floods in florida due to tropical storm fay, · floods in florida due to tropical storm fay, august...

U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

Open-File Report 2010-1142

Floods in Florida due to

Tropical Storm Fay,August 15 through September 26, 2008

Cover: Satellite image of Florida during Tropical Storm Fay, 2008 Image from NASA (National Aeronatics and Space Administration).

Floods in Florida due to Tropical Storm Fay, August 15 through September 26, 2008

By Richard J. Verdi and Sandra L. Holt

Open-File Report 2010-1142

U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

U.S. Department of the InteriorKEN SALAZAR, Secretary

U.S. Geological SurveyMarcia K. McNutt, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2010

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Suggested citation:Verdi, R.J., and Holt, S.L, 2010, Floods in Florida due to Tropical Storm Fay, August 15 through September 26, 2008: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010-1142, 18 p.

9781411329317

Contents iii

Contents

Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................viAbstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................2

Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................2Approach ................................................................................................................................................3

Data Collection ...............................................................................................................................................6Storm Track .....................................................................................................................................................7Rainfall and Runoff.........................................................................................................................................8Casualties and Damages ..............................................................................................................................9River Discharges and Water Levels .........................................................................................................11

Instantaneous Peak Streamflows and Water Levels ....................................................................11Monthly Mean Streamflows .............................................................................................................16

Summary........................................................................................................................................................18References Cited..........................................................................................................................................18

Figures 1. Map showing the track of Tropical Storm Fay in August 2008 ..............................................2 2. Maps showing the locations of the streamgages and weather gages in north

and south Florida ..........................................................................................................................6 3. Satellite image of Tropical Storm Fay over Florida taken on August 21, 2008 ....................7 4. Map of accumulated rainfall totals during Tropical Storm Fay .............................................8 5–14. Photographs Showing— 5. A flooded building at St. Johns River near Christmas on August 25, 2008 .................9 6. A flooded roadway (Highway 46) at the St. Johns River above Lake Harney

on August 28, 2008 ...............................................................................................................9 7. A flooded structure at Arbuckle Creek near DeSoto City on August 20, 2008 ...........9 8. Flooded property near the Ochlockonee River near Bloxham on

August 25, 2008 ...................................................................................................................10 9. A washed-out road at Weeping Willow Way in eastern Leon County on

August 24, 2008 ...................................................................................................................10 10. View looking upstream from underneath the Highway 27 bridge at

Ochlockonee River near Havana during low flow on June 3, 2008 ...........................11 11. View looking downstream from Highway 12 at the Ochlockonee River near

Concord on August 25, 2008 .............................................................................................14 12. Flooded roadways on the Ochlockonee River near Concord .....................................15 13. Flooded property along the Ochlockonee River near Havana on August 25,

2008, and the Havana gaging station at Highway 27 on August 26, 2008 .................15 14. The gage at St. Johns River near Sanford during normal conditions on

April 25, 2008, and after Tropical Storm Fay on August 28, 2008 ................................17

iv Floods in Florida due to Tropical Storm Faykiisa ub /dkieus SYW RI /REIOUXk /arien /dT

Tables 1. Rainfall amounts recorded at National Weather Service weather stations for

Tropical Storm Fay ........................................................................................................................3 2. National Weather Service and U.S. Geological Survey stations referenced in

this report .......................................................................................................................................4 3. Rainfall amounts recorded at U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations

for Tropical Storm Fay ..................................................................................................................8 4. Peak discharges, river levels, and exceedance probabilities produced by

Tropical Storm Fay compared to period-of-record peak discharges and exceedance probabilities for selected sites in Florida ........................................................12

5. New maximum monthly mean discharges produced by Tropical Storm Fay and the previous maximum and year of occurrence ..........................................................................14

6. Relation of period of record August and September combined monthly mean discharge to combined mean discharge for August and September 2008 following the passage of Tropical Storm Fay ..........................................................................................16

Conversion Factors and DatumInch/Pound to SI

Multiply By To obtain

inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter (mm)foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)mile per hour (mi/hr) 1.609 kilometer per hour (km/hr)cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.028317 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

1 knot = 1.1507 miles per hour

0.01 millibar = 1 pascal

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29).

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).

Contents v

Abbrevations and Acronyms

NASA National Aeronotics and Space Administration

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NWIS National Water Information System

NWS National Weather Service

nmi nautical mile

NWFWMD Northwest Florida Water Management District

USGS U.S. Geological Survey

The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale) Indicating Tornado Intensity

[Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2010, accessed May 12, 2010, at http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/ef-scale.html. EF, Enhanced Fujita Scale]

Operational EF scale

EF scale 3 second gust

EF 0 65-85 mphEF 1 86-110 mphEF 2 111-135 mphEF 3 136-165 mphEF 4 166-200 mphEF 5 Over 200 mph

vi Floods in Florida due to Tropical Storm Faykiisa ub /dkieus SYW RI /REIOUXk /arien /dT

AcknowledgmentsThe manuscript review and assessment

from National Weather Service personnel Stacy Stewart, Joel Lanier, Irv Watson, Paul Duval, and Mike Jamski was much appreciated. The input from these meteorological experts greatly enhanced the scientific merit of this report. Technical advisement and manuscript review from U.S. Geological Survey personnel Leroy Pearman, Stewart Tomlinson, and Eduardo Patino strengthened the presentation of the material.

Abstract Weather conditions produced by

Tropical Storm Fay from August 15 through September 26, 2008, caused historic flooding, spawned 19 tornadoes, inflicted $390 million in damages, and contributed to five deaths in Florida. This slow-moving system made four separate landfalls accompanied by extensive rainfall and some wind-induced effects. Major flooding with new period-of-record instantaneous peaks and maximum monthly mean streamflows were reported throughout the Ochlockonee and St. Marks Rivers in the Florida Panhandle and the St. Marys, St. Johns, Econlockhatchee, and Wekiva Rivers in northeastern Florida. A total of 147 field crews from the U.S. Geological Survey in Florida made flood measurements immediately following passage of Tropical Storm Fay and continued to monitor high-water conditions for the subsequent 24 days. These measurements were used to verify and document the ratings and the peaks of this climatic event throughout the State.

Floods in Florida due to Tropical Storm Fay, August 15 through September 26, 2008

By Richard J. Verdi and Sandra L. Holt

2 Floods in Florida due to Tropical Storm Fay

Introduction The prevention and mitigation of flooding and associated property losses are primary objectives of local, State, and Federal

agencies. Tropical Storm Fay affected Florida from August 15 through September 26, 2008, when it made landfall on four separate occasions: 1. The lower keys near Key West,

2. South of Naples at Cape Romano,

3. Near Daytona Beach, and

4. Near Carrabelle (fig. 1). Rainfall was heavy and widespread reaching more than 24 inches (in.) in some places, such as Melbourne (27.65 in.) and

Cape Canaveral (25.01 in.; table 1). Runoff associated with the storm produced record maximum monthly mean streamflow and new period-of-record instantaneous maximum streamflows at the St. Marks River near Newport and the Ochlockonee River near Concord in the Florida Panhandle (table 2). Most of the property damage throughout the State was caused by rainfall-induced flooding and some wind-induced effects.

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this report is to document the extreme storm and flood conditions caused by Tropical Storm Fay. The objectives of this report are to: 1. Present an overview of the hydrologic data collected during and after the landfalls of Tropical Storm Fay;

2. Provide engineers, scientists, emergency management operators and regulators, and the general public with a better understanding of the effects of the flooding from this storm; and

3. Compare this event to historical storm-flood events.

Figure 1. The track of Tropical Storm Fay in August 2008. (Modified from Stewart and Beven, 2009.)

20

2122

23

24

19

FL

ALGA

LakeOkeechobee

ApalacheeBay

Key West

Naples

DaytonaBeach

Carabelle

Cape Romano

16

17

18

986 mb

202122

23

24

25

26

27

28

19

15°

20°

25°

30°

35°

20°

25°

30°

40°

65° 60°75° 70°85° 80°90°

65° 60°75° 70°85° 80°90°95°

PUERTORICO

FL

JAMAICA

DOMINICANREPUBLIC

HAITI

WV

VAAR TN

NC

SC

TXLA

MS

ALGA

CUBA

KYOK

MEXICO

0

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 MILES

100 200 300 400 600 NAUTICAL MILES500

Gulf of Mexico

Atlantic Ocean

Straits of

Florida

Win

dward

Passage

Mon

aPa

ssag

e

TROPICAL STORMTROPICAL

DEPRESSIONEXTRATROPICAL0000 COORDINATED

UNIVERSAL TIME –Position and date

1200 COORDINATEDUNIVERSAL TIME –Position

EXPLANATION

16

TROPICAL STORM FAY,August 15-26, 2008

El Cabo

Introduction 3

Site number

Weather station location

Total rainfall (inches)

1 Melbourne, Florida 27.652 Thomasville, Georgia 27.503 Cape Canaveral, Florida 25.014 Satellite Beach, Florida 22.875 Cocoa Beach, Florida 22.26

6 Sebastian/Scripps Space Coast, Florida 22.25

7 Port Canaveral, Florida 21.938 Palm Shores, Florida 21.429 Palm Bay, Florida 21.00

10 Merritt Island, Florida 19.5811 Sanford, Florida 18.2712 DeLand, Florida 17.7713 St. Marks, Florida 17.6714 Hobe Sound, Florida 14.8015 Ft. Pierce, Florida 14.7016 Okeechobee, Florida 13.8217 Newton, Georgia 13.5018 Jacksonville, Florida 12.0719 Coolidge, Georgia 12.0320 Monticello, Florida 11.9021 Valdosta, Georgia 11.6722 Tallahassee, Florida 11.4423 Blakely, Georgia 10.8524 Morgan, Georgia 10.8325 Wacissa, Florida 10.8026 Milford, Georgia 10.7327 Boynton Beach, Florida 9.5128 Immokalee, Florida 9.1129 Albany, Georgia 8.6830 Gainesville, Florida 8.2531 Naples, Florida 7.9632 Orlando, Florida 7.4633 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 7.1234 Cudjoe Key, Florida 7.0235 Big Pine Key, Florida 6.9536 Miami, Florida 4.11

Table 1. Rainfall amounts recorded at National Weather Service weather stations for Tropical Storm Fay.

[Site numbers shown in figures 2A and 2B. Data from the National Weather Service (NWS) Hydrometeorological Prediction Center at http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov]

Approach

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) staff consists of highly skilled hydrographers and hydrologists trained to respond to flood hazards. A total of 147 USGS field crews from Florida—each crew consisting of two hydrographers for one day—were dispatched to make flood measurements imme-diately following passage of Tropical Storm Fay and during the subsequent 24 days. These high-water measurements were used to verify the ratings and the peaks of this storm event throughout the State. Field crews called office personnel at the end of each day to provide an update of which sites had been measured. Office personnel immediately posted these updates to the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) where the public could retrieve these data within minutes of release.

Data collected and evaluated by USGS hydrographers and hydrologists relative to extreme weather events such as Tropical Storm Fay can be used to plan and prepare for future storm response efforts. These data are typically used by emergency management operators to determine whether road closures are necessary. These data also are used by the National Weather Service to forecast flooding for a specific stream that may adversely impact downstream residents, thus alerting emergency management officials of a potential need to issue emergency evacuation notices. The Water Management Districts in Florida also use these data for regulatory purposes. For example, if a substantial amount of rain is forecasted, the South Florida Water Management District may determine to lower water levels in Lake Okeechobee to prevent possible flooding in the area.

Phot

ogra

ph c

redi

t: N

WS


Site number

Station number

Station name

1 NWS Melbourne, Florida2 NWS Thomasville, Georgia3 NWS Cape Canaveral, Florida4 NWS Satellite Beach, Florida5 NWS Cocoa Beach, Florida6 NWS Sebastian/Scripps Space Coast, Florida7 NWS Port Canaveral, Florida8 NWS Palm Shores, Florida9 NWS Palm Bay, Florida

10 NWS Merritt Island, Florida11 NWS Sanford, Florida12 NWS DeLand, Florida13 NWS St. Marks, Florida14 NWS Hobe Sound, Florida15 NWS Ft. Pierce, Florida16 NWS Okeechobee, Florida17 NWS Newton, Georgia18 NWS Jacksonville, Florida19 NWS Coolidge, Georgia20 NWS Monticello, Florida21 NWS Valdosta, Georgia22 NWS Tallahassee, Florida23 NWS Blakely, Georgia24 NWS Morgan, Georgia25 NWS Wacissa, Florida26 NWS Milford, Georgia27 NWS Boynton Beach, Florida28 NWS Immokalee, Florida29 NWS Albany, Georgia30 NWS Gainesville, Florida31 NWS Naples, Florida32 NWS Orlando, Florida33 NWS Ft. Lauderdale, Florida34 NWS Cudjoe Key, Florida35 NWS Big Pine Key, Florida36 NWS Miami, Florida37 02234435 Lake Jesup Outlet near Sanford, Florida38 02319800 Suwannee River at Dowling Park, Florida

Table 2. National Weather Service and U.S. Geological Survey stations referenced in this report.

