Life-threatening flash flooding hit northeastern Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday evening, November 1, after a slow line of thunderstorms dropped between 9 and 12 inches of rain near Military Trail in the West Palm Beach area, the National Weather Service in Miami said. By 8:52 p.m. EST, residents were reporting water entering homes, and roads and streets near Okeechobee Road and Military Trail were reported impassable.
Source: National Weather Service, Miami — via Launchpad Digital
The weather service extended its flash flood warning for northeastern Palm Beach County until 11:15 p.m. EST on Sunday and classified the flooding as observed, with a flash flood damage threat of 'considerable.' It said the expected rainfall rate was 0.5 to 1.5 inches in one hour, with an additional 0.5 to 1 inch of rain possible in the warned area before the rain eased.
The warning was first issued at 5:23 p.m. EST, initially until 7:15 p.m., after Doppler radar and automated rain gauges showed thunderstorms producing heavy rain over the county. At that point 2.5 to 3.5 inches of rain had already fallen. A separate flood advisory earlier in the evening said 3 to 4 inches had fallen by 5:34 p.m. — the totals then climbed steeply through the evening as the storm band barely moved.
Where the flooding was reported
The National Weather Service listed the places that would experience flash flooding as West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Riviera Beach, North Palm Beach, Lake Park, Haverhill, Cloud Lake, Schall Circle, the Port of Palm Beach, Golden Lakes, Lake Belvedere Estates, Royal Palm Estates, President Donald J. Trump International Airport, Downtown West Palm Beach, Gun Club Estates, Mangonia Park, Glen Ridge, Lakeside Green and Cypress Lakes. The worst reports centred on the Florida Turnpike, Military Trail and Interstate 95 corridor between Okeechobee Boulevard and the Bee Line Highway (State Road 710).
In an 8:35 p.m. post, the weather service's Miami office said the heaviest rain was slowly shifting northwest, over the Grassy Waters Preserve and the western sections of Palm Beach Gardens, and warned: 'Many streets are impassable and water has entered homes in the warning area. Do not venture outside until waters recede.' WPBF 25's weather team reported water entering homes around Northlake Boulevard and Florida's Turnpike in Palm Beach Gardens, where it put rainfall at 6 to 8 inches.
Source: WPBF 25 — via SSB Crack News
Federal safety guidance says just six inches of moving water can knock a person down, and one foot of moving water can sweep a vehicle away. The National Weather Service calls flash flooding of creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses life-threatening in this warning.
The same system flooded roads inland and north as well
Palm Beach County was not the only place hit. In southeastern Okeechobee County, the National Weather Service in Melbourne extended a flash flood warning until 6:30 p.m. after law enforcement reported 5 to 9 inches of rain, portions of State Road 70 and U.S. Highway 441 in and around the City of Okeechobee impassable, and water entering structures. A separate flash flood warning covered southwestern Seminole County, including Altamonte Springs, Casselberry and Fern Park, until 10:30 p.m., where 2 to 3 inches had fallen.
Source: Storm Recovery Hub — NWS warning summary
Background: a flood watch and a flash flood warning are not the same thing. A watch, which remains in effect for Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties through 3 p.m. on Monday, November 2, means conditions favour flooding. A warning means flooding is already happening or is about to begin — which is why Sunday evening's Palm Beach County warning, upgraded with public reports of water in homes, was the serious step. The weather service in Melbourne also expanded its flood watch overnight to all of east central Florida, including Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake and Volusia counties, through Monday afternoon.
For local residents, and for the truckers and commuters who use Interstate 95 and Florida's Turnpike through Palm Beach County every night, the immediate impact is flooded arterials such as Military Trail and Okeechobee Road, side streets that stay under water after the rain stops, and a difficult Monday morning if standing water does not drain. The airport sits inside the warning's listed area; the warnings did not report flight disruption, and travellers were advised by the coverage to check their flight status before leaving home.
What happens next
The flash flood warning was set to run until 11:15 p.m. EST on Sunday, but warnings in this storm have already been extended once, and the flood watch covering South Florida runs through Monday afternoon, so further warnings overnight and on Monday remain possible. No deaths or injuries had been reported in the warnings and local coverage reviewed on Sunday night. Awaaz Punjab will update this story if the National Weather Service extends the warning or Palm Beach County reports rescues, road closures or damage assessments on Monday.