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Flooding in Fort Myers, FL: the figures

Plain answers for Fort Myers homes, drawn from the data behind the area's water damage calls.

In Fort Myers's ZIP codes, the average building payment on a flood claim was $81,864 over 2016 to 2025, compared with $90,796 across Florida.

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  • Water removal, drying and repair

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Technical drawing of flood damage restoration: flooded basement cleanup, storm water cleanup and crawl space water removal.
What flood damage restoration includes: flooded basement cleanup, storm water cleanup and crawl space water removal.

From your call to a written estimate

  1. Call (833) 728-2327

    Say what is wet, where the water came from and whether it is still running. The call is answered any hour.

  2. Stop the source

    If water is still coming in, you are walked through the shutoff valve or the breaker first.

  3. Inspection and written estimate

    The crew checks the water category, measures moisture in walls and floors, photographs the damage and writes the estimate before work starts.

Call (833) 728-2327

Written for homeowners in the Fort Myers area.

Flood insurance claims in Fort Myers's ZIP codes ran at 64.9 per 1,000 homes over the ten years to 2025.

Fort Myers and water from outside

Floodwater reaches Fort Myers homes far more often than the Florida average. FEMA flood insurance records show 64.9 claims per 1,000 homes from 2016 to 2025, against 19.8 statewide. Lee County as a whole ran higher still, at 91.3. The average building payment in the city was $81,864, below the county's $116,742.

The hurricane figures point the same way. FEMA's National Risk Index sets yearly hurricane loss at $199 per $100,000 of building value. Lee County's figure is 200 and the state's is 107. Inland flood loss is $64 and coastal flood loss $5 on the same scale. An inch of rain or more falls on 17 days a year, per NOAA's climate normals. Lee County has had 16 major disaster declarations for floods and storms since 2000. Its storm reports note flooding on 18 days from 2016 to 2025.

Water from outside is Category 3. It carries mud, salt and sewage, so drywall, insulation and flooring it touched come out rather than being dried. FEMA's records show 24.2% of Lee County homes with federal flood insurance, against 13.7% across Florida. Your insurance company can tell you what your policy covers. The restoration crew's photos, moisture readings and written estimate can go to the insurer once flood damage restoration begins.

FEMA and NOAA figures for Fort Myers

Fort Myers figures: about 91,730 residents in the city, by the Census.

51% of homes in Fort Myers are rented, against 26% across Lee County. If you rent, tell your landlord or property manager about the leak right away.

43% of homes in Fort Myers are in buildings with five or more units.

2% of homes in Fort Myers are mobile homes, compared with 8% across Florida.

  • 64.9 Flood insurance claims per 1,000 homes, 2016 to 2025Lee County: 91.3 Fort Myers64.9Lee91.3FL19.8
  • 51% Homes that are rentedLee County: 26% Fort Myers51%Lee26%FL33%
  • 43% Homes in buildings with 5 or more unitsLee County: 22% Fort Myers43%Lee22%FL25%
  • 47,068 Housing units
  • 91,730 Residents
  • 2% Mobile and manufactured homesLee County: 9% Fort Myers2%Lee9%FL8%
  • 12% Homes kept for seasonal or occasional useLee County: 19% Fort Myers12%Lee19%FL8%
  • 25% Homes built before 1980Lee County: 21% Fort Myers25%Lee21%FL35%
  • 64 Yearly inland flood loss per $100,000 of building valueLee County: 68 Fort Myers64Lee68FL73

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-year estimates; FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, claims from 2016 to 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates v1 (not endorsed by FEMA); FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, December 2025 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, nearest weather station; FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 (not endorsed by FEMA); NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to 2025.

Getting ready in Fort Myers

Fort Myers sees 17 days a year with an inch of rain or more, and FEMA's National Risk Index rates its yearly hurricane loss at $199 per $100,000 of building value. Before each storm season, clear out the downspouts and extend them so roof water lands well away from the slab, and fill low spots that let water pool against the walls. If your home has a sump pump or a drain in a low garage, test it with a bucket of water and add battery backup, because a hurricane can leave you without power for days.

Move papers, photos and electronics off the floor and onto high shelves, and photograph each room now as a record of how it looked. Census figures show 18% of households moved in since 2021, so newer owners should look up their address on the FEMA flood map instead of relying on what a seller said. Owners of the 12% of homes kept for seasonal use should arrange for someone to check inside after each storm. With 43% of homes in buildings with 5 or more units, condo owners should also ask the association who can close a riser after hours.

When water gets in, wait until it is safe, switch off power to wet rooms at the panel, and call. Storm and surge water is Category 3, so drywall and pad that touched it usually come out. Water removal in Lehigh Acres follows the same order as anywhere in the Fort Myers area: pump, remove, dry, then take moisture readings.

What to have on hand before storm season

A few records make the days after a flood easier. Know your flood zone from the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Keep a video walk-through of the house, room by room, stored online. Write down where the main water valve and the breaker panel are. Raise anything valuable off the basement floor, and keep sandbags or water barriers only where water actually enters. After a flood, photograph the water line on the walls before cleanup begins. Hardwood or laminate soaked by floodwater usually needs floor repair after water damage once it is dry.

What Fort Myers callers ask about floods

What does a FEMA flood risk rating mean for my Fort Myers home?

The rating compares the expected flood losses of Lee County with the rest of the country. It is a guide to the area's exposure, not a promise for your address, so look at your flood zone, your lot and your basement as well.

How do I keep storm water out of a Fort Myers basement?

Keep downspouts discharging several feet from the foundation, grade soil away from the house, test the sump pump before storm season and add a battery backup, and check window wells and basement door seals. Flood insurance covers what still gets in from outside.

Is flood cleanup different from other water damage?

Floodwater carries soil, chemicals and bacteria, so the job adds tear-out and disinfection before drying. Carpet pad and drywall below the water line are removed, not dried in place.

What should I do after floodwater gets into my Fort Myers home?

Stay out of standing water until the power to that area is off, and keep children and pets away, because floodwater can carry sewage and chemicals. Photograph the water line on the walls, move what you can to a dry room and call for flood cleanup. Carpet, pad and drywall below the water line usually have to come out.

Where can I check the flood zone for a Fort Myers address?

FEMA's Flood Map Service Center shows the mapped flood zone for any address. Check it for your Fort Myers home, keep a copy, and remember that basements outside high-risk zones still take in water during heavy rain.

More Fort Myers guides

Fort Myers guides on costs, first steps and floods

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Call (833) 728-2327Calls answered 24/7
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