[Site numbers shown in figures 2A and 2B; NWS, National Weather Service]

Introduction 5

Site number

Station number

Station name

39 02320000 Suwannee River at Luraville, Florida40 02323000 Suwannee River near Bell, Florida41 02323592 Suwannee River above Gopher River near Suwannee, Florida42 02327031 Spring Creek near Spring Creek, Florida43 02329000 Ochlockonee River near Havana, Florida44 02358000 Apalachicola River at Chattahoochee, Florida45 02358789 Chipola River at Marianna, Florida46 02359000 Chipola River near Altha, Florida47 02365200 Choctawhatchee River near Pittman, Florida48 02228500 North Prong St. Marys River at Moniac, Georgia49 02231000 St. Marys River near Macclenny, Florida50 02231342 Fort Drum Creek near Fort Drum, Florida51 02232000 St. Johns River near Melbourne, Florida52 02232400 St. Johns River near Cocoa, Florida53 02232500 St. Johns River near Christmas, Florida54 02233500 Econlockhatchee River near Chuluota, Florida55 02234000 St. Johns River above Lake Harney near Geneva, Florida56 02234384 Soldier Creek near Longwood, Florida57 02234500 St. Johns River near Sanford, Florida58 02235000 Wekiva River near Sanford, Florida59 02235200 Blackwater Creek near Cassia, Florida60 02236000 St. Johns River near De Land, Florida61 02249500 Crane Creek at Melbourne, Florida62 02250030 Turkey Creek at Palm Bay, Florida63 02252500 North Canal near Vero Beach, Florida64 02256500 Fisheating Creek at Palmdale, Florida65 02262900 Boggy Creek near Taft, Florida66 02270500 Arbuckle Creek near DeSoto City, Florida67 02326900 St. Marks River near Newport, Florida68 02328522 Ochlockonee River near Concord, Florida69 02329600 Little River near Midway, Florida70 02330000 Ochlockonee River near Bloxham, Florida71 02245500 South Fork Black Creek near Penney Farms, Florida72 02274010 Taylor Creek near Okeechobee, Florida73 02272650 Fish Slough near Basinger, Florida74 02291500 Imperial River near Bonita Springs, Florida

Table 2. National Weather Service and U.S. Geological Survey stations referenced in this report.—Continued

[Site numbers shown in figures 2A and 2B; NWS, National Weather Service]


.

Yankeetown

Monticello

JacksonvilleTallahassee

HighSprings

75

95

Yew

llo

Ri

rve

Sho

al River

Escam

biaR

iver

Ch

hoc

eta

wa

tche

Bla

c

R

kwater

iver

St.

Suw

ann

eev

Ri

er

Och

lock

o

r

nee

Riv

e

San

e

ta Fe Riv r

Riv

er

Joh

ns

Riv

er

Seminole

CamdenCharlton

Ware Brantley

Clinch

EcholsLownd

esLa

nier

Atkinson Pierce

Wayne

McI

ntos

h

Glynn

Coffee Bacon

BerrienCook

Long LibertyApplingJeff Davis

Irwin

Ben Hill

Brooks

ThomasGradyDecatur

Miller Mitchell

Baker

Colquitt

TiftWorthDougherty

Early

ClayCalhoun

Randolph

Turner

Lee

Baldwin

Clarke

Escambia

Monroe

ConecuhCovington

Geneva Houston

Butler

CoffeeCrenshaw

Dale

BarbourPike

Henry

Terrell

A L A B A M A

G E O R G I AOkaloosa

Escambia

SantaRosa

Leon

Wakulla Jeffe

rson

Liberty

Gadsden

FranklinGulf

Bay

Calhoun

Jackson

Washington

Holmes

Walton NassauHamiltonMadison

Marion

Levy

Flagler

Putnam

St.Johns

Clay

DuvalBaker

Union

Brad

ford

Alachua

Gilchrist

Colu

mbi

a

Suwannee

Lafayette

Dixie

Taylor

Volusia

Lake

F L O R I D A

2218

30

29

23

24

26 17

20

25

212

19

12

13

38

40

49

4644

70

69 48

41

47

45

60

43

68

3967

4271

Gulf of Mexico

Atla

ntic

Ocea

n

31°

30°

29°

87° 86° 85° 84° 83° 82° 81°

50 MILES0

50 KILOMETERS0

EXPLANATIONU.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SURFACE WATERGAGING STATION – Site number in table 2

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEATHERSTATION – Site number in tables 1 and 213

47

Base modified from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:100,000, 1985Albers NAD projection 1983

Data CollectionThe USGS in cooperation with local, State, and

Federal agencies operates a network of approximately 450 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations in Florida. Several types of hydrologic data are collected at these gages, including some or all of the following properties: 1. River level,

2. Water velocity,

3. Water temperature,

4. Salinity,

5. Specific conductance, and

6. Precipitation. Data are recorded at 60-, 30-, or 15-minute

intervals. All gages are equipped with real-time satellite telemetry and transmit data at intervals of 1 to 4 hours. During critical events, such as floods or extreme droughts, data can be transmitted as often as the recording interval of the data. These data are essential for flood monitoring, emergency response, and control operations for dam and reservoir systems. In August and September 2008, USGS field crews made discharge measurements at several gages during these floods to verify the upper end of the stage streamflow ratings and to aid in extending the upper end (the part of the rating that describes high discharge versus stage) of ratings for gages reaching new maximum discharges. These data contribute to the understanding of flood characteristics and mitigation efforts. Data presented in this report include river levels and precipitation data that were collected from 34 USGS continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations and 36 National Weather Service (NWS)

Figure 2. The locations of the streamgages and weather gages in A, north and B, south Florida.

