FL

Storm restoration across Bradford County

Bradford County is a fully inland, rural north-central Florida county with no coastline and no storm surge exposure. Its primary storm threats are tropical cyclone remnants delivering sustained high winds and heavy rainfall as systems track northward through the Florida peninsula - Hurricane Irma (2017) set record flood stages on Alligator Creek, Hampton Lake, Lake Sampson, and the New River, triggering $2.5 million in USDA emergency flood-abatement assistance and widespread tree and utility-line damage. Inland riverine flooding along the Santa Fe and New River drainages is the county's most destructive recurring hazard, compounded by the flat terrain and sandy soils that limit drainage. Isolated tornadoes, large hail, and straight-line wind events from severe thunderstorms are additional year-round risks.