Lake O rising as storm runoff flows south

As billions of gallons of runoff from Hurricane Ian flow south, Lake Okeechobee is rising.

The day before the hurricane hit Florida, the big lake was at 13.11 feet above sea level. Three weeks later, the lake level is 15.17 feet and rising. One inch on Lake Okeechobee is about 12 billion gallons of water.

“Right now, it’s a dynamic system, with a lot of water being moved around,” said South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Chief Engineer John Mitnik, at the Oct. 13 online meeting of the SFWMD Governing Board.

Well before the hurricane made landfall, the district was making preparations. District staff prepositioned pumps and other equipment..

The Upper Kissimmee basin received the heaviest rains — a one in 200-year storm event, he explained.

The epicenter of the rain was near Lake Toho, said Mitnik. In anticipation of the hurricane, water managers drew down the lake levels in the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. During the storm, the lake levels rose from direct rainfall. After the storm, the lake levels continued to rise for several days as the basin drained into the lakes.