Cocoa Beach, FL rainwater: 42,451 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in Cocoa Beach, FL
42,451gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Cocoa Beach, FL's normal 53.4 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Cocoa Beach, FL a single barrel does most of the work. Storms come often enough that a small tank refills before it runs dry, and a bigger one would mostly sit full.
Rainfall: NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, the Merritt Island 3.8 N station (3.4 mi away). Cocoa Beach, FL ranks 125th wettest of the 173 cities covered in Florida.
Month by month in Cocoa Beach
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.68 | 2,130 | |
| Feb | 2.30 | 1,828 | |
| Mar | 2.99 | 2,376 | |
| Apr | 2.47 | 1,963 | 234 |
| May | 3.70 | 2,941 | 81 |
| Jun | 7.38 | 5,866 | |
| Jul | 7.33 | 5,826 | |
| Aug | 7.05 | 5,603 | |
| Sep | 7.57 | 6,017 | |
| Oct | 5.03 | 3,998 | |
| Nov | 2.26 | 1,796 | |
| Dec | 2.65 | 2,106 |
Sep is the wettest month (7.57 in, 6,017 gal off the roof); Nov the driest (2.26 in). Garden shortfall is what a 200 sq ft vegetable bed needs beyond the rain that lands on it, April to October.
Barrel or cistern in Cocoa Beach?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 268 gallons to the garden in a normal year (85.0% of its need).
If you set one up, a 55-gallon barrel with a downspout diverter is the whole job. Check that the overflow points away from your foundation, because most of Cocoa Beach's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 268 | 41,012 |
| 110 gal | 268 | 41,012 |
| 165 gal | 268 | 41,012 |
| 275 gal | 268 | 41,012 |
| 550 gal | 268 | 41,012 |
| 1,000 gal | 268 | 41,012 |
| 1,500 gal | 268 | 41,012 |
| 2,500 gal | 268 | 41,012 |
| 5,000 gal | 268 | 41,012 |
Simulated storm by storm through a normal year using the station's count of days with 0.1 in or more of rain each month.
Is rainwater collection legal in Florida?
Legal. Florida approves onsite non-potable use of rainwater for landscape irrigation, vehicle washing, filling pools and fountains and, in some local jurisdictions, toilet/urinal flushing (Florida Plumbing Code). No state storage cap or registration for non-potable collection.
Checked against the current source on 2026-11-06. Source