FL

Storm restoration across Wakulla County

Wakulla County sits on Florida's Gulf Coast in the Big Bend region, where the coastline's shallow, gradually sloping shelf amplifies storm surge to among the highest levels in the state - Hurricane Helene (2024) carried surge forecasts of 10 to 15 feet along the county's coast, and mandatory evacuations were ordered countywide. The county is struck by named storms with high frequency: 63 hurricanes have been recorded since 1930, with Hurricane Hermine (2016) making landfall nearby, knocking out power to nearly 15,000 customers, triggering river flooding on the Wakulla River to its second-highest recorded level, and destroying one commercial structure while damaging dozens of homes. Beyond surge and wind, the county experiences significant inland flooding driven by the St. Marks and Wakulla Rivers, which rise rapidly during storm events and inundate low-lying rural and coastal communities including Alligator Point and Shell Point.