June is Flood Awareness Month
In an average year, South Florida’s wet season begins around May 20 and typically brings 35 inches of rainfall, two-thirds of the annual total in the region. The 2014 season has started late, and the National Weather Service’s forecast calls for near to slightly below-average precipitation over the coming months. However, flooding may occur any time during the wet season, either when large amounts of rain fall during a brief time frame or from a single heavy storm, tropical system or hurricane.
As a result of South Florida’s interconnected drainage system, flood control is a responsibility shared by the SFWMD, county and city governments, local drainage districts, homeowners associations and residents. Residents can do their part to prepare by:
- Keeping ditches, swales, drainage grates and retention lakes clear of debris, trash and other discarded material
- Knowing whether a nearby canal is a primary canal maintained by the District or a secondary canal maintained by a municipality or drainage district
- Reporting the location and condition of any clogged or damaged facilities to the proper authority
- Making sure trees or other vegetation do do not encroach on canal maintenance right-of-way
