JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Flagler County has experienced the wettest year since 1995, and there is still more than a month to go.
“We know it is frustrating for residents who are experiencing flooding,” said Commission Chair Greg Hansen. “It is also frustrating for the county because along with dealing with flooded areas in residential neighborhoods, we have to do things like close our parks for the safety of the public.”
So far, the year-to-date total rainfall measured at the Emergency Operations Center in Bunnell is 72.16 inches.
“It is very likely the rainfall total will increase further by the end of the year,” said Emergency Management Technician Bob Pickering, who has been keeping weather records for Flagler County since he was hired in 1994. “The closest official observation station is in Daytona Beach and their wettest year was in 1953 with 79.29 inches of rainfall for the year.”
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The previous record in Flagler County was in 1995 when 67.87 inches of rain fell. The yearly average between 1995 until 2017 is 49.73 inches.
Contributing to 2017’s high rainfall totals include the following:
- An active rainy season during the summer months
- Hurricane Irma, which brought about 14 inches of rain
- A nor’easter in October that also brought 14 inches of rainfall
- A low-pressure system on Thanksgiving with 4.65 inches of rain measured at the Emergency Operations Center
Flagler county wasn't the only county in our area to measure above average annual rainfall. Alachua county's Gainesville location saw 68.66" of rainfall so far, making 2017 the wettest year they've seen on record. They average44.80" of rain annually.
For Jacksonville, they saw 67.69" of rain, well above the normal 49.43" per year. They did not surpass the highest record year of 1947, where they saw 79.19" of annual rainfall.