Escambia County Completes Lake Charlene Drainage Improvement Project to Mitigate Flooding

Escambia County recently completed a major drainage improvement and flood mitigation project in the Lake Charlene area, which will provide much-needed relief for a neighborhood that has experienced repetitive flooding over the years.

The county was awarded more than $5.3 million in FEMA grant funding for the Lake Charlene Drainage Improvement Project, which came to fruition after years of research and data collection, public input meetings, collaboration with the Lake Charlene Homeowners Association, and support from the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners.

The final project design is expected to protect 75 homes from flooding in a 100-year storm event while also reducing the frequency of flooding in any heavy rainfall event for 266 properties covering 77 acres around Lake Charlene.

“I’m incredibly excited to complete this significant project to provide some relief to the residents of Lake Charlene, and I know they are excited as well,” District 2 Commissioner Mike Kohler said. “Thank you to county staff, contractors, FEMA, and the Lake Charlene HOA for their collaboration and support. I hope this project will give Lake Charlene residents peace of mind and help improve their quality of life in this beautiful neighborhood in District 2.”

Located in the Warrington Drainage Basin, Lake Charlene has approximately 339 acres that directly contribute stormwater runoff to the lake, with an additional 273 acres contributing during significant flood events.

The Lake Charlene drainage project added two new 60” outfall pipes from Lake Joanne Drive south along 61^st Avenue and across U.S. 98, and lowered the level of Lake Charlene to help balance downstream impacts by providing additional capacity in the lake.

The project was primarily funded through a $5 million FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program grant for construction, with an additional $295,181 FEMA HMGP grant awarded for project design. Escambia County contributed an additional $743,716 for project design and construction using Local Option Sales Tax funding.  

With some residents experiencing flooding multiple times over the years, the latest project is already alleviating the fear and anxiety in the neighborhood every time it rains, said Lake Charlene HOA President Don Hamblen.

“It just gives us peace of mind,” Hamblen said. “I want to compliment the county, because this is a very comprehensive plan, and it has multiple parts to it. Getting to see this coming to fruition is a huge relief and blessing for our community – it just gives everybody a sense of peace and comfort and security in their home.”

Historical flooding has been documented in the Lake Charlene area since 1979, and Escambia County has completed several drainage improvements over the years to help mitigate flooding. When the April 2014 flooding event dropped over 20 inches of rainfall in the Lake Charlene neighborhood, more residents were impacted than ever before, with more than 200 reports of flooding in the areas surrounding Lake Charlene.  

Although Escambia County secured FEMA HMGP approval for the drainage project construction funding in 2014, the Lake Charlene HOA did not have the required votes for a construction easement needed to complete the project as of 2019. The county kept the project open and permits active for future possibilities, and with the support of the Lake Charlene HOA and the BCC, the project was able to move forward in early 2022.

A catalyst for the neighborhood’s reinvigorated support of the project was Hurricane Sally in September 2020, which brought about 24 inches of rain in 48 hours and flooded more than 40 homes, according to Hamblen.

“A couple of neighbors approached and asked whether the FEMA project could be reinvigorated, so that’s when we started the dialogue with the county and working through what we needed from the HOA,” Hamblen said.

The neighborhood held a meeting in November 2020 that was focused on flood mitigation, ultimately achieving more than the two-thirds majority HOA vote needed to acquire the easement for the project, with approximately 85% of the HOA voting in support. Escambia County staff worked to execute an updated agreement with the Florida Division of Emergency Management and put the project out to bid in early 2022, successfully requesting additional funding from FDEM to cover increased construction costs.

Through a competitive bid process, the Escambia County BCC selected HDR Engineering, Inc. for the design and Quality Enterprises USA for the construction of the Lake Charlene Drainage Improvement Project, which is substantially complete as of January 2024.

As a result of the drainage improvements, Hamblen said he’s already seeing new construction, new residents moving into the neighborhood, and significant home renovations being completed by longtime residents – all of which were becoming less common due to repetitive flooding.

“People aren’t trying to get out of the neighborhood, because they’re not worried about having to experience repeat flooding, and all the stress and expense of being displaced out of your home for months,” Hamblen said. “Some of these people had flooded two or three times, and they just said I’m done and moved out. But now we’re seeing the reverse – we’re seeing younger families move in, we’re seeing new construction, remodeling. People have confidence to put down roots and make investments, because they believe they’re going to be safe.” 

Lake Charlene shown at normal lake levels.

Two new inlet pipes (left) at the Lake Joanne canal, which connects to Lake Charlene.

Former residents of the Lake Charlene neighborhood leaving their home on Sept. 16, 2020 due to flooding from Hurricane Sally. (Photos courtesy of Georgia Parker)