Local agencies

Marion County Office of the County Engineer 
352-671-8686
Natural and beneficial functions and drainage maintenance.

Marion County Public Library System 
352-671-8551
Books, databases and online resources on flood topics and flood proofing

We can help!

Growth Services offers resources for residents for property in the unincorporated area of Marion County wishing to learn more about their property’s flood risk. Growth Services staff helps residents determine whether their property is located in a flood zone as well as provides information about the county's flood insurance rate maps and special rules for building within a flood plain. Growth Services may also be able to provide copies of elevation certificates currently on file.

Contact Growth Services at 352-438-2675 or in person at 2710 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. Written statements relating to flood zone determinations incur a $40 fee.

Other great resources include the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which oversees flood insurance programs, at 877-336-2627; the National Flood Insurance Program at 888-379-9531; and an experienced insurance agent of your choice.

Preparation tips

County staff work to address drainage issues brought to our attention on an ongoing basis. There are also proactive actions that residents can implement to help prevent negative impacts of a large storm.

 

• Many properties have low spots that tend to hold water. If these areas are a problem, consider construction of a French drain system or grading the lot to the front or rear of the lot. When grading the lot, be sure to consider adjacent and downstream neighbors.
• Many homes are built lower than the road and the driveways slope down towards the garage. Consider a permanent solution such as a trench drain along the front of the garage to collect the water. A swale or pipe system will be needed to direct the collected runoff away from the house to a positive point of discharge. Again, when grading your lot or discharging through a pipe, be sure to consider your adjacent and downstream neighbors.
• If the lot has a swale or drainage easement over the property that directs stormwater runoff to the front or rear of said lot, be sure to keep it free from obstructions such as fences, excessive vegetation.
• Please do not use the right-of-way as a parking area for your home. Parking regularly in the right-of-way compacts the soils in the swales usually constructed there and flattens out the area, causing the water to move out of the right-of-way and onto the lot itself.
• Use of rain gutters can help move water from potential low spots,  away from homes, and into a more preferential area of the yard. Rain barrels can be used in association with rain gutters, allowing storage of rain and later usage to irrigate flower beds.
• The county's online interactive map provides not only FEMA flood zones, it also shows best available data called “flood prone areas.” These flood prone areas have been generated using the same engineering methods as a FEMA floodplain; however, they have not gone through FEMA’s adoption process and are not represented a flood insurance rate map. The online map will indicate if your property lies within a flood prone area.
• Homeowners should check their floodplain status online. After recent hurricanes, several homeowners who purchased in a cash buy indicated that they were not aware the home was in a FEMA floodplain and did not have flood insurance.
• Residents should know that even if not in a FEMA floodplain, a low-risk policy can be purchased.
• Using sand bags is a common, temporary strategy to prevent water from entering your home or garage. They can also be used to divert water away from these vulnerable areas to a lower lying part of the yard or into a drainage swale or easement.

If you are experiencing drainage issues, we encourage you to contact your homeowner association or maintenance entity, which may be the county, to investigate.