Severe Weather: Rain and Flooding News for Naples, FL from Naples Daily News

The Fort Myers/Naples area is the No. 1 region in the nation for thunderstom activity, with an average of 89 each year.

Thunderstorms can produce several types of hazardous weather, including large hail, damaging winds and flash floods. Flooding is the most common and widespread of all natural disasters with the exception of fires.

Few people question the necessity of having insurance that protects their property from loss caused by a fire. The same consideration should be given to flood insurance, especially by residents in an area with the natural characteristics of Southwest Florida.

Storm surge can rise over 25 feet above normal tide levels in the Gulf of Mexico. Should a major, land-falling hurricane strike Southwest Florida, many low-lying coastal areas would be flooded to varying depths by the storm surge and wave action that accompany the storm.

Tips

Plan early for flooding associated with a hurricane. Many area coastal roads could be underwater well in advance of the storm, thus restricting their use as evacuation routes. Tides of 3 to 4 feet above normal could occur as many as 12 hours before the “eye” of the storm reaches the coastline.

Over the past 30 years, freshwater flooding has caused more drowning deaths than storm surge flooding. Torrential rains associated with slow-moving or stationary tropical weather systems can produce more than 40 inches of rain over a two-day time period.

Anyone with a mortgage on property in a flood plain is required to buy flood insurance. Except for the areas of Immokalee, Lehigh Acres, eastern Sarasota County and the inland counties, a large percentage of Southwest Florida coastal residents live in areas just a few feet above sea level.

Flood Insurance covers the overflow of inland or tidal waters (including storm surge from tropical storms and hurricanes), the unusual and rapid accumulation of runoff or surface water from any source.

New Collier County flood maps will go into effect in February 2009. Collier County and the city of Naples are working with FEMA to get the flood maps revised. Areas in dispute about whether they are in a flood plain include portions of coastal Collier and Golden Gate Estates.