Elevation here in Villages
 

Recent floods had me checking, Spanish Springs (52 feet), Sumter Landing (52feet), laZamora Village (75-85feet), highest elevations in Florida is in pan handle, praying for Texas families who have lost their loved ones.

I'm at 70 feet according to whatismyelevation.com

If you live near the water tower in the Historic Section, you'll be at or near 100 feet above sea level.

I asked SIRI "what is my elevation?" She said 88 feet. I am near Eastport. I thought I would be lower since I thought this was a swamp.

82 ft in my recliner. I'm okay ... for the moment.

Eastport area was farm /ranchland for generations. And then used by SECO to stage thousands of electrical repair vehicles and personell during hurricanes.

Material removed from the golf courses and retention ponds is used to raise the home sites as part of the storm water mitigation.

Six feet above ground level is the most important elevation most Villagers are concerned with.

whatsmyelevation.com did not work. Try whatismyelevation.com

Flattest state in the country.

Volusia #2 tee box
Orange Blossom Hills CC

But has world class storm water management.

20 inches of rain in 24 hours before the first house gets wet. That's impressive.
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Overview of The Villages’ Stormwater Management System
The Villages’ stormwater management system is a closed basin drainage model, engineered to manage heavy rainfall without relying on external rivers or lakes for drainage. This system is designed to withstand a 100-year storm event, which, in Central Florida, equates to approximately 10 inches of rain in a 24-hour period for storage capacity, with inlets capable of removing 7 inches in 24 hours. The system’s key components include:

Over 700 Lakes, Basins, and Wetlands: These serve as retention and detention areas to store and slowly release stormwater runoff from streets, yards, and common areas.
Golf Courses as Retention Areas: Golf courses, both championship and executive, are intentionally designed to act as secondary retention basins, flooding before residential areas to protect homes.

Pumping and Irrigation Systems: Excess stormwater is pumped to golf courses and other open areas, and sprinklers are often run during rain to redistribute water into basins at a controlled rate, reducing the risk of overflow.

Elevated Home Construction: Homes are built with floor elevations higher than streets and above the 100-year floodplain, ensuring water flows away from residences. Post-Hurricane Andrew (1992) building codes further enhance structural resilience.
Interconnected Basins: Some basins allow water to move between water bodies, optimizing storage and preventing localized flooding.

The system’s design prioritizes protecting homes by directing water to lower-lying areas like golf courses and retention ponds, which can absorb significant rainfall before residential areas are threatened. This approach also recycles excess stormwater for irrigation and fire suppression, reducing reliance on the Floridan aquifer.

Specific Claims: 10 Inches for Golf Courses, 20 Inches for Houses
The statement that The Villages can handle 10 inches of rain before golf courses flood and 20 inches before houses are impacted is supported by design specifications and historical performance:

10 Inches for Golf Courses: The system’s basin design is engineered to store 10 inches of rain in 24 hours before retention ponds and golf courses reach capacity. Golf courses are strategically designed to flood first, acting as sacrificial retention areas. For example, during Hurricane Irma (2017), which dropped 12–16 inches of rain in The Villages, golf courses like Turtle Mound Executive Golf Course flooded as intended, resembling ponds, while no home interiors experienced storm-related flooding.
Mechanism: When retention ponds near capacity, excess water is pumped to golf courses and open areas. Sprinklers running during rain, a common sight in The Villages, help lower pond levels by redistributing water, ensuring golf courses absorb the overflow before higher-priority areas are affected.

Threshold: The 10-inch threshold aligns with the system’s design for a 100-year storm event, where golf courses begin to retain water visibly after approximately 10 inches, depending on soil conditions and prior rainfall.

20 Inches for Houses: The claim that houses remain protected until 20 inches of rain reflects the system’s additional capacity and the elevated construction of homes. The Villages’ utilities engineer, Trey Arnett, noted that the system handled 12–15 inches of rain in 18 hours during Hurricane Irma, following 30+ inches of rainfall earlier that summer, without water entering homes.

Mechanism: Homes are built with elevated floor slabs, and streets are graded to direct runoff toward retention basins. The interconnected basin system and pumping mechanisms ensure water is moved away from residential areas even during extreme events. The 20-inch threshold suggests that the system’s total storage capacity, including golf courses, ponds, and wetlands, can manage an additional 10 inches beyond the golf course flooding point before water threatens home interiors.

Evidence: No reports of home interior flooding have been documented in The Villages during major storms like Irma (2017), Ian (2022), or Idalia (2023), despite rainfall exceeding 10 inches in some cases. For instance, during Ian, the system “did its job,” with no community-wide flooding reported, only minor issues like a golf cart tunnel flooding due to heavy rain.
Real-World Performance and Examples

The Villages’ stormwater system has been tested by several significant storms, demonstrating its effectiveness:

Hurricane Irma (2017): Delivered 12–16 inches of rain in 18 hours, with some areas seeing up to 16 inches. Golf courses flooded as designed, but no homes experienced interior flooding. The system’s ability to handle this event, even after a wet summer with over 30 inches of prior rainfall, underscores its robustness.

