TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Flooding can happen even to homeowners who have never seen water reach their property, and city officials are urging Tallahassee residents to start by learning their flood risk.
The first step is determining whether a home is located within the FEMA floodplain. Properties in the FEMA floodplain have a 1% annual chance of being damaged by flooding. Even if a property has been high enough to avoid flooding in recent years, it could still flood in the future because flood events vary.
In Tallahassee, flooding can come from multiple sources, including drainage ditches, streams and lakes. The city’s flooding sources include East Ditch, Northeast Ditch, West Ditch, Central Drainage Ditch, Alford Arm Tributary, Saint Augustine Branch, Lake Lafayette, Lake Jackson and Lake Munson. Most flooding in Tallahassee is caused by rising or flowing water.
Homes outside designated flood zones can also flood, including because of poor site grading, landscaping issues and incorrect construction of driveways.
More information is available at https://bit.ly/4iHVCEO. Residents can also look for the Flood Prevention and Preparedness brochure with their City Utilities bill this month (Sept. 2026). Those who receive bills electronically are advised to look for a link to the online PDF.