Orange County, FL Environment & Hazard Risk

• Strong windVery High$33.4M/yr expected annual loss, about 1.1 events a year
• LightningVery High$6.1M/yr expected annual loss, about 88 events a year
• Cold waveVery High$48.1M/yr expected annual loss, about 3.9 events a year
• TornadoVery High$45.4M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
• HailRelatively High$7.1M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.2 events a year
• HurricaneRelatively High$80.2M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
• WildfireRelatively Moderate$9M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 112 years
• Heat waveRelatively Moderate$5.3M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.0 events a year
• EarthquakeRelatively Low$1.2M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,469 years
• LandslideVery Low$1,022/yr expected annual loss, about once every 10 years
• DroughtRelatively Low$40.4K/yr expected annual loss, about 15 events a year

Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, ice storm, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity, winter weather.

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance

13,113 of 397,341 (3.3%)

Homes in high-risk flood zones

9,209

Insured in high-risk zones

4,067 (44%)

Flood claims since 1978

2,271

Claims paid since 1978

$73.1M

• Thunderstorm Wind227 · 2 deaths
• Hail226
• Lightning41 · 4 deaths
• Funnel Cloud26
• Tornado21 · 3 deaths
• Heavy Rain11
• Flood9
• Tropical Storm7 · 16 deaths
• Flash Flood6
• Frost/Freeze4

• High Wind91 kt wind08/14/2004

  Orange

  3 deaths, $881M damage

  What happened

  Hurricane Charley made landfall over southwest Florida as a category four hurricane with estimated sustained wind speeds of 150 mph. Moving north northeast at about 25 mph Charley crossed central Florida maintaining hurricane intensity through Osceola, Orange, Seminole, and Volusia counties. In Osceola County, widespread power outages and damage were reported, mostly to roofs, pool enclosures, awnings, weak buildings, and mobile homes. Much of the damage was due to the thousands of trees blown down. The greatest damage occurred in northwest Osceola County as the eye wall passed over the communities of Poinciana, Kissimmee and St. Cloud. Dozens of planes and numerous hangars were destroyed at Kissimmee airport. The roof was blown off the gymnasium at Poinciana High School. Wind gusts to 65 knots (75 mph) were reported at the Kissimmee airport, but much of the area was subjected to winds similar to the 91 knots (105 mph) reported to the north at Orlando International Airport. Three tornadoes were reported with the hurricane. One was an F0 tornado associated with the outer rain bands. The other two tornado-like events produced large but narrow areas of blown down trees in...

• Flood09/28/2022

  (Mco)orlando Intl Ar, Orange County

  $206M damage

  What happened

  Rainfall totals averaging between 8 to 12 inches, with locally higher amounts of up to 16 inches were reported, resulting in widespread and historic street, residential, urban, and poor drainage flooding throughout the county. The combined effects of Ian led to total estimated damages of approximately $206M across 1727 properties, mainly due to widespread and historic flooding.

• Tropical Storm09/11/2017

  Orange

  6 deaths, $110M damage

  What happened

  Category 3 Hurricane Irma made landfall near Naples during the late afternoon of September 10. Irma then moved northward across west-central Florida during the evening and overnight while weakening to a Category 2 hurricane approximately 60 miles west of Orlando. A long duration of damaging winds occurred across Orange County, with a period of gusts to minimal hurricane force. The highest measured sustained wind was recorded at the Orlando International Airport ASOS (KMCO; 59 mph from the east at 0019LST on September 11) and the highest measured peak gust was 79 mph from the northeast at 1744LST on September 10. A peak wind gust of 91 mph was recorded at the top of the Disney Contemporary Resort in Orlando (106 feet above ground level) at 1950LST on September 10. The total estimated damage cost was $110 million. Damage occurred primarily to roof shingles, soffits, awnings, and pool enclosures. Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped, some falling onto homes resulting in additional structural damage. There were 6 fatalities indirectly related to Hurricane Irma, one resulting from an vehicle accident during heavy rain and strong winds, two due to electrocutions (downed power line...

• TornadoF3, 14 mi path, 200 yd wide02/23/1998

  Winter Garden, Orange County

  3 deaths, 70 injured, $15M damage

  What happened

  The Lake County tornado moved into Orange County about 5 miles southwest of Winter Garden moving northeast at 45 mph. It rapidly intensified to a category F3 tornado with estimated winds near 200 mph. The tornado moved through Winter Garden between 11:47 pm and 11:55 pm destroying a mobile home community in Winter Garden. There were three fatalities and 70 injuries. Five hundred structures were either damaged or destroyed.

• Strong Wind67 kt wind09/26/2004

  Orange

  $58M damage

  What happened

  As the center of Hurricane Jeanne crossed Okeechobee County and moved into west Central Florida, wind gusts to near 80 mph crossed the county. No direct wind or pressure observations were available in the county from Jeanne. Winds gusting to hurricane force damaged and destroyed residences and mobile homes, damaged roofs and out buildings. Damage estimates were near $10 million. In Osceola County gusts to hurricane strength damaged and destroyed residences with an estimated $11 million in damage. Agricultural damage, mainly to citrus, was $8 million. Orange County was also hit hard by the rain bands on the north side of Hurricane Jeanne. Extensive damage to residences, businesses and public buildings were reported across the county. Damage estimates were over $40 million. The highest wind was 67 knots (76 mph) at Orlando International Airport. The lowest pressure was 985.1 mb also at Orlando International Airport. Seminole County suffered around $4 million in damage to residences, mobile homes, roofs pool enclosures fences and out buildings. Agriculture damage was near $3.6 million to citrus and the nursery industry. Highest wind in the county was 60 knots (69 mph) at...

• Tropical Storm10/09/2024

  Orange

  5 deaths, $1.6M damage

  What happened

  Orange County Emergency Management reported scattered instances of downed trees and powerlines due to Hurricane Milton���s winds which surface observations indicate peaked between 55 to 75 mph, locally as high as 87 mph. Rainfall totals ranged between 4 to 8 inches and locally up to 10 inches, which did lead to substantial urban, street, and low-lying type flooding. A preliminary damage assessment reported a total of|188 structures affected, 79 with minor damage, and 32 with major damage. A cumulative cost assessment is not available at this time.||There were five known indirect storm-related fatalities reported by the medical examiner in Orange County. A 67-year-old male was electrocuted when he came in contact with a downed high voltage electrical wire while cleaning yard debris. A 60-year-old female evacuee died in her hotel room after experiencing stress following her evacuation. A 41-year-old male died from a heart attack while cleaning up yard debris after the storm. A 98-year-old male fell and died in his home during a power outage caused by the storm. A 67-year-old male died after falling off of his roof while cleaning up storm debris.

• Orlando Utilities CommissionServes 536,466 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
• Ocud/Eastern Water System (2 Wp)Serves 293,374 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
• Ocud/Western Regional Wtr Sys (5 Wps)Serves 206,742 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
• Cftod Central (4 Wps)Serves 136,500 · Groundwater · Public and privateNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
• Winter Park, City of (3 Wps)Serves 82,984 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation
• Ocud/Southern Water Sys (5 Wps)Serves 80,738 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
• Winter Garden Water Dept (3 Wps)Serves 72,205 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
• Apopka, City of (5 Wtps)Serves 71,917 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting