Flash Flood Emergency Hits Florida’s Space Coast After Days of Rain

The rain is going to ease across Florida just in time for voters to head to the polls on Tuesday. However, forecasters are also now monitoring another zone of potential tropical development between Bermuda and the Bahamas. Here is a look back at how much rain Florida has picked up over the last several soggy days, as well as what is in store as the Sunshine State finally begins to dry out.

Gradual Clearing Expected Across Florida Through Wednesday

The threat of flash flooding will persist into early Tuesday for parts of Florida. Just as the rain begins to let up, so will the rough surf conditions and beach erosion. King tides paired with high seas last week sent water into several coastal communities along the eastern coast of the Florida peninsula. The heavy rain over the weekend and to start this week has exacerbated these threats.

Thunderstorms had recently erupted across the state on Sunday afternoon when a Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County. Although the investigation into the cause of the crash is still ongoing, there is a chance that weather played a role in the tragedy that killed nine people. The rain and thunderstorms also hampered the search for evidence at the site of the crash on Monday.

How wet has it been in Florida? The hardest-hit areas of the eastern and central portions of the state have notched between 5 and 10 inches of rain over the past few days. The zone from southeast of Orlando to just north of Florida has picked up over a foot in a few areas. For example, a rain gauge in Melbourne was reporting 14.2 inches as of Monday afternoon. The town of Sebring had picked up 11.72 inches with a few showers still in the vicinity.

The torrential rain was the result of a slow-moving storm that came together across the peninsula over the weekend. A flow of moisture-rich air coming up from the Atlantic amplified these rain totals. A flash flood emergency was issued on Monday morning by the National Weather Service (NWS) for Brevard County's West Melbourne and Palm Bay.

While the storm is beginning to lose steam by late Monday, some pockets of heavy rain will continue to support the development of flooding. More sporadic rain showers and thunderstorms are possible through Wednesday. Although these storms will become more widespread by the middle of the weekend, those heading out to the polls on Tuesday will want to check the hourly forecast and dress accordingly.