A

Sarasota

Homestead

Miami

Palmdale

FortMyers

Cocoa Beach

Tampa

St. Petersburg

Orlando

Yankeetown

LakeOkeechobee

Florida Keys

FortLauderdale

Withlacoocheei

Rver

Creek

Fish

eatin

g

Kissim

mee

River

MarionLevy

Charlotte

De Soto

Volusia

IndianRiver

Polk

Lake

Osceola

Hills

boro

ugh

Pasco

Sum

ter

Hernando

Citrus

Orange

Seminole

Brev

ard

Pinellas

HardeeManateeHighlands

Okeechobee St.Lucie

Martin

Miami-Dade

BrowardCollier

HendryLee

Monroe

Glades PalmBeach

Sarasota

Everglades

36

32

63

47

27

33

1

3

4

58

9

10 7

28

31

6

14

35

34

16

11

15

12

64

66

51

52

65

6162

5960

50

53

37

54

55

56

57

58

73

72

74

95

Gu

lfof

Mex

ico

Atla

ntic

Ocea

n

29°

83° 82° 81°

28°

27°

26°

25°

80°

0

0

50 MILES

50 KILOMETERS

EXPLANATIONU.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SURFACE WATERGAGING STATION – Site number in table 2

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEATHERSTATION – Site number in tables 1 and 231

64

75

95

75

Base modified from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:100,000, 1985Albers NAD projection 1983

weather gages (table 2; fig. 2). The term wateryear refers to the time period between October 1 and September 30.

B

Storm Track 7

Storm TrackTropical Storm Fay began as a fast-moving disturbance with little thunderstorm activity as it emerged

off the coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean on August 6, 2008. However, convection increased as the storm speed decreased from 20-25 knots (kt) (or 23 to 29 miles per hour (mph)) to 10 to 15 kt (or 12 to 17 mph) on August 14 (Stewart and Beven, 2009). A strong subtropical ridge of high pressure to the north caused the storm to move westward through the Mona Passage and to make landfall as a tropical depression in the Dominican Republic near El Cabo on August 15 (fig. 1). Although the storm was moving over land, it gained tropical storm strength nearly 4 hours after landfall in the Dominican Republic with wind speeds near 40 mph (Stewart and Beven, 2009). The cyclone moved through the Windward Passage on August 16. Tropical Storm Fay continued to gain strength with sustained winds of 60 mph as it crossed the western part of Cuba and into the Florida Straits on August 18 (Stewart and Beven, 2009).

The center of Tropical Storm Fay made the first of four Florida landfalls during late evening on August 18 over the lower keys near Key West with sustained winds of 60 mph. Tropical Storm Fay then turned to the northeast and made its second Florida landfall early on August 19 at Cape Romano, south of Naples on the southwest coast of Florida (fig. 1). After crossing the western shores of Lake Okeechobee, the system strengthened to maximum wind speeds of 65 mph and displayed a well-defined eye in radar and satellite imagery (Stewart and Beven, 2009; fig. 3). East of Lake Okeechobee, Tropical Storm Fay weakened over land but re-entered the open Atlantic waters off the northeastern coast of Florida. The atmospheric steering currents weakened as a broad mid-level trough eroded the high pressure of the subtropical ridge over Florida causing the storm to turn northward at a speed of 3 to 4 kt (3.4 to 4.6 mph) and eventually making the third Florida landfall near Daytona Beach on August 21 (Stewart and Beven, 2009). Tropical Storm Fay tracked to the west-northwest and entered the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico at Apalachee Bay, thus making the fourth and final landfall in Florida on August 23 near Carrabelle in the Florida Panhandle. Tropical Storm Fay moved slowly to the west-northwest, then turned north and subsequently weakened to a tropical depression over land. The storm eventually deteriorated into a remnant low-pressure system over northern Alabama on August 26 (Stewart and Beven, 2009).

.

FLORIDA

Satellite photo courtesy of NASA.

Figure 3. Satellite image of Tropical Storm Fay over Florida taken on August 21, 2008. (Image credit: NASA)


.

Rainfall and Runoff

The slow movement of Tropical Storm Fay produced damaging winds and extensive flooding across parts of Florida. Total rainfall amounts ranged from 4 to greater than 24 in. across parts of east-central Florida and southern Georgia during August 19-29 (tables 1 and 3; fig. 4). For example, the NWS weather gage at Melbourne recorded 27.65 in. of rainfall dur-ing the event (table 1). The rainfall and runoff associ-ated with Tropical Storm Fay in the Kissimmee River Valley and Lake Okeechobee recharged the lake storage (Stewart and Beven, 2009). The Florida Panhandle, Big Bend area, and extreme southern Georgia received substantial amounts of rain-fall that caused floods in the Ochlockonee River basin and peak-of-record streamflow in the St. Marks River basin.

Figure 4

30°

40°

80°90° 70°

TROPICAL STORM FAYTRACK – August 19-29, 2008,at 4,431 sites.

RAINFALL, IN INCHES

EXPLANATION

>7 – 10>10 – 15>15 – 20>20 – 25

1 or less>1 – 3>3 – 5>5 – 7

FL

GAAL

MS

LA

AR

TN

KY

SC

NC

VAWV

MO

ILIN

OH

PA

MD

NJ

DE

WI MI

Gulf of Mexico

Atlantic Ocean

0

0 100 200 300 MILES

100 200 300 NAUTICAL MILES

Site number

USGS station number

Streamflow-gaging stationTotal rainfall

(inches)

37 02234435 Lake Jesup Outlet near Sanford, Florida 19.3171 02245500 South Fork Black Creek near Penney Farms, Florida 12.2972 02274010 Taylor Creek near Okeechobee, Florida 17.7573 02272650 Fish Slough near Basinger, Florida 12.1438 02319800 Suwannee River at Dowling Park, Florida 5.4139 02320000 Suwannee River at Luraville, Florida 9.2940 02323000 Suwannee River near Bell, Florida 6.4841 02323592 Suwannee River above Gopher River near Suwannee, Florida 8.5242 02327031 Spring Creek near Spring Creek, Florida 10.4443 02329000 Ochlockonee River near Havana, Florida 14.7344 02358000 Apalachicola River at Chattahoochee, Florida 4.9045 02358789 Chipola River at Marianna, Florida 6.0746 02359000 Chipola River near Altha, Florida 5.8447 02365200 Choctawhatchee River near Pittman, Florida 4.03

Table 3. Rainfall amounts recorded at U.S. Geological Survey streamflow gaging stations for Tropical Storm Fay.

[Site numbers shown in figure 2B. USGS, U.S. Geological Survey. Data from unpublished files of the U.S. Geological Survey]

Figure 4. Map of accumulated rainfall totals during Tropical Storm Fay.(Modified from Stewart and Beven, 2009.)

