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HEAVY RAIN, RAPIDLY RISING WATER & FLOODING

If your neighborhood is experiencing heavy rain AND rapidly rising water, please do one or all of the flowing:

Call 911 and the information will be relayed to County staff;
Call 772-462-2511 - the Road & Bridge Division hot line. If you are asked to leave a message, please know that the lines are monitored 24-7 and staff will get to the location as soon as possible along with responding to your phone call or text.
Email flooding@stlucieco.org. This email is also monitored closely and staff will get to the location as soon as possible along with responding to your email.
Get the App! St. Lucie County has developed an application for both Apple and Android devices that allow you to submit requests or concerns that can be appropriately managed by County staff.
For Emergency Alerts and Push Notices, sign up for Alert St. Lucie.

Aerial view of flooded 25th street

flooded preserve kiosik

Download the Free My St. Lucie App to Report a Concern or Request a Service

Sign Up for ALERT ST. LUCIE for Emergency Alerts and Push Notices

County staff monitors weather conditions very closely in conjunction with the St. Lucie County Department of Public Safety. With the forecast of heavy rain, County staff begins implementing flood control and safety protocols in the County’s Emergency Management Plan. This applies to all events from heavy rains to hurricanes.

County Flooding Response Measures

It appears that locally heavy rain and flooding is on the rise in St Lucie County. When heavy rains or a storm approaches, County staff is already preparing to take steps to mitigate the flooding and the danger from flooding to the extent possible.

Most locations in the County that often experience rapidly rising water from heavy rains are well known to County staff. We are continuously working on ways to mitigate flooding. However, as we have seen in the recent past, like Hurricane Irma, the system can quickly become overwhelmed and there is nowhere for the water to go until it can get downstream out the canals and rivers into the lagoon. Staff will be out monitoring flood-prone locations, activating pumps and installing barricades and detouring traffic at roadways that have been overtopped.

Further flood related information

What Causes Flooding in St. Lucie County?

Coastal Florida is low-lying and with many areas built-up on former swamps and savannahs. Heavy rainfall that occurs with thunderstorms or tropical systems can quickly overwhelm the drainage system. We have seen this a number of times in the past several years with Hurricane Irma as well unnamed events that dropped very heavy rain in a short period of time. The drainage canals, rivers (like 10-Mile Creek), ditches and wales are intended to move water downstream and into the Savannahs and Indian River Lagoon. Unfortunately, some rain events drop so much water that the system backs up and it takes time to draw back down. As a result, water backs up in streets, swales and yards and it can take several days for water to recede.

Projects the County is Working On to Help Mitigate Flooding

Neighborhood drainage retrofit projects on Melville Road, Harmony Heights, Lakewood Park and Indian River Estates Phase III. These projects are all intended to create or improve flood protection in our older neighborhoods. Plans and specifications for these projects are available in the Public Works Department. Staff will be happy to go over the plans with you at your convenience.
Ten-Mile Creek flow restoration between Gordy Road and 25^th Street. Portions of Ten-Mile creek are badly clogged with dead trees and overgrowth. This serves to reduce the amount of water that can get downstream and the water backs up in this area. Working with our State and Federal partners, we are looking at a project that will protect the natural beauty of the Creek while improving its ability to move water.
Comprehensive Storm Water Master Plan. With a growing population and increased development, St Lucie County needs to update its stormwater master plan. This will help plan projects and expenditures into the future and make sure our system is up-to-date.
Improved drainage system maintenance. During the Great Recession, funds for this important maintenance function were necessarily reduced to limit County spending. However, now we have to catch up and Public Works is increasing the revenue back to pre-recession levels.
Local neighborhood rising water mitigation plans – sometimes having a pump and a place to pump the excess water is a short-term way to relieve rapidly rising water or help it dissipate more quickly. A key component to this plan is having a place to pump the water.

For more information on flood preparedness, emergency management and general disaster preparedness, click here.

St. Lucie County, FL

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