Regional Context

Tyndall AFB has been identified as a strategic installation by the Armed Forces of the U.S., specifically for its location along the coast to support associated airspace rights over the Gulf of Mexico. In total, Tyndall AFB comprises of approximately 30,000 acres, including wetlands and natural spaces.

Tyndall AFB is located within the Panama City metro area (population 37,000), which comprises Panama City and Panama City Beach, Parker, Callaway, Springfield, Lynn Haven, and Mexico Beach. The cities are a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial land uses. The Federal government is the largest employer in the metro area, with Tyndall AFB providing a significant number of jobs. Additionally, tourism plays a major role in the local economy. Most land outside the municipalities and adjacent to Tyndall AFB is zoned for agricultural purposes.

The installation is situated on a peninsula with East Bay to the north and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Main access to the installation is via U.S. Highway 98, which connects Tyndall AFB to Panama City via a causeway. U.S. Highway 98 continues east from Tyndall AFB to Mexico Beach and other locations along the Florida panhandle. Improvements to U.S. Highway 98 are planned by the Florida Department of Transportation, including two overpasses within the Tyndall AFB footprint (Tyndall/Airey and Louisiana). The Tyndall/Airey overpass will include a single point interchange providing access to/from the Tyndall and Airey entry control facilities. The overpass at Louisiana will not include any access to/from U.S. Highway 98 but will allow installation traffic to pass under the highway while staying within the secured perimeter of Tyndall AFB. The Port of Panama City serves as the nearest seaport to Tyndall AFB while NW Florida Beaches International Airport serves as the nearest primary airport with more than 500,000 enplanements in 2018.

Bay County is considered an emergency evacuation zone by state authorities, and the streets shown in blue have been designated as evacuation routes.

U.S. Highway 98, which bisects Tyndall AFB, is part of an emergency evacuation route.

The storm surge from a Category 5 event such as Hurricane Michael produces walls of water greater than 9 feet in height when making landfall. It can be particularly devastating in Tyndall AFB’s case because water surges from both the coast and the bay.

The elevation on the installation ranges from 0 to 30 feet, as depicted on this map, with the high point shown in white.

Based on the environmental factors shown previously, Design Flood Elevations (DFE) have been determined. This follows the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) definition of the elevation of the highest flood for which well-designed facilities can be protected. On the bay side, the DFE is 14 feet. On the gulf side, the DFE is 19 feet. The map to the left illustrates the land areas where the land elevation is 19 feet high or above. Areas that meet or exceed these criteria are highlighted in green, while areas lower that 19 feet are shown in red.

Based on the environmental factors shown previously, wetland and floodplain areas have been determined. The map to the left geographically delineates the floodplain areas at TAFB and illustrates the wetland resources that are located throughout the site area.