A flood watch remained in effect through Friday after rounds of storms have drenched South Florida this week, flooding homes and stalling cars as some areas saw more than a foot of rainfall.
The downpours hit Tuesday and continued into Wednesday, delaying flights at two of the state’s largest airports and leaving vehicles waterlogged and stalled in some of the region’s lowest-lying streets. On Thursday, travelers tried to salvage their plans as residents cleared debris before the next round of rain hit.
The National Weather Service cautioned that even smaller amounts of precipitation could impact saturated areas, causing flash floods on Friday before the region has a chance to recover.
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How much rain is left and when will it get here?
In general, South Florida could see another 2 to 4 inches of rain, with some spots picking up more.
Friday could see scattered showers earlier in the day, followed by more thunderstorms by midday and into the afternoon.
Rain chances, however, do come down considerably by the weekend and early next week. While a 30-40% chance of rainfall is still in the forecast, widespread flooding chances will be much lower.
Which areas saw the most rainfall?
Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Wilton Manors, Miami Beach and Miami Shores picked up over a foot of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, while North Miami, Hollywood and Hallandale all got drenched with over a foot and a half of rainfall over that same two-day period.
The cities with the highest rainfall totals in South Florida as of 4:30 a.m. Friday are:
- Miami Shores: 21.66 inches
- Hallandale: 20.65 inches
- Miami 14.29: inches
- Miami Beach: 13.90 inches
- Wilton Manors: 13.54 inches
- Fort Lauderdale: 13.69 inches
What's the damage?
Severe weather forced several North Miami residents to leave their cars behind as water consumed their only mode of transportation and gushed into multiple homes across the city.
North Miami resident Samantha Suarez found her home under several inches of water.
“I really hope this is a cry of concern to the city they need to work with plumbing system and storm system because until that gets fixed the city of North Miami will continue to have this problem," Suarez told NBC6 on Thursday.
At least one person in North Miami had to be rescued from their vehicle when it was caught on a flooded road.
Dania Beach deputies rescued close to 30 people trapped in floodwaters Wednesday.
Dozens of vehicles were also abandoned across Hollywood Wednesday night after stalling out in flood waters.
Throughout the Atlantic Shores community, they blocked streets and driveways. Hollywood Police worked with tow truck companies to move them all to one area first before towing nearly three dozen away Thursday afternoon.
Future forecast
The rain isn't done yet. This weekend could be a wet one for some.
Saturday will be partly cloudy, warm and humid with scattered thunderstorms. The chance of rain is 40% and highs will be in the mid to upper-80s.
Sunday will also be partly cloudy with a few showers and thunderstorms. The chance of rain is 30% and highs will be in the upper-80s.
Show me the bright side
The severe weather brought out the best in some residents, like this one who helped a stranded stranger.
And pictures of remarkable rainbows have come into our newsroom on Thursday.
