Tropical Storm Eta left parts of South Florida flooded. When will the water recede?
South Florida is still recovering from Tropical Storm Eta’s flooding rain, and forecasters are asking people to be careful when out on the road Tuesday.
Eta has left South Florida full of flooded roads and yards and overflowing canals. Seventeen Miami-Dade County public schools had to go fully online Tuesday due to “flooding and access challenges.” In Broward County, 23 public schools also had to jump online while crews worked to clean up the standing water and repair damage at the campuses.
Flooded streets also backed up traffic on Northwest 67th Avenue by American Senior High School during Tuesday’s morning rush hour. Helicopter video taken by WSVN shortly before 8:30 a.m. showed a long line of crawling cars. The high school’s football field is a lake.
Melrose Park, a neighborhood in Broward, also still looked like a lake early Tuesday, and Miami Herald news partner CBS4 showed people using watercraft to travel through the flooded streets of Weston.
When will the water recede?
The National Weather Service said it might take several days for floodwaters to recede, but can’t give an estimate because it depends on different factors, including how much rain an area received and how well the drainage system works.
The forecast is also calling for more rain, which complicates South Florida’s “abnormal situation,” said National Weather Service forecaster Paxton Fell.
Miami-Dade and Broward counties had already recorded a well-above average amount of rain this year before Eta’s deluge, which means the region’s soil was already saturated, Fell said. Combined with the expected new rainfall, it could lead to more flooding.
“Floodwaters remain in the wake of Tropical Storm Eta over portions of South Florida. ... Floodwaters will be slow to recede and additional flooding may be possible if additional heavy rainfall occurs,” according to the weather service’s hazardous weather outlook.
How much rain should South Florida expect?
Miami-Dade and Broward counties have an 80% chance of rain Tuesday, with showers and thunderstorms possible, according to the weather service. The Florida Keys have a 70 to 80% chance of rain.
South Florida’s flood watch advisory was also extended through Wednesday evening and a coastal flood advisory also remains in effect for the Upper Keys.
Yes, Eta’s moisture is to blame for the bad weather and South Florida should expect to see an additional one to two inches of new rain Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
“Additional flash and urban flooding, especially across previously inundated areas, will be possible in South Florida today and tonight,” the hurricane center said Tuesday.
And while the rest of the week’s rain chances do look slightly better, you still need to leave home with an umbrella. The rain chances through Friday are 20-50% in Miami-Dade and 20-60% in Broward.
The National Weather Service says people should never attempt to walk, drive or swim through flooded roads. So if you do come across a flooded road, turn around and find a different route.
This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 10:20 AM.
