Florida is the most flood-prone state in the country. Roughly 20% of the state's land area sits inside a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, and every coastal city is fighting some combination of sea level rise, storm surge, and aging drainage infrastructure. These five cities top almost every flood-risk ranking.
1. Miami
Miami is the most economically exposed city to coastal flooding on Earth, with over $3.5 trillion in assets at risk by 2070. Miami Beach now floods on sunny days thanks to king tides; Brickell and downtown flood every major thunderstorm. See live conditions on the Miami flood map.
2. Tampa
Tampa Bay is consistently ranked the most storm-surge-vulnerable city in the US— it has avoided a direct major hurricane hit for over a century, but the bay's shape would funnel surge into downtown if one ever landed. The Hillsborough River and Pinellas barrier islands flood routinely. Track it live on the Tampa Bay flood map.
3. Jacksonville
Jacksonville sits on the St. Johns River — one of the few rivers in the country that flows north — and Hurricane Irma's storm surge in 2017 caused the worst river flooding in San Marco and Riverside in over 150 years. Northeast Florida's tidal flooding is getting more frequent every year. See it on the Jacksonville flood map.
4. Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale's stormwater system was built for a different climate. The April 2023 rainfall event dropped 26 inches in 24 hours — the wettest day in any US city's history — and shut down the airport and entire neighborhoods for days. Live reports are on the Broward flood map.
5. Fort Myers
Hurricane Ian's storm surge hit Fort Myers Beach with up to 15 feet of water in 2022, killing more than 100 people in Lee County and destroying entire blocks. The Caloosahatchee River and low-lying coastal subdivisions still flood with every tropical system that brushes Southwest Florida.
What to do if you live in one of these cities
Save your home and work as watched zones on Floodi to get free email and push alerts the second flooding is reported nearby. And during a storm, open the live Florida flood map before every drive — the difference between a 30-second pause and a totaled car.