Perfect storm hits Space Coast, deluging area with heavy rain, flooding
Heavy rain deluged parts of Brevard County late Wednesday, pounding the area for hours and leaving some roadways in one Merritt Island residential area with at least 2 feet of standing water.
Some residents even spotted catfish squirming through the waterlogged grass along some roads on the island.
A flood advisory went into effect Thursday night at 5:47 p.m. and was set to last until 7 p.m. for portions of Brevard and Indian River counties in the Palm Bay to Sebastian region. The National Weather Service in Melbourne reported that between 1.5 to 3.5 inches of rain had fallen with an additional 1 to 2 inches possible.
More of the same weather pattern is expected into Friday as a perfect storm of high atmospheric moisture, a stalled frontal boundary and a lack of steering winds combined to bring the Space Coast some of the heaviest rain in recent memory.
"It was exceptional," said Robert Haley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne. "And we're expecting more of the same today (Thursday)."
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Haley said over the last 72 hours, Merritt Island received nearly 11 inches of rain. In Port Canaveral to the north, another 8-to-11 inches fell; Cocoa Beach has seen between 4 and 7 inches of rain since Monday — all as the late afternoon storm pattern continued from the past weekend.
The Melbourne Orlando International Airport, where the weather service has its office, saw an official rainfall record set for Wednesday with 2.8 inches reported.
There was an 80 percent chance of showers across Brevard Thursday and Thursday night, with at least 2 to 4 inches of additional rain expected, weather officials reported.
Late Wednesday, two flood advisories were issued by the weather service, warning of flooding primarily along the northern coast and in parts of central Brevard.
Some residents posted videos on social media showing the flooded streets and roadways.
"All of our tributaries have plenty of capacity," said Don Walker, spokesperson for Brevard's Emergency Management Office. "But when you have 5 inches of rainfall in a short period of time, it will take time for it to run off."
By 10 p.m. Wednesday there were reports of 2 feet of standing water on roads and sidewalks along the intersection of Skylark Avenue and 2nd Street in Catalina Isles in Merritt Island, weather officials reported.
The downpours also caused a portion of the East Merritt Island Causeway, also known as State Road 520, to be flooded. A portion of State Road 528 heading eastbound into Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach also saw roadway flooding and ponding.
Weather officials expect rain showers intermittently through the weekend.
J.D. Gallop is a Criminal Justice/Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Heavy showers flooded roads in Merritt Island, across Space Coast
