A moisture-laden storm currently pummeling Florida has dumped more rain on Sarasota in only 24 hours than the city received over a five-day period during Hurricane Ian in 2022.
A plume of moisture from the Caribbean is bringing excessive rain to the region. Meteorologists previously expected the heaviest rains to occur from Wednesday to Friday, but downpours have already brought a deluge to southwestern Florida, including in Fort Myers and Sarasota. So much rain fell in only one hour in Sarasota that it broke a 52-year-old record by nearly an inch on Tuesday evening.
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NWS meteorologist Christianne Pearce told Newsweek that in the past 24 hours, up to 11 inches of rain has fallen in Sarasota. Another 4 to 6 inches are expected in the region as the deluge continues throughout the week.
According to NWS data, when Hurricane Ian made landfall in Sarasota in late September 2022 as a Category 4 hurricane, nearly 8 inches of rain fell over a period of five days as the storm ravaged the city. More than 1 million people were left without power.
Despite the deluge occurring this week, the storm is not as strong as a hurricane, which are categorized based on wind speeds. The biggest threat from the current storm is potential flooding.
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A flood watch has been issued across south Florida and will likely remain in place through Thursday. The alert was originally expected to expire on Wednesday evening, but has since been extended.
"Enhanced tropical moisture will remain pooled across South Florida for much of the workweek. Portions of south Florida observed 4-8 inches of rainfall on Tuesday and 3-6 inches of additional rainfall is expected through Thursday evening, with localized accumulations up to 8 inches possible," the flood watch said.
"This rainfall combined with increasingly saturated ground conditions will result in the potential for localized flooding, particularly in urban and poor drainage areas."
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There is also a small chance that a an intensifying formation will occur within the next week as the storm develops. The National Hurricane Center predicted that there is a 10 percent chance for the it to turn into a tropical storm in the next 24 hours, and a 20 percent chance in the next seven days.
As of Wednesday around noon ET, a slew of weather alerts had been issued across south Florida, including a flash flood warning, flood advisory, flood watch, severe weather statement, special marine warning, rip current statement, a hazardous weather outlook and even a tornado warning on the eastern half of Florida near West Palm Beach.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Anna Skinner is a Newsweek senior reporter based in Indianapolis. Her focus is reporting on the climate, environment and weather ... Read more
