Consultants present Okaloosa County flood vulnerability findings; hotspots include Okaloosa Island and key evacuation routes

Tanya Gallagher, project manager for Jacobs, and county officials presented preliminary results of a countywide vulnerability assessment at a Feb. 2025 public meeting, saying the analysis found that fewer than 10% of the assets the team reviewed are exposed to the 1% annual (100‑year) flood but that localized hotspots pose substantial operational and community risks.

The assessment, funded through the state Resilient Florida program and prepared for Okaloosa County, maps present‑day and future flood scenarios and will be used to support grant eligibility and to develop adaptation projects. Jacobs staff said the report will be finalized for submission to the county and then to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for alignment with state requirements.

The consultants said the study began in April 2024, used county and state spatial data and FEMA baseline products, and applied a county‑scale “bathtub” approach to map flood exposure and depth. Jacobs staff said the team analyzed roughly 127,000 assets compiled from multiple sources and classified vulnerability at the asset level (no exposure → extreme) to prioritize mitigation strategies.

Preliminary findings highlighted concentrated vulnerabilities rather than countywide failure. "The most vulnerable critical,…