Florida Gov. Ron De Santis issued a state of emergency on Wednesday following intense flash flooding in south Florida due to a series of showers and thunderstorms that began Tuesday morning but are expected to continue through Friday in some regions, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Some ten to 15 inches of rainfall were measured across the state, causing flight delays and cancellations while also prompting people to abandon cars on roads and highways across five counties—Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade, and Sarasota—which are under the emergency order.
Some 10,000 customers in Miami-Dade County lost power on Wednesday amid reports of life-threatening flooding. The city of Miami put their temporary and permanent pump stations to use to reduce the flooding and officials have made plans to hand out sandbags to local residents to reduce flood damage.
The NWS reported that the Florida Keys will remain under a flood watch until late Thursday. Miami Dade County, Glades, Palm Beach and Collier County, among tens of others, will remain under flood watch through Friday evening.
Rising water across cities have caused officials to temporarily close roads, and officials have urged residents to remain off the streets until the water secedes.
As additional rain bands pass through the state, the NWS has warned people that the rain could “exacerbate ongoing flooding and result in additional flash flooding concerns.” The eastern portion of South Florida also has a marginal risk for an isolated tornado.
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