

[inotherwords]

I looked at my local maps and for me they're next to worthless. I have zones 1 2 and 3 very close together and it's impossible to tell where I am on the map. There are no streets marked or any landmarks on the map other than a few major evac. routes. I thought I was on the borderline between 2 and 3, but evidently there are new maps now that I didn't know about, and I might be considered in zone 1 now.

I wish you could just enter your address and be advised of your zone.

http://www.scgov.net/Frame/ScgWebPresence.aspx?AAA498=C2B3BCB9B7B3C3AAC7837AA9C16FC0A6C7B3BFB5C6A27BABC180C1B9

Would this help?

I'm still looking here, but so far haven't been able to find anything. I can ascertain I'm in a 100 year flood plain but I knew that already.

[inotherwords]

I finally found the Sarasota County page where you can just input your address and find out your evacuation zone. It took a bit of searching but I did find it under Emergency Management. Sarasota County really needs to link this from their home page during hurricane season.

http://mapserver1.co.sarasota.fl.us/Eva ... formation/

This is a good website because it also includes shelter info and evacuation routes. I didn't realize my local shelter now allows pets, which is a huge relief for me.

[HurryKane]

As Mississippi Storm Magnet has said before, he got 8 feet in his home, in flood zone B. To hell with the maps. Use common sense, know your elevation and nearby bodies of water, and listen to the surge forecast.

[inotherwords]

As Mississippi Storm Magnet has said before, he got 8 feet in his home, in flood zone B. To hell with the maps. Use common sense, know your elevation and nearby bodies of water, and listen to the surge forecast.

Flood zones and coastal evacuation zones are two completely different things, at least here in Florida. I don't think "to hell with maps" is the right attitude, IMO. I think the coastal evacuation maps provide some useful information and they are based on elevation and other topographical factors that determine how far inland surge will go.

Of course you need to use them in conjunction with the storm surge forecasts as well as tidal info, I don't know why anyone would just rely on one data point.

[shorrock]

Since you're in PBC if you go to the palm beach county website, and search for flood plane maps in the emergency office, they have very accurate maps that you can see.

[Terry]

For anyone interested, the Tampa Tribune did a very "nice" article with storm surge maps for this area about two weeks ago. It should still be online at http://www.tbo.com

[melhow]

For anyone interested, the Tampa Tribune did a very "nice" article with storm surge maps for this area about two weeks ago. It should still be online at http://www.tbo.com

So you don't have to click around too much, here it is:
http://tbo.com/hurricane2005/worstcase/

[melhow]

Here is the SLOSH model for Tampa:

http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/bathytopo/visual/slosh.mov

[cjrciadt]

Here is the SLOSH model for Tampa:

http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/bathytopo/visual/slosh.mov

43mb very long warning.

[HurryKane]

As Mississippi Storm Magnet has said before, he got 8 feet in his home, in flood zone B. To hell with the maps. Use common sense, know your elevation and nearby bodies of water, and listen to the surge forecast.

Flood zones and coastal evacuation zones are two completely different things, at least here in Florida. I don't think "to hell with maps" is the right attitude, IMO. I think the coastal evacuation maps provide some useful information and they are based on elevation and other topographical factors that determine how far inland surge will go.

Of course you need to use them in conjunction with the storm surge forecasts as well as tidal info, I don't know why anyone would just rely on one data point.

Flood and evac zones are fairly synonymous in MS as far as I'm aware, so I guess YMMV. That, and what Katrina's surge proved about the inherent usefulness of these maps, is why I have a 'to hell with the maps' attitude. Sure, Katrina was a freak but she definitely proved that the maps aren't the end-all be-all of answers when it comes to making evac/insurance decisions.