Casualties and Damages 9

Casualties and DamagesFloods associated with Tropical

Storm Fay caused five deaths in Florida and eight deaths throughout the Dominican Republic and Haiti in addition to considerable property damage (Stewart and Beven, 2009). The storm spawned 19 tornadoes in Florida and 62 others across Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Alabama. The majority of the tornadoes in Florida were classified as an Enhanced Fujita Scale rating of EF0; although a few were classified as EF1 and EF2, including an EF2 tornado that caused $1.25 million in damages to an equine clinic and other structures in Wellington and east of Wellington (Stewart and Beven, 2009). The primary causes of damage through-out Florida were rainfall-induced flood-ing that damaged residential structures, and wind speeds that resulted in downed trees and utility lines and minor roof damages to some structures.

An estimated $562 million was reported in damages as a result of Tropical Storm Fay from across the Southeastern United States: Florida ($390 million), Georgia ($50 million), Alabama ($50 million), with additional losses reported by the National Flood Insurance Program ($72 million) (Stewart and Beven, 2009). Damaged and flooded roadways and structures near streams in northeastern Florida and the Florida Panhandle are shown in figures 5 through 9.

Eastern Leon and Wakulla Counties experienced weeks of extensive closed basin flooding due to this tropical event (Joel Lanier, National Weather Service, oral commun., 2009). A closed basin is a basin with a closed drainage area and no natural surface outlets. Road damage caused by Tropical Storm Fay is shown in figure 9. The photograph view is facing east and shows water moving from south to north along Weeping Willow Way in eastern Leon County. A sinkhole to the south of Weeping Willow Way began discharging groundwater that subsequently caused the road destruction (Joel Lanier, National Weather Service, oral commun., 2009).

.

Figure 5. A flooded building at St. Johns River near Christmas (02232500) on August 25, 2008. (Photograph credit: USGS)

Figure 6. A flooded roadway (Highway 46) at the St. Johns River above Lake Harney (02234000) on August 28 , 2008. (Photograph credit: USGS)

Figure 7. A flooded structure at Arbuckle Creek near DeSoto City (02270500) on August 20, 2008. (Photograph credit: USGS)


Casualties and Damages—Continued

Storm-drainage systems were overwhelmed by the widespread flooding associated with Tropical Storm Fay in several counties and towns across central and northeastern Florida. More than 130 residential homes in De Bary were damaged by floodwaters because the storm-drainage system could not accommodate the high volume of water (Jackson, 2009). Officials for the City of De Bary were awaiting new pumps to be delivered and installed at the time of the storm, thus prompting city work-ers to snake hoses along roadways in an effort to help carry water away from the overflowing ponds (Jackson, 2009). As a result of this flood associated with Tropical Storm Fay, the City of De Bary was granted $6.6 million in Federal aid to build a bigger and stronger drainage system (Jackson, 2009). Residents in Seminole County experienced flooding along Lake Harney, which rose to record levels, as did Lake Monroe and Mullet Lake. In Chuluota, a culvert collapsed and destroyed part of the road above it (Jackson, 2009); thus, a new 70-acre retention pond is being constructed as well as a new pump station that can manage up to 12 in. of daily rainfall to alleviate future flooding (Jackson, 2009). Residents in Casselberry experienced flooding along Gee Creek (Jackson, 2009). In response to this storm event, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provided $1 million to line Gee Creek with erosion-preventing plants and wire-mesh boxes of rocks to alleviate future flooding along this waterway. Damages at Altamonte Springs included a lift station (that is, a tank or chamber accompanied by a pump and controls that are used to retain and periodically discharge wastewater effluent) that was flooded, which threatened to backup sewage into homes. An amphitheatre near the Altamonte Mall also flooded (Jackson, 2009).

.

Figure 8. Flooded property near the Ochlockonee River near Bloxham (02330000) on August 25, 2008. (Photograph credit: Bob Duggan, NWS, Tallahassee, Florida)

Figure 9. A washed-out road at Weeping Willow Way in eastern Leon County on August 24, 2008. (Photograph credit: Jason Elliot, NWS, Huntsville, Alabama)

River Discharges and Water Levels 11

River Discharges and Water LevelsRiver and stream conditions across Florida averaged below normal during the months leading to the landfall of Tropical

Storm Fay. Most streams in northeastern Florida and the Florida Panhandle area had below average monthly mean streamflow during the months prior to this storm event. Monthly flow at the St. Marys River near Macclenny gage (station 02231000; period of record 1927-2008) averaged 17 percent of normal in May and 12 percent of normal in June. The Arbuckle Creek near DeSoto City gage (station 02270500; period of record 1939-2008) averaged 8 percent of normal in May and 5 percent of normal in June. The Ochlockonee River near Havana gage (station 02329000; period of record 1926-2008) averaged 30 percent of normal in May, 20 percent of normal in June, and 21 percent of normal in July (fig.10). Some gage sites even reached zero flow for at least part of the event time, such as the Santa Fe River at Worthington Springs gage (station 02321500), which reached zero flow for the period from June 7-11. Several sites recorded peak-of-record river levels and discharges during the event (table 4) and(or) period-of-record maximum monthly mean discharges during August or September 2008 following the event (table 5).

.

Figure 10. View looking upstream from underneath the Highway 27 bridge at Ochlockonee River near Havana during low flow on June 3, 2008. (Photograph credit: Erik Ohlson, USGS, Tallahassee, Florida)

Instantaneous Peak Streamflows and Water Levels

Instantaneous peak is defined as a local maximum value in the continuous time series of streamflow or river-level measurements, preceded by a period of increasing values, and then followed by a period of decreasing values (U.S. Geological Survey, 2004). Peaks from floods caused by rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Fay were among the highest for the periods of record for several gages across northeastern Florida and the Florida Panhandle.

Some record peak discharges and other notable peaks were observed at sites in the Ochlockonee and St. Marks River basins in the Florida Panhandle and the St. Marys, St. Johns, Econlockhatchee, and Wekiva River basins in northeastern Florida. In the Florida Panhandle area, the St. Marks River near Newport gage (station 02326900) recorded a peak discharge of 5,890 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) and a river level of 17.39 feet (ft) above the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 on August 25.


