Sarasota Rainfall Broke Records In ‘Thousand-Year Storm’: Officials

SARASOTA, FL — Southwest Florida, particularly Sarasota County, bore the brunt of the storm system stalled in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and bringing heavy rains to Florida’s west coast.

The area is under a flood watch through Thursday at 8 p.m. with more rainfall on the way, according to the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay.

As the rain continues over the next several days, Sarasota County could see more than 2 feet of rain.

Eight inches of rain fell in parts of Sarasota and surrounding areas Tuesday evening during the “unique event,” Spencer Anderson, Sarasota County public works director, said in an interview provided by the county. “Statistically, that is about a thousand-year storm in the duration that it happened. So, it is very unusual.”

• Also Read: 1st Tropical Disturbance Of Season Tracked As Flooding Swamps FL

Overall Tuesday, the area saw 10.3 inches of rain, Noah Bergren, meteorologist for Fox 35 Orlando, posted to X, formerly Twitter.

Getting this much rain during such a short period of time is a one in 1,000-year-flood, he added. “That does not mean it happens one only every thousand years, but the chance in any given year is around 0.1 (percent)!"

The Sarasota area saw more rain Tuesday than it did when Hurricane Ian made landfall in the area as a Category 4 storm in September 2022, Newsweek reported. Nearly 9 inches fell during a five-day period when Ian pummeled the region.

Sarasota also set a record for the most rainfall in a single hour during Tuesday’s storms, he added. The Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport recorded 3.93 inches of rain falling in just one hour from 7 to 8 p.m.

As the rain continues, a zone in Southwest Florida, including parts of Sarasota County, could see total rainfall accumulations of 19 to 24 inches through Saturday as the storm system slowly moves northwest across the state, AccuWeather’s forecasters said.

The AccuWeather Local StormMax calls for up to 30 inches of rain possible for the duration of this event.

“Torrential downpours from a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms have already flooded several areas in the Sunshine State,” Accuweather’s chief on-air meteorologist, Bernie Rayno, said in a statement. “It’s like a garden hose. Instead of it being on spray, it’s on stream, bringing heavy rain in one area. That’s why we’re seeing so much rain in Fort Myers and Sarasota.”

Rayno added, “The heaviest rain will be from Fort Myers to Sarasota and the Naples area Wednesday afternoon.”

Tuesday’s rain caused widespread flooding in Sarasota and surrounding areas. Many roads were closed Tuesday due to flooding, which stranded motorists who needed rescuing, Sarasota police wrote in a Facebook post.

As of Wednesday afternoon, all major roadways are open, while a handful of side streets remain closed in the St. Armands area. Officers are working to clear abandoned, disabled vehicles from roads near N. Boulevard of the presidents and N. Washington Drive.
Sarasota police offer the following tips to drivers during the next few days of rain:

• Buckle up and use caution on the roads.
• Whether driving or walking, any time you come across a flooded road, turn around and don’t drown.
• Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars, causing loss of control and possible stalling.
• Go slow and give yourself extra travel time.
• If your wipers are on, your lights need to be on.
• Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers.

The storm “overwhelmed the stormwater and drainage system,” Anderson said. County public works crews have been working since Tuesday night when the worst of the rain ended to clear debris from roads.

Tim Dorsey, assistant chief with the Sarasota County Fire Department, said in an interview provided by the county that crews helped numerous people trapped in their vehicles in floodwaters.

Between Tuesday at 8 a.m. and Wednesday at 8 a.m., the fire department responded to 282 calls for service, which was 100 more calls than the agency’s daily average, the county said.

This included 43 vehicles stuck in floodwaters, two sinking vehicles, two marine rescues and 15 reports of downed wires.