(Reuters) -Torrential downpours continued to inundate South Florida on Thursday, contributing to over a foot of rainfall in some areas this week. Forecasters have issued flood watches or warnings for the region, home to 8 million residents.
Some areas, including portions of Broward and Miami-Dade counties, were at risk of “life-threatening flooding,” as water built up on roadways and lapped up against thresholds of homes, the National Weather Service said.
Since Monday, Bob Oravec from the Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, reported 18 to 25 inches of rain in certain areas.
North Miami Beach received 20.4 inches of rain since Monday, according to Oravec. Meanwhile, Big Cypress National Preserve in the Everglades saw approximately 25 inches of rainfall.
In Hallandale Beach, where 19.3 inches of rain fell, Luis Garcia Infante said it was the worst deluge he’d seen in 13 years there.
“There’s been rain, heavy rain, but never, never like this,” Infante said. “This is extreme.”
Even though the system is not expected to strengthen into a tropical storm, it could be a wet prelude to what is expected to be a busy hurricane season, which began on June 1.
With another 5 inches of rain possible before Friday night, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for five South Florida Counties late on Wednesday.
Media reports and social media posts depicted scenes of South Florida flooding with stalled cars and people wading in hip-deep water. In affected areas, water has submerged lawns and reached the front doors of homes and buildings.
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