A NEXT Weather alert has been issued for parts of South Florida Thursday evening as heavy rain pounded the region, bringing the possibility of flash flooding.
“We are going to have a long night,” CBS News Miami’s NEXT Weather Chief Meteorologist Ivan Cabrera said. “We have two flood advisories already. That’s just the beginning of what could turn into a flash flood event.”
Flood advisories in Broward County
The National Weather Service issued advisories stretching from the county line through Sunrise and Fort Lauderdale, expiring between 9:45 and 10 p.m. Cabrera said rain bands were acting “like train tracks” over the same areas.
“If this continues, these will easily turn into flash flood warnings,” he cautioned.
Torrential rainfall rates
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Radar showed rainfall rates exceeding 3.6 inches per hour. “If this flow continues, that is what you’re going to get — three to four inches in a one-hour period, and that is getting us into a flash flood threat,” Cabrera explained.
The Weather Prediction Center placed South Florida at a Level 1 of 4 flood risk, with possible upgrades Friday.
Tropical setup
Cabrera noted the system resembles a tropical depression. “It doesn’t matter for us, because the impacts are going to be kind of like we have a tropical depression on top of us, thinking several inches of accumulation,” he said.
Totals could reach 2 to 4 inches broadly, with up to 6 inches in some areas.
Warning for morning commute
“Everybody likes rain at night. Problem is this could turn into a big flood event and then everybody trying to get to work in the mornings can have a big problem,” Cabrera said.
The NEXT Weather team will continue to provide updates.
