Lake Okeechobee rose almost 10 inches in one week, according to data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
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![OKEECHOBEE COUNTY -- The South Florida Management District installed a pump to move flood water over SR 78 in Okeechobee County on Nov. 2. [Photo by Katrina Elsken/Lake Okeechobee News]](/uploads/original/20261103-130847-57e-water pumped south.jpg)
Lake Okeechobee rose almost 10 inches in one week, according to data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Big O was 12.56 feet above sea level on Oct. 27 and 13.39 feet on Nov. 3.
The rapid rise was due to a “one-in-200-year” storm, which dumped massive rainfall in a relatively short time on the Big O and the areas north of it on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
The City of Okeechobee reported rainfall of 10 inches in just six hours.
The rain gauge at the Darrell Enfinger Sports Complex registered 11 inches.
Community members in the southwest area of Okeechobee County who have their own rain gauges reported rainfall of 12 to 15 inches.
No lake water was released to the Caloosahatchee River or the St. Lucie Canal during that seven-day period. At Port Mayaca, water backflowed into the lake. On Nov. 3, the average flow from the St. Lucie Canal into Lake Okeechobee was 2,115 cubic feet per second (cfs). The seven-day average flow into the lake at Port Mayaca was 1,151 cfs.
The South Florida Water Management District is using pumps to relieve flooding in Okeechobee County.
On Nov. 3, pump inflows into Lake O averaged 5,537 cfs. Flow from the Istokpoga Canal averaged 6,252 cfs.
No lake water was released south.
