South Florida could experience severe flooding in the coming days, even before Hurricane Milton crosses the state on Wednesday, and local governments are preparing.
The precise path is unclear, but Milton is expected to dump more water in an area already soaked by unrelated rain. Although several areas were already underwater on Saturday – resulting in different flood advisories for Miami-Dade and Broward – the bulk of the rain is expected Sunday through Wednesday. A flood warning was issued for Miami-Dade, Broward and mainland Monroe counties, among other areas, from Saturday through Thursday.
Shawn Bhatti, a Miami-based meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said South Florida can expect about 2 to 3 inches of rain in that window, but he couldn’t rule out the possibility that some small pockets could see 4 or more inches. .
In general, this much rain leads to street flooding in low-lying South Florida, but it likely won’t lead to widespread flooding in homes, as we saw earlier this year, he said.
“There will be widespread rain that will be heavy at times, and there will be a few neighborhoods that could be flooded,” Bhatti said. “I cannot rule out that a few houses will be flooded.”
He warned residents to prepare for localized or even flash flooding, especially in neighborhoods and roads that frequently flood.
Read more: More flooding is in store as Milton is forecast to hit Florida as a Cat 2 hurricane
Then Milton passes Florida on Wednesday. It is not yet clear where exactly future Hurricane Milton will pass through the state. The path determines how much additional rain South Florida could see. A faster, northern route running northeast across the state could sprinkle another inch on Miami-Dade and Broward. But a slower storm that moves further south, near Naples, could bring even more rain.
Speed is also a factor, Bhatti said.
“The forecast is pretty consistent that this thing is moving along pretty quickly,” he said. “If it’s a little slow, it could increase rainfall.”
Fort Lauderdale distributed sandbags to residents on Saturday and self-serve sand stations are available every day. The city also installed temporary rainwater pumps and vacuum trucks – vehicles that suck excess water from the streets – throughout the city in preparation.
North Miami Beach also opened a sandbag distribution Saturday afternoon.
Sandbag details:
Fort Lauderdale
Self-service sandbags are available daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m
Locations:
Floyd Hull Stadium (2800 SW 8th Ave)
Mills Pond Park (2201 NW 9th Ave)
Please bring your own sandbags and shovels for self-service during these hours.
Residents must identify themselves to collect a maximum of 5 sandbags per vehicle.
North Miami Beach
Saturday October 5 from 12:00 to 16:00
1965 NE 151st Street, North Miami Beach
Residents must identify themselves when collecting a maximum of 4 sandbags per household.
