In the week leading up to Halloween, spring tides, driven by southeasterly winds, had already caused widespread flooding in Southeast Florida, particularly in the coastal city of Fort Lauderdale. Miles of beach at Juno Beach and Jupiter had been eroded by the waves, which were closing in dangerously on homes.
Then, on Halloween and the two days following, torrential rains pounded the state, falling on already saturated ground and causing widespread flooding throughout the Sunshine State. Emergency services responded across the region, sometimes using airboats. Depending on the quality of drainage systems and infrastructure, some communities—such as PGA National (the homes near the PGA golf course in Palm Beach Gardens), Jupiter Farms, Stuart, Port St. Lucie, and Fort Pierce—found themselves surrounded by water, trapping residents either inside or outside their homes.
In Grant-Valkaria and Malabar, in Brevard County, more than 24 inches (60 cm) of rain fell in 24 hours. In some places, the rain was described as a “once-in-a-thousand” event, referring to the probability of such rainfall occurring. These rainfall levels are unusual for this time of year, especially when not associated with a tropical storm or hurricane, but they are not unprecedented either. It’s worth noting that in April 2023, nearly 20 inches (50 cm) of rain fell on Fort Lauderdale in six hours.
Many schools remained closed on Monday, November 2, particularly in Brevard County, but also in Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties. Some municipalities had to relocate polling places for Election Day on Tuesday, November 3. Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in seven counties: Brevard, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Indian River, Martin, and St. Lucie.
Is El Niño to blame?
According to meteorologist Lindsey Long writing for USA Today, this week’s events cannot be attributed to El Niño. However, Will Ulrich, a meteorologist with the Melbourne office, notes that historically, winters with strong El Niño events are, in 70% of cases, very rainy for Central Florida.
Beware of standing water
Vibrio vulnificus, the “flesh-eating” bacterium, thrives particularly in brackish water and contaminated floodwaters. It is therefore best to avoid wading or swimming in such waters, especially if you have an open wound.
Flood prevention project in Miami Beach
New drainage systems are being built on West Avenue, and construction is continuing despite a dispute between the contractor, Ric-Man, and the city over delays that allegedly caused the contractor to lose $21 million. Conceived more than ten years ago, this long-term project includes a filtration and pumping system to discharge water into Biscayne Bay, as well as the raising of roadways.
The work, which was scheduled to begin in December 2017, finally started in August 2019. However, some residents had installed illegal connections to the previous drainage system. The project has fallen behind schedule, and the completion date is now estimated to be… early 2029. In the meantime, work continues on Lincoln Court, north of Lincoln Road.
Upcoming spring tide dates
November 22–29; December 5–8; and December 22–27.
- Photo © By WeatheredAviation – commons.wikimedia.org
Translated with Deepl
