In my opinion, the plant will recover. No 'squishiness' means no rot. But the brown patches caused by the higher humidity or showers will not go away. I would suggest protecting it from the rain in the future. As you know, there are Opuntias native to Florida, which can handle the humidity better than your species can. Christopher

Is the brown bit soft and moist? Is that the plant's permanent growing condition, in that bucket-ish container? If so, it is potted far too low. I am not a cactus grower, but I can tell you from reading here that the cactus needs to be in a container with holes in the bottom in a fast draining soil. Most often recommended here is commercial cactus/succulent potting mix combined 50/50 with perlite or pumice from your nursery. If you repot in that pot with the soil level a couple inches from the top, I believe it will be too much potting mix for the plant; it won't dry out fast enough. Other cactus growers will check in here and advise you about the brown area, but I suspect you will have to start over. Personally, I prefer clay pots for these plants which don't like wet feet. Good luck with your plant.

I only water mine when I see the pads showing signs of shriveling for at least a week. They're cactus after all and spend weeks in the wild baking under hot sun in gravely soil without rain. So, when my entire plant looks to be uniformly shriveling overall, I thoroughly water the fast-draining, sandy soil inside the pot until water runs freely out the bottom. Then that's it. Cactus will suck up water and store it in their pads and use the water over the next several weeks as needed. Cactus do not like to sit in moist soil and can develop rot around the base so make sure the media is coarse, sandy, gravely, low OM. Did I say they don't depend on moist soil? ;-) This all happens about once a month or so here, inside with forced air heat in the house. Summertime, outside, I just keep an eye on it and water as needed. Opuntia Elisiana: Basking in our 23.2 d high sun through the patio door. eta: new clay pot. :-)

Succulents are so architectural and make such a strong statement that you should look for some contrast -- plants that are soft, loose and feathery. You're rights thinking about grasses. My favorite is Mexican feather grass. It stays soft and light all year round and never gets that dried up, stiff look like other ornamental grasses. It also stays under 2 feet. Globe mallow "Louis Hamilton" pairs great with succulents. It may look a bit floppy at the nursery (all that water and fertilizer) but will improve after pruning. The foliage is bluish and the blooms are bright coral. Mine have been in bloom since October, and the main spring flush is still a couple of weeks away! Also, consider the dalea family. Black dalea (Sierra Negra) or gold (Sierra Gold). Small flowers but showy when in full bloom. They are stunning with agaves, but should work with a prickly pear.