Site num-ber

USGS station number

Streamflow-gaging stationPeriod

of record through 2008

Peak of event

Peak dis-

charge (ft3/s)

Date

Peak river level (feet above NGVD 29)

Date

Exceed-ance

probabil-ity1

48 02228500 North Prong St. Marys River at Moniac, Georgia 1921-2008 5,740 08/24/08 108.55 08/24/08 0.04-0.02

49 02231000 St. Marys River near Macclenny, Florida 1927-2008 20,500 08/24/08 61.14 08/24/08 0.1-0.0450 02231342 Fort Drum Creek near Fort Drum, Florida 1977-2008 22,360 08/20/08 39.88 08/20/08 <0.0151 02232000 St. Johns River near Melbourne, Florida 1939-2008 36,800 08/28/08 419.34 08/31/08 0.2-0.152 02232400 St. Johns River near Cocoa, Florida 1954-2008 36,510 09/06/08 417.11 08/31/08 0.2-0.153 02232500 St. Johns River near Christmas, Florida 1933-2008 38,500 08/22/08 412.09 08/31/08 0.10

54 02233500 Econlockhatchee River near Chuluota, Florida 1936-2008 8,730 08/23/08 19.68 08/23/08 0.04-0.02

55 02234000 St. Johns River above Lake Harney near Geneva, Florida 1941-2008 310,800 09/06/08 411.15 08/30/08 0.1-0.04

56 02234384 Soldier Creek near Longwood, Florida 1972-2008 2762 08/21/08 14.48 08/21/08 --57 02234500 St. Johns River near Sanford, Florida 1941-2008 312,800 09/01/08 47.89 09/03/08 0.1-0.0458 02235000 Wekiva River near Sanford, Florida 1936-2008 1,800 08/22/08 11.25 08/22/08 0.0259 02235200 Blackwater Creek near Cassia, Florida 1967-2008 811 08/26/08 28.68 08/26/08 0.04-0.0260 02236000 St. Johns River near DeLand, Florida 1934-2008 314,700 09/02/08 45.44 09/04/08 0.0461 02249500 Crane Creek at Melbourne, Florida 1951-2008 21,550 08/20/08 15.29 08/20/08 <0.0162 02250030 Turkey Creek at Palm Bay, Florida 1981-2008 2,35,530 08/20/08 9.05 08/20/08 --63 02252500 North Canal near Vero Beach, Florida 1951-2008 3915 08/20/08 12.06 08/20/08 --64 02256500 Fisheating Creek at Palmdale, Florida 1931-2008 4,560 08/22/08 34.93 08/22/08 0.5-0.265 02262900 Boggy Creek near Taft, Florida 1959-2008 1,150 08/24/08 68.72 08/24/08 0.2-0.1

66 02270500 Arbuckle Creek near DeSoto City, Florida 1939-2008 32,660 08/20/08 42.91 08/20/08 0.5-0.2

74 02291500 Imperial River near Bonita Springs, Florida

1940-1954;1988-2008 1,430 08/26/08 13.08 08/26/08 0.2-0.1

67 02326900 St. Marks River near Newport, Florida 1957-2008 25,890 08/25/08 17.39 08/25/08 <0.0168 02328522 Ochlockonee River near Concord, Florida 1999-2008 254,400 08/25/08 115.52 08/25/08 --43 02329000 Ochlockonee River near Havana, Florida 1926-2008 37,400 08/25/08 93.04 08/25/08 0.02-0.0169 02329600 Little River near Midway, Florida 1965-2008 24,500 08/24/08 83.52 08/24/08 0.1-0.04

70 02330000 Ochlockonee River near Bloxham, Florida 1926-2008 46,600 08/26/08 50.31 08/26/08 0.04-0.02

1Based on period of record data to 2006. 2Indicates new period-of-record maximum instantaneous discharge. 3Indicates value is a daily mean. 4Indicates peak river level occurred on a different day than peak discharge. Data computed using index-velocity method.

Table 4. Peak discharges, river levels, and exceedance probabilities produced by Tropical Storm Fay compared to period-of-record peak discharges and exceedance probabilites for selected sites in Florida.

[Site locations shown in figures 2A and 2B. USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; ft3/s, cubic feet per second; NGVD 29, National Geodetic Vertical Datum for 1929; --, no data]


Instantaneous Peak Streamflows and Water Levels —Continued

The discharge is the peak of record for this site for the period of record from 1957-2008. Personnel from the USGS and Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD) made four streamflow measurements—two measurements on August 25, one measurement on August 26, and one measure-ment on August 28—that verified this highest period-of-record peak. These high river levels can be attributed to backwater affects from State Road 98. The peak runoff occurred during a 7-day period that was followed by an extended supplemental recession at the New Port gage (Joel Lanier, National Weather Service, oral commun., 2009). An event of this magnitude has a less than 1 percent chance of being exceeded in any given year (table 4). Peak discharges, river levels, and exceedance probabilities at selected sites in Florida produced by the flooding associated with the landfall of Tropical Storm Fay are shown in table 4.

The Ochlockonee River near Concord gage (station 02328522; period of record 1999-2008) recorded a peak-of-record discharge of 54,400 ft3/s on August 25 (figs. 11 and 12; table 4). The Ochlockonee River near Havana gage (station 02329000; period of record 1926-2008) had its second highest peak-of-record discharge, 37,400 ft3/s, on August 25 (fig. 13). Field crews from USGS made a discharge measure-ment on August 26 that verified the upper end of the rating and the peak. An event of this magnitude has a 1 to 2 percent chance of being exceeded in any given year (table 4). Previously, the peak-of-record discharge at the gaging station on the Ochlockonee River near Havana was 55,900 ft3/s recorded on April 4, 1948 (table 4). An event of this magnitude has a less than 1 percent chance of being exceeded in any given year (table 4). The loss of water between the gaging station near Concord and the gaging station near Havana is most likely attributed to attenuation or storage between the two locations, although further research is needed to substantiate this process.

In northeastern Florida, the Wekiva River near Sanford gage (station 02235000; period of record 1936-2008) had a peak discharge of 1,800 ft3/s on August 22. USGS person-nel made three additional measurements between August 23 and September 8 that verified the rating at the peak and the subsequent decline in water levels after the event. An event of this magnitude has a 2 percent chance of being exceeded in any given year (table 4). The Econlockhatchee River near Chuluota gage (station 02233500; period of record 1936-2008) had a peak discharge of 8,730 ft3/s on August 23 that was the fifth highest peak in the 74-year period of record and the highest peak discharge since March 18, 1960. A streamflow of this magnitude has a 2 to 4 percent chance of being exceeded in any given year (table 4). The St. Johns River near Sanford gage (station 02234500; period of record 1941-2008) had a peak daily discharge1 of 12,800 ft3/s on September 1 that was

Period-of-record peak discharges

Mag-nitude (ft3/s)

Date

Peak river level (feet above NGVD 29)

Date

Exceed-ance

probabil-ity1

11,600 04/05/73 112.38 04/05/73 <0.01

28,100 09/25/47 63.25 09/13/64 0.04-0.021,470 09/27/04 39.09 09/27/04 0.1-0.04

318,000 10/18/56 20.86 09/30/60 <0.01310,700 10/11/53 16.96 10/11/53 0.04-0.02311,600 10/11/53 12.43 09/28/60 0.04-0.02

