All of South Florida is under a flood watch, including Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, as a moisture-laden storm hits the Sunshine State this week.
A plume of moisture from the Caribbean is bringing excessive rain to the region. The rain has already begun falling and has been heaviest in southwestern Florida so far, with Fort Myers seeing 3 inches of rainfall in just six hours this morning.
Heavy rain also is expected to affect southeast Florida. The rain is expected to be heaviest from Wednesday to Friday, with the National Weather Service (NWS) warning that flooding could begin as early as Tuesday and continue into the weekend.
On Monday morning, the NWS office for Florida's Tampa Bay area shared a map that showed rainfall estimates through Friday. According to the map, the Palm Beach area is expected to receive up to 10 inches of rain, more than its monthly average rainfall, in only four days.
However, as of Tuesday afternoon Palm Beach had received less than half an inch of rain, NWS senior meteorologist Robert Garcia told Newsweek. Storms are happening in the region now, and more heavy rain is expected.
Mar-a-Lago has made it through more serious storms, including hurricanes.
The flood watch was issued for Palm Beach County on Tuesday. The watch is expected to expire on Wednesday evening, but Garcia said it could be extended throughout the week.
"Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations," the NWS flood watch said. "Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas."
The rain is expected to relieve the severe drought across Florida, but the drought could make it difficult for the soil to absorb water. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor Map, all of Palm Beach County was experiencing moderate drought, with more than 50 percent of the county experiencing severe drought.
"High rainfall rates and slow moving storms will result in flooding concerns, especially in urban and poor drainage locations," the flood watch said.
Many cities across Florida are expecting to receive at least their monthly allotment of rain from this current storm, including Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, Sarasota, West Palm Beach, Belle Glade and Immokalee. According to the NWS map, each of those cities is expected to receive at least 8 inches of rain this week. Others are anticipating even more, including Immokalee and Punta Gorda, where 10 to 15 inches of rain is forecast.
NWS meteorologist Luke Culver previously told Newsweek that it's not uncommon for areas like West Palm Beach and other Florida cities to see their monthly average rainfall from only one storm, especially during the summer months. He said single storms producing the average monthly rainfall amounts occur every few years in the Sunshine State.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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
