Be Prepared
Before a flood event occurs, residents can take these property protection measures to try and mitigate the damage to their property from flooding. Residents can also request a meeting with the city's Building Official or Chief Resilience Officer to determine the best flood mitigation strategies for their private property. Please email stormwater@citystaug.com or call 904-825-1065 to request a site visit.
Additionally, on the City's weekly radio show The Breakroom, Chief Resilient Officer Jessica Beach has been interviewed about storm preparation, where to get information about storms, understanding what happens with flooding throughout the city, and how to be a good neighbor. Listen to the most recent interview here.
Be Proactive
There are a variety of flood mitigation strategies residents can use to protect their homes and property from flooding. A good place for residents to start with flood protection is first to determine the elevation of their property. Residents of the City of St. Augustine can contact the Planning and Building department at 904-825-1065 to request a Flood Elevation Certificate for an official report on their property's elevation.
Residents can also access these tools below to determine property elevation estimates and to see if their home is in a flood zone:
- Search for any property within the United States to look at potential flood risk indicators and ways to protect your property: www.floodfactor.com
- Provides outreach and education and a number of flood proofing type products for commercial and residential properties: www.floodproofing.com
- St. Johns County Flood Viewer to search for any properties and determine which flood zone they are located in. You can access the link here: https://www.gis.sjcfl.us/floodviewer
Residents also should study the Flood Mitigation Design Guidance for Historic Residences booklet. This guidance document was prepared in response to flood damage by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Irma in 2017 in the city’s Abbott Tract, Lincolnville, and Model Land Company Historic Districts. However, the information presented in this document can be applied to all of the city's historic properties.
Residents are also encouraged to view the Resilient Heritage in the Nation’s Oldest City, a grant funded study that captured the need for flooding resilience in the City of St. Augustine.
Be present
The City of St. Augustine holds commission meetings twice a month. Residents can come and voice their concerns and also learn about what the city is doing regarding flood mitigation projects, among many other topics ongoing in the city. Residents are strongly encouraged to attend and be present for these conversations, and to let their voices be heard.
There is an upcoming Resilience Workshop scheduled for March 28, 2022 at 3:30 P.M. that will be dedicated to discussing the city's efforts for flood mitigation and ongoing Capital Improvement Projects to address the flooding. Watch the previous Resilience Workshop here and feel free to send in your feedback via email to stormwater@citystaug.com