11,000 03/18/60 20.83 03/18/60 0.02-0.01

314,500 09/26/04 10.62 10/13/53 <0.01

605 11/25/92 14.41 09/13/73 --17,500 10/14/53 8.5 10/14/53 0.02-0.012,060 09/17/45 11.05 09/12/60 <0.01

835 10/01/04 28.48 09/01/68 0.02317,100 10/15/53 45.97 10/11/53 0.02-0.01

831 09/26/04 13.98 10/24/05 0.1-0.0434,050 09/26/04 8.16 09/26/04 --31,580 09/24/60 11.94 10/04/00 --31,400 10/03/51 39.63 10/03/51 <0.013,680 03/18/60 69.72 03/18/60 <0.01

7,380 09/23/48 44.22 09/23/48 0.02-0.01

2,890 09/12/40 13.68 10/15/95 0.04-0.02

4,750 04/07/73 15.34 04/07/73 0.04-0.0223,700 07/13/05 111.31 07/13/05 --55,900 04/04/48 94.44 04/04/48 <0.0149,200 09/22/69 86.25 09/22/69 0.02-0.01

89,400 09/25/69 53.89 09/23/69 <0.01

Table 4. Peak discharges, river levels, and exceedance probabilities produced by Tropical Storm Fay—Continued


Site num-ber

USGS station number

Streamflow-gaging station

Period of record through

2008

Month of occurrence of maximum

monthly mean

discharge

Dis-charge (ft3/s)

Previous maximum monthly

mean dis-charge for the month

(ft3/s)

Year of occur-rence

48 02228500 North Prong St. Marys River at Moniac, Georgia 1921-2008 August 1,360 726 197149 02231000 St. Marys River near Macclenny, Florida 1927-2008 August 4,490 3,300 194550 02231342 Fort Drum Creek near Fort Drum, Florida 1977-2008 August 363 222 199551 02232000 St. Johns River near Melbourne, Florida 1939-2008 August 2,910 2,700 200252 02232400 St. Johns River near Cocoa, Florida 1954-2008 September 5,410 5,050 196054 02233500 Econlockhatchee River near Chuluota, Florida 1936-2008 August 1,900 1,440 2003

55 02234000 St. Johns River above Lake Harney near Geneva, Florida 1941-2008 September 8,520 7,420 2004

56 02234384 Soldier Creek near Longwood, Florida 1972-2008 AugustSeptember

90.6 93.4

44.080.2

20032004

58 02235000 Wekiva River near Sanford, Florida 1936-2008 August 627 592 200359 02235200 Blackwater Creek near Cassia, Florida 1967-2008 August 236 166 200560 02236000 St. Johns River near DeLand, Florida 1934-2008 September 12,100 196061 02249500 Crane Creek at Melbourne, Florida 1951-2008 August 146 49.0 196662 02250030 Turkey Creek at Palm Bay, Florida 1981-2008 August 874 725 199563 02252500 North Canal near Vero Beach, Florida 1951-2008 August 168 119 198167 02326900 St. Marks River near Newport, Florida 1957-2008 September 1,660 1,560 195768 02328522 Ochlockonee River near Concord, Florida 1999-2008 August 4,630 2,600 200369 02329600 Little River near Midway, Florida 1965-2008 August 1,740 1,620 1994

Table 5. New maximum monthly mean discharges produced by Tropical Storm Fay and the previous maximum and year of occurrence.

[Site locations shown in figures 2A and 2B. USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; ft3/s, cubic feet per second]

.

Figure 11. View looking downstream from Highway 12 at the Ochlockonee River near Concord on August 25, 2008. (Photograph credit: Erik Ohlson, USGS, Tallahassee, Florida)

Instantaneous Peak Streamflows and Water Levels —Continued

the fourth highest in the 67-year period of record (table 4; fig. 14). An event of this magnitude has a 4 to 10 percent chance of being exceeded in a given year (table 4). The peak daily mean discharge1 from the event at the St. Johns River near DeLand gage (station 02236000; period of record 1934-2008) was 14,700 ft3/s recorded on September 2. USGS field crews made three measurements between August 25 and September 9 that verified the rating and peak for this gage. A streamflow of this magnitude has a 4 percent chance of being exceeded during a given year (table 4).


In southwestern Florida, the Imperial River near Bonita Springs gage (station 02291500; period of record 1940-1954 and 1988-2008) had a peak discharge of 1,430 ft3/s on August 26. An event of this magnitude has a 10 to 20 percent chance of being exceeded in any given year (table 4).

Other basins, such as the Suwannee River basin, were not severely affected by the flooding associated with Tropical Storm Fay. Although rainfall from the storm did not affect the upper part of this basin, river levels returned to near normal conditions as a result of rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Fay. These normal conditions occurred because extremely dry conditions had persisted throughout the region prior to the storm.

1 Station is tidally affected; therefore, the published peak discharge is a daily mean.

.

Figure 12. Flooded roadways, A and B, on the Ochlockonee River near Concord. (Photograph credit: Erik Ohlson, USGS, Tallahassee, Florida)

A

B

.

Figure 13. Flooded property along the Ochlockonee River near Havana on August 25, 2008, and the Havana gaging station at Highway 27 on August 26, 2008. (Photograph credits: A and B, Kelly Godsey, NWS, Tallahassee, Florida; C, Erik Ohlson, USGS, Tallahassee, Florida)

A

B

C


Monthly Mean Streamflows

Monthly mean streamflow is defined as the arithmetic average of the daily mean discharges during a given month. Rainfall and runoff associated with Tropical Storm Fay produced higher than normal monthly mean streamflows for many gage sites across northeastern Florida and the Florida Panhandle. Several gaging stations recorded peak-of-record, monthly mean stream-flows for August and(or) September. For example, The St. Marys River near Macclenny gage (station 02231000) in northeastern Florida reached a new August maximum monthly mean streamflow of 4,490 ft3/s. The previous record was 3,300 ft3/s set in 1945 (table 5). The St. Johns River near DeLand gage (station 02236000) reached a new September maximum monthly mean streamflow of 12,800 ft3/s. The previous record was 12,100 ft3/s set in 1960 (table 5). The St. Marks River near Newport gage (station 02326900) in the Florida Panhandle reached a new September maximum monthly mean streamflow of 1,660 ft3/s. The previous record was 1,560 ft3/s set in 1957 (table 5).

