More rain is forecast for South Florida, which this week was left with a downpour full of water, flooded roads, homes and stranded cars.
A flood watch remains in effect until at least 8 p.m. Friday, with “heavy rain, scattered thunderstorms and “significant and life-threatening flash flooding” possible, especially in areas that experienced flooding earlier this week, according to the National Weather Service in Miami .
Will South Florida See More Flooding?
Forecasters don’t expect South Florida to receive as much rain as it did earlier this week, but some parts of the region are still flooded. And it won’t take much more rain to worsen flooding and increase the risk of flash flooding in hard-hit areas, said Sammy Hadi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami.
The forecast calls for a 60% chance of rain in Miami-Dade and Broward counties on Friday.
Hadi said that much rain is not normally a problem for South Florida, but the “threat is made worse” by the heavy rains that have flooded the region since Tuesday. The heaviest impacts of the flooding rain were felt in northeastern Miami-Dade and South Broward.
“A few scattered showers are being spotted on radar across South Florida on Friday morning. “There is still standing water in several neighborhoods in southeastern Broward/northeast Miami-Dade counties. Use caution if you experience residual flooding,” the weather service said on X.
6/14 at 8am: A few scattered showers are being spotted on radar across South Florida this morning. Water is still standing in several neighborhoods in southeastern Broward/northeast Miami-Dade counties. Be careful if you encounter residual flooding. pic.twitter.com/aPefqkBEbc
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) June 14, 2024
South Florida has seen 3 to 5 inches of rain since Tuesday, while North Miami and Hallandale Beach recorded up to 20 inches of rain, according to the weather service. Miami Beach saw more than a foot of rain.
“Additional amounts of 2 to 4 inches of rain are forecast through Friday, with locally higher amounts possible,” the weather service’s flood watch said. “These additional rainfall amounts will have the potential to cause additional flooding on top of ongoing flooding in parts of South Florida.”
What about the weekend forecast?
There is good news: The disturbance that helped fuel the heavy rains has left Florida behind and is in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the southeastern coast of the US.
It left a “trail of moisture,” but Friday is the “last day the plume” of tropical moisture will be over South Florida, said Hadi, the weather service meteorologist. The weather forecast is still calling for rain this weekend, but from Sunday onwards it should be more in line with the region’s typical summer rains, according to Hadi.
Saturday’s forecast calls for an 80% chance of rain in Miami-Dade and a 40% to 60% chance of rain in Broward. The forecast also calls for a 60% chance of rain in Miami-Dade and Broward on Sunday and Monday.
“Scattered showers and thunderstorms will be possible this coming weekend and into next week,” according to the weather service’s hazardous weather outlook. “The strongest thunderstorms may contain gusty winds and heavy rain showers. Any heavy rain could increase the risk of additional flooding, especially over the coming weekend.”