Hurricane Ian (2022): Brought heavy rainfall, prompting proactive measures like lowering retention pond levels and running irrigation systems. Golf courses like Silver Lake and Amberwood were closed for water management, but the community reported no flooding in homes.

Hurricane Milton (2024): Led to widespread golf course closures for stormwater mitigation, with all championship and executive courses shut down post-storm for recovery. While specific rainfall totals for Milton in The Villages are not detailed, the system’s proactive management (e.g., lowering pond levels) prevented home flooding.

Hurricane Idalia (2023): Expected to bring up to 8 inches of rain, the system was reported to be in “good shape,” with no significant flooding concerns.
These events highlight the system’s ability to manage rainfall near or exceeding the 10-inch threshold without compromising residential areas, supporting the claim of a 20-inch capacity before homes are at risk.

but will it float, if needed?

Village of Dabney
 

Elevation at our home in Dabney

The highest elevation in Sumter County is 139 feet. Located between the 1st and 2nd tees on Amelia Golf Course of Mallory Hill Champion Country Club.

The threat in Florida is not flash flooding. The problem in Florida is flat land flooding. In The Villages you have almost all of the land covered with houses, shopping centers, parking lots and recreation areas. Flooding is definitely possible in The Villages. The difference is you would have plenty of warning.

I would think Kansas would be

There's no river running through The Villages, the flooding in Texas was caused by rain hitting the hills and running down to the river causing it to flood. Never live on a river is my motto.

Florida is the flattest state in the United States, according to a 2014 study by University of Kansas geographers. The study used a method that simulated what a person would see by standing in a specific location within a state and rotating 360 degrees, then classifying the landscape into four flatness categories. Florida's flatness is due to its Coastal Plain setting and lack of mountains, with its highest point only 105 meters above sea level.

2. Illinois
3. North Dakota
4. Louisiana
5. Minnesota
6. Delaware
7. Kansas

But what is your elevation to the nearest river or lake. Doubt the ocean would reach central FL.

Florida is just one massive sandbar. A few feet of water and it will be New Orleans' and Georgia's favorite place to park pontoon boats and party.

In Florida, picking a spot on higher ground might save you from flooding, but it comes with a different risk, sinkholes. While you're less likely to deal with rising water, you're more likely to be living over porous limestone, which can give way and cause the ground to suddenly collapse. So it's kind of a tradeoff: less water, but more chance the ground disappears under you.

84 feet above sea level in my area, I don’t think ocean will raise that high in my life time? I live on small raise in area would have to see same 20 inches or more before be problem. Even if street drains plugged up house higher than street. Most rain I seen in day or two here since I’ve been here was little over 12 inches, some areas flooded in villages but, not my area.

Rivers has been flooding since beginning of time. Nothing can stop 20 inches or more of rain that falls within hours. Course if near river on flat land close to river odds go way up. I’m from Midwest, the Missouri, Mississippi river, and tributaries have flooded hundreds of times over centuries. Even after the corps of engineers tried to tame them in some areas made it worse. When I was kid I used to fish on Nodaway river known for water rising quickly, when it started poring I got out of there. Sure it ruined my trip but -I’ve seen what flooding can do even as 10 year kid.

Thanks, fixed it.

Great response from Malsua on this topic.

One of the reasons to select the Villages over other Florida retirement locations is the storm water management system. It would take a storm of Biblical proportions to affect us.

And yes, Florida is flat. Certainly one of the flattest places I've ever lived, and I grew up next door to Kansas. My attic TV antenna pulls in stations from Orlando 50+ miles away, full strength, no fade even during thunderstorms. I've never lived in a place where I could get much more than 30 miles away, even with an outdoor antenna without fade/pixilation.

Other than the summer heat (which I call Florida's winter), we live in one of the best states/spots in the USA. And IMO, it's only getting better.

I checked that site: 100 feet elevation here (but in small print it says +/- 98 feet!) I can be assured of 2 feet… 😆

I'm south of Villages in Pasco county. We have property here at 240 feet ASL. That's about the most in central Florida.
House at 170 feet ASL -- winds are more of the concern here.

I love that elevated area!! Every time I pass it I say “if only I could afford one of those homes!!” My fave area of TV. But I still love where I live too!

I'm on the Amelia golf course and sit at 124 feet.

We are in the Village of Springdale and our house is at 99 feet.

Perfect!!

76 feet in Buttonwood….

103.8 ft here in Sanibel.

If you want to know your exact elevation just put in your address to google - I checked the result while I was actually on my property with the altimeter and the results are the same.

The person saying higher is more prone to sink holes is not looking at where sinkholes happened in The Villages in the past.

Ours is 62 feet according to that website.

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Elevation here in Villages