Hurricane Irma spreads 2.2 trillion gallons of water across the district

A map illustrates rainfall across the St. Johns River Water Management District.

MAITLAND, Fla., Oct. 10, 2017 — Over two days, Hurricane Irma brought 2.2 trillion gallons of rainwater, or enough to cover 6.7 million football fields in one foot of water, to the St. Johns River Water Management District’s 18-county service area. A full report outlining September’s hydrological conditions, flood control system and the district’s response during Hurricane Irma, was presented to the district’s Governing Board Tuesday.

“Storms like Hurricane Irma bring a lot of rain in a short amount of time and it’s critical the components of the district’s flood control system be balanced to mitigate flooding where possible,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “Our staff did an outstanding job of responding to cities and counties requests for needs during storm recovery.”

Hurricane Irma was significant not only because it brought excessive rainfall and spanned the entire district, but also because it followed a period of heavy rain. Districtwide, the average rainfall resulting from Hurricane Irma was 10.24 inches. A nor’easter, which arrived in late September, added to the already flooded areas. All counties received above-average rainfall for the month.

• In north Florida, Duval and Putnam counties each received 13.1 inches of rain, with Clay County receiving 13.5 inches.
• In central Florida, Orange and Osceola counties each received 11.4 inches of rain, with Lake County receiving 12.2 inches.
• Counties with the highest rainfall total for the month include Indian River, with 14.7 inches, Brevard County with 14.6 inches and Seminole county with 13.9 inches.

More information about the district’s hydrological conditions can be found online at www.sjrwmd.com.