While it's not always sunny in the Sunshine state, some Floridans wear their weather stories like a badge of honor. But many with tell you that the tropical downpours from earlier this week got some of the most seasoned natives all wet.
6/12 at 4:10pm: ***Life-threatening flooding*** is now occurring with numerous non-stop reports coming in.
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) June 12, 2024
A Flash Flood Emergency remains in effect until 5:30pm. We are now up to SIX Flash Flood Warnings across South Florida.
SEEK HIGHER GROUND, GET OFF THE ROADS. https://t.co/0nCgu0V50L pic.twitter.com/G9hcWNobN4
The downpours triggered a rare "high risk" warning of excessive rainfall from the National Weather Service on Thursday. The agency said that overly-saturated soils from the precipitation created the opportunity for flash floods and could bring 10 additional inches of rain in some locations.
About 25 inches of rain — over 2 feet — had fallen in some areas, and forecasters said another 2 to 4 inches of rain is possible through Father's Day weekend.
As of Friday afternoon, the NWS' Miami office said that the "plume of enhanced moisture" that has been sitting over South Florida in recent days has shifted south, with the bulk of it now lying over the Florida Keys.
Looking out a bit, that are additional showers & storms in the Gulf of Mexico, Florida Straits, and Everglades that could potentially impact already saturated areas through the evening. pic.twitter.com/wNnSsKMWAa
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) June 13, 2024
This week's rainfall set new records in a handful of places, including some as far north as Fort Myers and the Winter Haven Regional Airport, which is about halfway between Tampa Bay and Orlando, according to the weather service.
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