Southern Florida receives record rainfall and flash flooding in a 500-to-1,000-year event
A city on Florida's west coast was hit by a record-breaking 8 inches of rain in just three hours on Tuesday evening, bringing flash floods to the area, hindering drivers and delaying hundreds of flights across the state.
A city on Florida's west coast was hit by a record-breaking 8 inches of rain in just three hours on Tuesday evening, bringing flash floods to the area, hindering drivers and delaying hundreds of flights across the state.
So rare was Tuesday's rain between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. in Sarasota that it should only be expected every 500 to 1,000 years. The Tampa Bay area can normally expect 7.3 inches in the entire month of June.
The 3.93 inches of rain that fell at the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport airport in one hour is also a record.
Coastal areas in Sarasota County saw up to 10 inches of rain on Tuesday alone, with the same possible Wednesday and throughout the week, the NWS office in Tampa Bay said.
Video uploaded to social media showed a fire truck and lanes of traffic driving badly flooded roads in Sarasota. Across the region cars became stranded after attempting to drive through deep water, including in Siesta Key to the west of Sarasota.
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