Heavy Rain Floods Florida Streets: Up to 10 Inches Overnight, Schools Closed and Space Center Staff Sent Home
Brevard County, on Florida's central Atlantic coast, was hit by persistent heavy rain overnight from November 1 into the early hours of November 2, with 6 to 10 inches falling in the southern part of the county and many streets left impassable. The Brevard Public Schools district announced that all schools in the county would be closed on Monday, November 2.
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said in a social media post on Sunday evening that the rain showed no sign of letting up, that U.S. Route 192 in Melbourne was already flooded, and that the district had decided to close schools for the safety of students, teachers and bus drivers. He asked residents to stay home and off the roadways where possible, unless travelling to work or escaping an area of high flooding, and warned drivers not to attempt roads they could not clearly see because of floodwater.
Lt. Vincent Galioto, a spokesperson for the Palm Bay Police Department, said streets were underwater everywhere, that some people had become stuck overnight, and that the department had small boats and pickup trucks ready to assist with potential rescues. Major residential roadways including Jupiter Boulevard and Garvey Road were heavily flooded in places, and several large canals were swollen. Flooding was also reported from the roadway in front of Patrick Space Force Base to Titusville and along Ocean Boulevard in Satellite Beach, and Cocoa Beach warned that its lift stations were operating at capacity. Kennedy Space Center advised staff to work from home because of the flooded roadways.
The National Weather Service office in Melbourne issued a flash flood warning at 2:17 a.m. on November 2 for south central Brevard County, including Palm Bay, Melbourne, West Melbourne, Viera and Suntree, saying radar showed 2 to 4 inches of rain had fallen with 1 to 3 more inches possible. Scott Kelly, a meteorologist with the service in Melbourne, said it was very unusual to see that much rain overnight.
A flood watch remained in effect for all of South Florida through Monday evening, with another 1 to 3 inches of rain expected, scattered amounts of 3 to 5 inches and isolated totals of 6 to 9 inches, bringing a risk of rapid flash flooding. Elsewhere in the state, the Florida Department of Transportation said State Road 78 in Glades County had been closed in both directions since Sunday afternoon because of flooding.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 佛罗里达州洪水资料图：救援人员乘橡皮艇穿过被淹的居民区街道（2017年飓风 Irma 期间摄于 Jacksonville，非本次事件画面）。照片：The Florida National Guard，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。
