Heavy rainfall continues to threaten South Florida with severe urban flooding, leading to emergency declarations and significant travel disruptions. Learn about the ongoing weather conditions and their impacts.
Florida, Bollywood Fever: Â The National Weather Service has warned that heavy to excessive rainfall may cause “considerable to locally catastrophic urban flooding” across South Florida through Friday.
Current Situation: The intense downpours that flooded Miami and Fort Lauderdale, prompting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to declare an emergency in affected counties and severely disrupting travel on Wednesday, eased slightly on Thursday evening. However, South Florida remains under a flood watch until 8pm Friday.
Impact of Severe Weather: The severe weather, which began on Tuesday, led to temporary ground stops at major airports on Wednesday, road closures, and numerous flash flood warnings in the Miami metro area through Thursday evening.
- Over 1,200 flights at Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and Orlando International Airport were delayed or canceled, according to FlightAware.
Forecast and Threat Level: Technical forecasts from the NWS Miami office and the Weather Prediction Center indicate the potential for 4- to 8-inch rainfall in most areas affected by Wednesday’s flooding, with isolated amounts exceeding 10 inches.
- If this heavy rainfall occurs over the hardest-hit areas, the results could be disastrous.
- Rainfall rates of less than 1 inch per hour could trigger rising water levels again, especially in areas between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, which saw 10 to 15 inches of rain on Wednesday.
Current Alerts: Flood watches are in effect for all of South Florida through Friday evening.
- Parts of South Florida, particularly along the I-75 corridor from Naples to Fort Lauderdale and south to Miami, are under a “high risk” of excessive rainfall, translating to at least 70% odds.
- High-risk outlooks are rare and account for about one-third of all flood-related fatalities and four-fifths of flood damages, according to the NWS.
“Widespread flash flooding is expected,” NWS Miami stated on X. “Locally catastrophic flash flooding is possible.”
The NWS forecasts ongoing rounds of thunderstorm activity to continue through Friday, with conditions expected to subside by the weekend.
Contributing Factors: The heavy rain and flooding are due to a flow of tropical moisture from southwest to northeast across the unusually warm Gulf of Mexico waters. This moisture feed acts as a focus for the heaviest rainfall.
- On Wednesday, the highest amount of precipitable water on record for June in Miami since 1948 was detected by a weather balloon, indicating extreme rainfall potential. This measurement reflects the amount of liquid water in the air, which can fall as rain.
Climate Change Impact: Studies show that as the climate warms, extreme precipitation events like this one are becoming more frequent and intense.
- Aging infrastructure, built for a climate that no longer exists, exacerbates the problem. Last year, a severe flash flood in South Florida closed Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for days.
Insurance Challenges: Frequent severe weather events, including flash floods, coastal flooding from rising seas, and hurricanes, have led home insurers to leave the state, causing many homeowners to lose coverage or face significant rate increases. “Repeated severe hits to South Floridian pocketbooks, with many people not being able to afford or even find insurance,” Miami television meteorologist John Morales wrote on X. “It’s increasingly hard to live here.”
The situation remains fluid, and residents are urged to stay informed and take necessary precautions as the weather develops.
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