West Pensacola, Florida, is located on the western part of the Florida Panhandle, and while not directly on the Gulf Coast, it's very near, which means it faces high risks from hurricanes and tropical storms. With its relatively low elevation (around 50-100 feet above sea level), the town can be prone to storm surges and flooding should a powerful storm make landfall nearby. Hurricanes not only bring wind damage but also heavy rain; West Pensacola's location allows these storms to pick up significant moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, often leading to high rainfall totals and hence, increased flood risks. Particularly, flash flooding can become an issue in urban areas, where concrete and asphalt limit the ground's ability to absorb rainfall quickly. In terms of historic impacts, several major hurricanes have made landfall near West Pensacola in the past 30 years. Perhaps most notably is Hurricane Ivan in 2004, which caused widespread devastation and flooding. More recently, in 2020, Hurricane Sally also caused substantial impact, with prolonged heavy rains leading to significant flooding and property damage. It's essential to consider that the strength and trajectories of these storms can significantly vary and, when combined with other factors like tide levels and ground saturation pre-storm, the resultant impacts can also be highly variable. Therefore, residents should always heed forecasts and potential evacuation orders with utmost seriousness.