Site num-ber

USGS station number

Streamflow-gaging station

Period of record through

2008

Period of record combined monthly

mean discharge

(ft3/s)

2008 combined monthly

mean discharge

(ft3/s)

Percent of average

48 02228500 North Prong St. Marys River at Moniac, Georgia 1921-2008 406 1,620 39949 02231000 St. Marys River near Macclenny, Florida 1927-2008 1,970 5,810 29550 02231342 Fort Drum Creek near Fort Drum, Florida 1977-2008 201 412 20551 02232000 St. Johns River near Melbourne, Florida 1939-2008 2,300 6,700 29152 02232400 St. Johns River near Cocoa, Florida 1954-2008 2,930 8,060 27553 02232500 St. Johns River near Christmas, Florida 1933-2008 3,780 10,300 27254 02233500 Econlockhatchee River near Chuluota, Florida 1936-2008 1,160 2,600 22455 02234000 St. Johns River above Lake Harney near Geneva, Florida 1941-2008 5,810 13,400 23156 02234384 Soldier Creek near Longwood, Florida 1972-2008 46.9 184 39257 02234500 St. Johns River near Sanford, Florida 1941-2008 6,480 16,000 24758 02235000 Wekiva River near Sanford, Florida 1936-2008 701 1,030 14759 02235200 Blackwater Creek near Cassia, Florida 1967-2008 177 484 27360 02236000 St. Johns River near Deland, Florida 1934-2008 7,710 18,400 23961 02249500 Crane Creek at Melbourne, Florida 1951-2008 58.1 195 33662 02250030 Turkey Creek at Palm Bay, Florida 1981-2008 583 1,350 23263 02252500 North Canal near Vero Beach, Florida 1951-2008 98.4 218 22264 02256500 Fisheating Creek at Palmdale, Florida 1931-2008 1,260 2,040 16265 02262900 Boggy Creek near Taft, Florida 1959-2008 248 503 20366 02270500 Arbuckle Creek near DeSoto City, Florida 1939-2008 1,170 1,500 12867 02326900 St. Marks River near Newport, Florida 1957-2008 1,520 3,310 21868 02328522 Ochlockonee River near Concord, Florida 1999-2008 1,600 5,460 34143 02329000 Ochlockonee River near Havana, Florida 1926-2008 1,430 5,460 38269 02329600 Little River near Midway, Florida 1965-2008 627 1,940 30970 02330000 Ochlockonee River near Bloxham, Florida 1926-2008 2,790 8,330 298

Table 6. Relation of period of record August and September combined monthly mean discharge to combined mean discharge for August and September 2008 following passage of Tropical Storm Fay.

[Site locations shown in figures 2A and 2B. USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; ft3/s, cubic feet per second]


Combined monthly mean streamflows for August and September 2008 averaged above normal in the Ochlockonee and St. Marks River basins in the Florida Panhandle and in the St. Marys, St. Johns, and Ocklawaha River basins in northeastern Florida. Combined monthly mean streamflows ranged from 128 percent of average (1,500 ft3/s) at the Arbuckle Creek near DeSoto City gage (station 02270500; table 6) to 392 percent of average (184 ft3/s) at the Soldier Creek near Longwood gage (station 02234384; table 6). Combined monthly mean streamflow was 382 percent of average (5,460 ft3/s) at Ochlockonee River near Havana (station 02329000; table 6). Combined monthly mean streamflow was 295 percent of average (5,810 ft3/s) at the St. Mary’s River near Macclenny gage (station 02231000; table 6).

.

Figure 14. The gage at St. Johns River near Sanford during A, normal conditions on April 25, 2008, and B, after Tropical Storm Fay on August 28, 2008. (Photograph credits: USGS)

A

B


SummaryRainfall-induced flooding and wind-induced effects

from four separate landfalls made by Tropical Storm Fay in Florida during 2008 caused most of the $390 million in property damage throughout the State. The slow movement of Tropical Storm Fay produced damaging winds and extensive flooding across parts of Florida. All gages are equipped with real-time satellite telemetry and transmit data at intervals of 1 to 4 hours. During critical events, such as floods or extreme droughts, data can be transmitted as often as the recording interval of the data. These data are essential for flood monitor-ing, emergency response, and control operations for dam and reservoir systems.

Rainfall totals, discharge comparisons, flood statistics, and river-level data from Tropical Storm Fay provided valuable comparisons with historical storm-flood events and validated new rainfall and flood records for many areas in Florida. Rainfall totals during Tropical Storm Fay ranged from 4 to more than 24 inches in some locations throughout the State. Peaks of record occurred at the St. Marks River near Newport and the Ochlockonee River near Concord. The second highest peak of record occurred at the Ochlockonee River near Havana. River levels reached new maximum monthly means for August and September throughout the St. Marys, St. Johns, Econlockhatchee, and Wekiva basins in northeastern Florida and the Ochlockonee and St. Marks basins in the Florida Panhandle. Hydrologic data that is collected and evaluated by the USGS relative to this storm and other extreme weather events contributes to a better understanding of flood characteristics and flood mitigation efforts.

References Cited

Jackson, R., 2009, Can Fay happen again? Cities, counties ramp up flood control: Orlando Sentinel, accessed August 5, 2009, at http://www.orlandosentinel.com/community/altamontesprings/orl-hurricane-prepara-tion-lid-072609,0,7857462.story?page=1.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2010, Satellite image accessed August 9, 2010, at http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/268457main_fay_amo_HI.jpg.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2010, accessed May 12, 2010, at http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/ef-scale.html.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2009, Glossary definitions, accessed August 17, 2009 at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutgloss.shtml.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2009, Satellite image library, accessed August 17, 2009 athttp://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

Stewart, S.R., and Beven II, J.L., 2009, Tropical Cyclone Report: Tropical Storm Fay: National Hurricane Center, accessed February 11, 2009, at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-AL062008_Fay.pdf.

U.S. Geological Survey, 2004, Water Resources Data, Florida, Water Year 2004, Volume 4, Northwest Florida Water: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Report FL-0404.

Publishing support provided by the Enterprise Publishing Network, Ft. Lauderdale Publishing Service Center

For additional information, contact: Richard J. Verdi, Hydrologist U.S. Geological Survey 2639 North Monroe Street, Suite A-200 Tallahassee, FL 32303 (850) 553-3676 Phone (850) 553-3641 Fax

Verdi, R.J., and Holt, S.L.—Floods in Florida due to Tropical Storm

Fay, August 15 through Septem

ber 26, 2008 —Open-File Report 2010-1142

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