Tallahassee, FL rainwater: 45,558 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in Tallahassee, FL
45,558gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Tallahassee, FL's normal 57.3 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Tallahassee, 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 Tallahassee 1.3 Sw station (2.9 mi away). Tallahassee, FL ranks 67th wettest of the 173 cities covered in Florida.
Month by month in Tallahassee
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.60 | 3,656 | |
| Feb | 3.92 | 3,116 | |
| Mar | 5.14 | 4,085 | |
| Apr | 3.78 | 3,004 | 71 |
| May | 3.24 | 2,575 | 138 |
| Jun | 7.91 | 6,287 | |
| Jul | 6.52 | 5,182 | |
| Aug | 6.58 | 5,230 | |
| Sep | 4.93 | 3,918 | |
| Oct | 2.89 | 2,297 | 182 |
| Nov | 3.56 | 2,830 | |
| Dec | 4.25 | 3,378 |
Jun is the wettest month (7.91 in, 6,287 gal off the roof); Oct the driest (2.89 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 Tallahassee?
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 336 gallons to the garden in a normal year (85.8% 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 Tallahassee's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 336 | 44,052 |
| 110 gal | 336 | 44,052 |
| 165 gal | 336 | 44,052 |
| 275 gal | 336 | 44,052 |
| 550 gal | 336 | 44,052 |
| 1,000 gal | 336 | 44,052 |
| 1,500 gal | 336 | 44,052 |
| 2,500 gal | 336 | 44,052 |
| 5,000 gal | 336 | 44,052 |
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