20 Inches Of Rain In South FL Swamps Streets With 10 More On The Way

Updated 5:30 p.m.

FLORIDA — After 20 inches of rain fell in parts of South Florida since Tuesday, swamping streets, some areas could see as many as 30 inches by the time the storm system has fully moved out of the state by the weekend, according to the National Weather Service in Miami.

Continuing heavy rainfalls will bring an additional 4 to 8 inches of rain across South Florida with locally higher amounts of 10 inches or more possible, NWS said Thursday.

The area continues to be under a state of emergency, issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The NWS has warned of “life-threatening” flash flooding since Wednesday afternoon.

Flooding will continue to be an issue Thursday night, the agency said. “The thresholds for how much rainfall is needed to create flash flooding is extremely low today, conditions could deteriorate in very short notice once the onset of heavy rain begins. Travel should be avoided unless absolutely necessary as once the rains start, it may be several hours before they stop.”

The state of emergency was issued in Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade and Sarasota counties as Invest AL 90, a disorganized low-pressure tropical disturbance — the first of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season — brought heavy rains and flooding to many parts of the state.

It's been a wet and blustery week in Florida, as areas of Miami-Dade and Broward counties were among the places hardest hit by the storm, which will continue to bring rain across Florida over the next several days.

“Looked like the beginning of a zombie movie,” said Ted Rico, a tow truck driver who spent much of Wednesday night and Thursday morning helping to clear the streets of stalled vehicles. “There’s cars littered everywhere, on top of sidewalks, in the median, in the middle of the street, no lights on. Just craziness, you know. Abandoned cars everywhere.”

Rico, of One Master Trucking Corp., was born and raised in Miami and said he was ready for the emergency.

“You know when its coming,” he said. “Every year it’s just getting worse, and for some reason people just keep going through the puddles.”

In Miami, about 6 inches of rain fell Tuesday and 7 inches in Miami Beach, according to the National Weather Service. Hollywood got about 5 inches.

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About 20 inches of rain fell in some parts of Miami and Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday and Wednesday causing “catastrophic flooding,” Brandon Orr, meteorologist with WPLG posted to X Thursday morning. “Another 3 (to) 6 (inches) of rain is expected today with the next round of downpours only a few hours away.”

Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School, noted on X that some 9 inches had fallen on parts of South Florida from 7 a.m to 6 p.m. on Wednesday in addition to the rain that fell on Tuesday.

“We are in trouble,” McNoldy wrote.

The western side of the state, much of which has been in a prolonged drought, also got some major rainfall. Nearly 6.5 inches of rain fell Tuesday at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, the weather service says, and flash flood warnings were in effect in those areas as well.

Wednesday's downpours and subsequent flooding blocked roads, floated vehicles and delayed the Florida Panthers on their way to Stanley Cup games in Canada against the Edmonton Oilers.

The disorganized storm system was pushing across Florida from the Gulf of Mexico at roughly the same time as the early June start of hurricane season, which this year is forecast to be among the most active in recent memory amid concerns that climate change is increasing storm intensity.

The disturbance has not reached cyclone status and was given only a slight chance to form into a tropical system once it emerges into the Atlantic Ocean after crossing Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The National Weather Service in Miami noted in a post on the social media platform X early Thursday that a band of heavy rainfall was expected to fall over the region for a third day in a row.

“Even a small duration of heavy rainfall could lead to more flash flooding!,” the post said.

Numerous roads remained flooded and impassable for vehicles. On major artery Interstate 95 in Broward County, southbound traffic was being diverted around a flooded section and contractors were on their way to pump the drainage system, the Florida Highway Patrol said in an email. The interstate wouldn't reopen until after water is drained, the agency said.

The Miami weather service office issued increasingly dire warnings.

“Life-threatening flooding is now ongoing,” the service said on the social platform X. “Please stay off the roadways and get to higher ground.”

Mayors in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood declared a state of emergency for their cities on Wednesday afternoon. Later Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also declared a state of emergency for five counties — Broward and Miami-Dade on Florida's Atlantic coast and Collier, Lee and Sarasota counties on the state's west coast.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava also issued a local state of emergency.

Dozens of flights were delayed or canceled at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The NHL’s Florida Panthers were delayed more than three hours from departing Fort Lauderdale for their nearly six-hour flight to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Farther north, the National Weather Service in Melbourne confirmed that an EF-1 tornado hit Hobe Sound on Florida's Atlantic Coast north of West Palm Beach on Wednesday morning.
The winds knocked down multiple banyan trees and caused some damage to a store, Martin County Fire Rescue officials said. No injuries were reported, but access to wealthy Jupiter Island was cut off by debris on the road.

More rain was forecast for the rest of the week, leading the weather service office in Miami to extend a flash flood watch through Thursday. Some places could see another 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.