What to know about a series of storms that has swamped South Florida with flash floods

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Dangerous flooding from a tropical disturbance inundated much of southern Florida, blocking roads, floating vehicles and delaying travelers. (AP produced by Javier Arciga)

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Francisco Lopez stands near the flooded parking lot of his apartment building, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Hallandale, Fla. A tropical disturbance has brought a rare flash flood emergency to much of southern Florida. Floridians prepared to weather more heavy rainfall on Thursday and Friday. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

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Two women react as they see flooding on their street, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in North Miami, Fla. A tropical disturbance has brought a rare flash flood emergency to much of southern Florida. Floridians prepared to weather more heavy rainfall on Thursday and Friday. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

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Drew Donner walks down Taft Street as heavy rain floods the nearby neighborhood on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Hollywood, Fla. The annual rainy season has arrived with a wallop in much of Florida, where a disorganized disturbance of tropical weather from the Gulf of Mexico has caused street flooding and triggered tornado watches but so far has not caused major damage or injuries. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP)

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Mike Viesel waits in his flooded car for a tow truck after their car stalled out on Taft Street due to heavy rain flooding the neighborhood on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Hollywood, Fla. The annual rainy season has arrived with a wallop in much of Florida, where a disorganized disturbance of tropical weather from the Gulf of Mexico has caused street flooding and triggered tornado watches but so far has not caused major damage or injuries. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP)

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Jim Comunale and Pam Mervos walk down Arthur Street as heavy rain floods the surrounding neighborhood on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Hollywood, Fla. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP)

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An airplane is seen on the runway as heavy rain falls over the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Many flights were either canceled or delayed due to the bad weather. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP)

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People attempt to cross a flooded street in Miami Beach, Fla., Wednesday, June 12, 2024. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald via AP)

By CURT ANDERSON

A series of storms flowing from the Gulf of Mexico swamped South Florida with flash floods that stalled cars, forced the cancellation of dozens of flights and generally made life miserable for tens of thousands of people.

Flat Florida is prone to flooding even on sunny days when so-called king tides surge in coastal areas. And tropical storms and hurricanes can trigger river flooding and overwhelm drainage systems and the region’s canals.

Here’s what you need to know about Florida’s latest floods.

How much rain has fallen?

The National Weather Service estimates that from Tuesday through Wednesday about 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain deluged the hardest-hit spots, including Hallandale Beach and Hollywood, both near Fort Lauderdale, and roughly the same amount in North Miami.

Miami Beach, which frequently floods in less powerful storms, got about 13 inches (33 centimeters).

Forecasts call for more rain Thursday that would likely cause additional flooding because the ground is already saturated.

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How unusual is this?

June is typically the wettest month in Miami, with annual average rainfall of more than 10 inches (25 centimeters), said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather’s lead hurricane forecaster.

“What is unusual is how much rain South Florida has seen in such a short period of time,” DaSilva said.

It has happened many times before. In one recent example, Fort Lauderdale was hit hard in April 2023 with record rainfall totals ranging from 15 inches (38 centimeters) to 26 inches (66 centimeters). Many homes and businesses were flooded — and some are experiencing the same thing again.

What weather pattern is causing repeated rains?

Two persistent weather systems are behind the Florida floods, DaSilva said.

One is an area of high pressure off the southeastern coast that spins clockwise. The other is what forecasters call the “central American gyre,” a low-pressure area of storms spinning counterclockwise in the western Caribbean Sea that appears every spring.

“These two features essentially created a channel that funneled moisture from the Caribbean up and into Florida,” DaSilva said. “It is essentially a fire hose turned on jet mode. We also have a stalled front across Florida, which has helped to enhance the precipitation.”

What are flash floods in Florida?

Florida differs from other places prone to flash flooding because it is flat and doesn’t have dry riverbeds or gullies that suddenly become raging torrents capable of washing away entire buildings.

In Florida, the heavy rains can overwhelm drainage and pumping systems, leaving the water nowhere to go. So it can suddenly switch from a few inches to a couple feet of water in a roadway in a matter of minutes — enough to stall a car engine and make it float away.

On Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Miami issued a rare flash flood emergency, which forecasters define as conditions that are imminently life-threatening or likely to cause property damage. In this case, it was mostly about vehicles stuck on flooded roads. About half of flood deaths happen to people who can’t escape their cars.

A flash flood watch remains in effect in South Florida through Friday, the National Weather Service said.

Is there any silver lining?

Drought conditions existed before these storms in many parts of Florida, especially the Gulf Coast from the Tampa Bay area south to Fort Myers and Naples.

It got so bad in Sarasota that officials declared a drought emergency and urged people to conserve water until the annual rainy season began — usually around the same time as the June 1 start of hurricane season, which lasts until Nov. 30.

Parts of Sarasota got pummeled with 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain in a single hour Tuesday, an event weather forecasters say happens only every 500 years. Significant rainfall happened in other sections of the county as well.

“This rainfall should eliminate most, if not all of the drought conditions across South Florida,” DaSilva said.