Soil series profile
Hurricane soil series
Hurricane is a somewhat poorly drained soil with a sand surface, mapped on 203,733 acres in 29 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group A.
- Drainage class
- Somewhat poorly drained 100% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- A 91% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 4.8 very strongly acidic · range 4.2–5.3
- Mapped area
- 204k acres in 29 counties, 2 states
Typical Hurricane profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (A) | Sand | 5.3 | 3% | 93% | 1.35% |
| 6–51 in (E) | Sand | 5.3 | 3% | 92% | 0.5% |
| 51–55 in (Bh1) | Loamy sand | 5.3 | 6% | 87% | 1.1% |
| 55–80 in (Bh2) | Sand | 4.8 | 3% | 93% | 1.4% |
What this means
What Hurricane soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Hurricane soils is very strongly acidic: pH 4.8 (most land between 4.2 and 5.3). Most vegetables and lawn grasses do best around 6.0 to 7.0, so lime is often needed; blueberries, azaleas and rhododendrons like it as it is.
Sandy topsoil covers 100% of mapped Hurricane acres. It drains fast and warms early in spring, but dries out and loses nutrients quickly: mulch, compost and steady watering help. The most common surface texture is sand (56% of mapped Hurricane acres).
100% of mapped Hurricane acres is somewhat poorly to very poorly drained, so soil stays soggy for long spells after rain and in wet seasons. Raised beds, plants that tolerate wet feet, and not working the soil while wet all help.
For lawns and yards
91% of mapped acres is in hydrologic group A, where water soaks in fast. Lawns there dry out quickly; deeper, less frequent watering and organic matter help.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates 100% of the acres in mapped Hurricane soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
Where the soil is very limited (slow permeability, a high water table, flooding, shallow bedrock or steep slopes), alternative systems such as mound or sand-filter designs are common and cost more.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Hurricane soil is found
Mapped acres
Hurricane is mapped in Florida and Georgia.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Bay County, FL | 35,295 | 7.2% |
| Clay County, FL | 27,180 | 7.2% |
| Walton County, FL | 16,277 | 2.2% |
| Camden County, GA | 15,694 | 3.8% |
| Liberty County, FL | 12,632 | 2.4% |
| Taylor County, FL | 12,245 | 1.8% |
| Duval County, FL | 11,072 | 2.2% |
| Nassau County, FL | 8,267 | 2.0% |
| Escambia County, FL | 7,542 | 1.8% |
| Glynn County, GA | 6,018 | 2.3% |
| Gilchrist County, FL | 5,883 | 2.6% |
| Columbia County, FL | 5,784 | 1.1% |
| Charlton County, GA | 5,405 | 1.2% |
| Brantley County, GA | 4,671 | 1.7% |
| Wakulla County, FL | 4,657 | 1.2% |
| Lafayette County, FL | 4,224 | 1.2% |
| Okaloosa County, FL | 4,150 | 0.7% |
| Calhoun County, FL | 3,432 | 0.9% |
| Suwannee County, FL | 2,905 | 0.7% |
| Franklin County, FL | 2,415 | 0.5% |
| Gadsden County, FL | 2,154 | 0.7% |
| Washington County, FL | 1,970 | 0.5% |
| Bradford County, FL | 1,709 | 0.9% |
| Baker County, FL | 874 | 0.2% |
| Hamilton County, FL | 805 | 0.2% |
| Santa Rosa County, FL | 222 | 0.0% |
| Union County, FL | 197 | 0.1% |
| Dixie County, FL | 44 | 0.0% |
| Gulf County, FL | 10 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Hurricane acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 100.0% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Hurricane acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- About 2.6 feet (31 in) (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Mapped as flooding on 1% of acres (1% occasional, 0% frequent).
- Slope
- Typically 1–3% (median 3%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.4%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 0.0% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 100.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 91.3% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 0.0% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.0% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 8.7% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.0% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.0% |
Sources & data dates
- Source
- USDA NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), queried through Soil Data Access. Public domain.
- Data date
- SSURGO as published on November 3, 2026 (most recent survey area update October 26, 2026). NRCS refreshes SSURGO each October.
- Scope
- All map unit components named Hurricane (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 203,733 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Hurricane components. The profile comes from the single largest Hurricane component. Full methodology.