Precipitation Levels in Florida

Annual Rainfall

• Despite Florida's reputation as a sunny vacation destination, the state receives a significant amount of rain. In fact, on the whole, the state receives an annual average rainfall of approximately 55 inches -- enough to make it the fifth wettest state in the United States. However, there is notable variation between average levels of rain in each city. For example, Pensacola receives almost 65 inches each year while Key West receives only about 39 inches.

The Wettest Cities in Florida

• Because of the high level of average rainfall, Pensacola and three other cities in Florida are on the list of the top 10 wettest cities in the United States based on annual precipitation. Tallahassee, West Palm Beach and Miami are on the list with about 64, 62, and 59 inches of average annual rainfall each.

Extreme Weather

• Florida is well known for its extreme weather such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, hurricanes. In fact, Florida receives more hurricanes than any other state in the union. Thunderstorms and hurricanes account for a significant amount of Florida's annual rainfall. The extreme weather season -- especially for hurricanes -- lasts each year from the beginning of June to the end of November. One of the effects of this extreme weather -- aside from increasing precipitation -- is damage to property and the natural environment.

Extreme Weather-prone Cities in Florida

• While the state of Florida on the whole is prone to extreme weather phenomena, several cities stand out as experiencing more incidents than others. Fort Myers experiences an average of 89 days of thunderstorms and 12 days of extreme thunderstorms each year, Tampa receives 87 days of thunderstorms and 14 days of extreme thunderstorms, and Apalachicola gets 78 thunderstorm days and 12 extreme thunderstorm days. Some cities receive somewhat less extreme weather, such as Key West, which has only 65 thunderstorm days and three severe thunderstorm days.