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