South Florida Faces Flash Flooding Threat as Heavy Rain Continues

Miami, Florida — An alert has been extended for parts of South Florida through Friday as heavy rain continues to pound the region, raising the risk of flash flooding.

According to CBS News Miami’s NEXT Weather Chief Meteorologist Ivan Cabrera, rainfall totals could reach between two to four inches, with some areas already exceeding this amount. In Broward County, advisories were posted Thursday evening, covering regions from Deerfield Beach and Pompano Beach south to Plantation and Sunrise.

Cabrera explained that the weather system is behaving “like train tracks” over the same neighborhoods, keeping the risk of flooding elevated. “This is going to be a Broward and North Dade event and then we’re going to spread things a little bit further to the south for Friday,” he said.

Radar data indicated rainfall rates exceeding three inches per hour in some spots, with isolated neighborhoods reporting as much as five inches in just a few hours. “It’s not just that it’s raining heavily. You get one to three plus inches an hour, and you keep raining over the same spot,” Cabrera stated.

He noted that the current pattern resembles that of a tropical system, despite no named storm affecting the area directly. “It’s more of a tropical event. You get that warm rain that just continues to be relentless at times, especially overnight,” Cabrera said.

While gusts of up to 30 mph are possible along the coast, the main threat remains flash flooding. Cabrera cautioned that the flooding could complicate early Friday commutes. “Everybody likes rain at night. The 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,” he added.

The Weather Prediction Center has placed South Florida at a Level 1 out of 4 flood risk, with possible upgrades on Friday. Cabrera warned the unsettled weather pattern may continue into the weekend, stating, “We may have to extend [the alert] as we head into the weekend, and the reason for that, obviously, is just additional rain.” He added that Saturday and Sunday are likely to see on-and-off rain.

The NEXT Weather team will provide ongoing updates as conditions develop.