County: Pasco
ZIP Codes: 34691, 34652
Beacon Square, Florida, is an area of concern when it comes to hurricane threats due to its close proximity to the Gulf Coast. With virtually no elevation (only about 7 feet above sea level on average), the community is highly susceptible to the storm surge and flooding associated with hurricanes. High winds are also a major issue, as the town lacks significant natural and man-made barriers to lessen the impact of advancing storms. Over the last few decades, Beacon Square has seen its fair share of hurricane activity, including the damage wrought by the infamous Hurricane Irma in 2017. The severe persistent rain brought by hurricanes almost always leads to some degree of flooding, causing damage to homes and infrastructures. Compounding this flooding risk, the land's low-lying topography and poor drainage systems typically result in slow floodwater recession. Huge precipitation brought by tropical storms like Hurricane Elena (1985) and Hurricane Hermine (2016) have shown how home and road flooding can almost be an assured risk for residents. Storm surge, high winds, and flooding are all considerable threats to this town, calling for well-prepared evacuation plans and carefully constructed infrastructure risk mitigation strategies.