Jacksonville Flodding (St. Augustine: insurance, house, to buy)

[kevb87]

I'm thinking about moving to Jacksonville and was wondering what kind of flooding i may experience. I don't want to be right on the beach but i would like to be 30 minutes away or so. I know that anywhere i move in Florida i'm at risk for flooding, but what kind of flooding may i get during a hurricane? Are we talking like 5 feet or water? I don't know, i've never been through a hurricane. Any replies would be helpfull.

[amy_sk]

Do you have any particular area in your mind? you can always go to below website for Duval county and check if it is in flood zone.

JaxGIS | Jacksonville Geographic Information System
click on Duval Maps. once you get the 'Duval Maps' window, check the check box for flood zone.

[FLPL75]

kevb87
i have been here 16 years, lived at the beach when 2 hurricanes passed by and saw now flooding
the only flooding I have seen is certain areas the streets get more water when we have very heavy rains
I think riverside & certain areas of san marco may see standing water on the roads after heavy rain

but your fears of seeing 5 ' of water is pretty slight

also when we lived at the beach we were not required to have flood insurance

[SlickP]

Below is St. Johns County

Map Mart

IMO, if you live close to the ocean, intercoastal waterway or river including creeks that feed into the river you are always at risk for storm surge. Here in North Florida, it may be a 1 in 200yrs chance but there is always a chance of a direct hit by a major storm. There are pockets of Jacksonville, Mandarin and St. Augustine that have street flooding during very heavy rains.

[vdecapio]

Check out the COJ site for FEMA maps. They will show you where the 100 year flood zones are.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by kevb87

I'm thinking about moving to Jacksonville and was wondering what kind of flooding i may experience. I don't want to be right on the beach but i would like to be 30 minutes away or so. I know that anywhere i move in Florida i'm at risk for flooding, but what kind of flooding may i get during a hurricane? Are we talking like 5 feet or water? I don't know, i've never been through a hurricane. Any replies would be helpfull.

Even in a hurricane, if you are in a good location, you probably won't see any standing water on your property. Our soil here is mainly sand, so the water soaks in very quickly.

As Karla pointed out, there are certain streets in Jacksonville (and St. Augustine, etc.) that get standing water due to poor drainage and those same streets make the news year after year .

When you're ready to buy, do your research. Before you sign on the dotted line, check the flood zone of the property you're interested in (you want Flood Zone X) and check with your insurer as well. There can be cases where you are in Flood Zone X but your neighbor across the street has a lower rating.....that's a higher risk situation and your insurer will be able to alert you to it prior to your purchase.

A house that is sited correctly, with a proper slope away from the foundation, is not waterfront (lakefront, etc.) and is in Flood Zone X, should have a very low chance of standing water.

[Keith-n-Jax]

Some Areas On The Westside Flood Often During Heavy Rains

[apanda]

And we all know about Black Creek....

[PhotoZel]

Originally Posted by apanda

And we all know about Black Creek....

And yet every year they complain! Oh well.

[Northside904]

Some parts of Northside flood during severe rain, especially those on or near Trout & St.John's Rivers.