Key West was drowning in record rain, but that didn't stop the people on the festival lawn

This was no ordinary downpour. More rain came down in Key West than ever before as tourists waded through puddles and steady showers that never seemed to end.

At Sunday's end, 3.25 inches had fallen on the Southernmost City. That was more than twice the previous record of 1.44 inches in 1988.

And there's more to come, and it's moving up the Keys.

The forecast calls for more rain than normal over the next week, according to the National Weather Service, and a "hazardous outlook" for the entire island chain was issued first thing Monday morning.

"We are in a wet pattern," said forecaster Mike Rapsik on Monday.

"On land, the Lower Keys will continue to see light rainfall," according to the weather service in Key West. "In the Upper Keys, areas from Rock Harbor to Ocean Reef may see moderate to heavy rainfall with passing thunderstorms."

The National Hurricane Center is watching a disturbance stretching from Cuba to the Southeastern Gulf. The system, which is expected to drench South Florida this week, was given less than a 40 percent chance of developing into a named storm.

But the deluge on Sunday didn't stop the Key West Songwriters Festival from drawing about 500 people to the general admission lawn seats at the city's new amphitheater at the Truman Waterfront, said festival organizer Nadene Grossman Orr.

“They definitely braced the weather,” she said. “They brought their chairs and they had a great time.”

The festival, which features more than 150 performers over five days, canceled only one performer’s set at a bar just off Duval Street.

“That was more due to the performer choosing not to perform,” Grossman Orr said.

The rain is taking a toll on island life, though. The city's most famous street, Duval, was lonely Monday morning, with several tourists braving the constant drizzle while lightning struck at least once overhead.

Those who work on Duval Street were stuck without the usual crowds.

"The rain and I don't think we have cruise ships today. I haven't looked yet," said Anastasia Cline, a bartender at the Bull and Whistle Bar on Duval. "It's early so I'm not too worried about it."

This story was originally published May 14, 2018 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Key West was drowning in record rain, but that didn't stop the people on the festival lawn."