PALM BAY, Fla. — By Monday morning, radar and rain gauges had recorded 12 to 15 inches of rain in southeastern Brevard County, and the National Weather Service in Melbourne had declared a flash flood emergency for West Melbourne and Palm Bay. People in the warned area were told to seek higher ground now.
The warning first ran to 9:45 a.m. In a 9:34 a.m. EST update, the service pushed it out to 11:45 a.m., said flash flooding was already under way and put possible extra rainfall at 3 to 5 inches. The damage threat in the warning is rated catastrophic.
“Move to higher ground now! This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation. Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order,”
Flooding is expected in Palm Bay, Melbourne, West Melbourne and Melbourne Beach, and in Malabar, Indialantic, Grant-Valkaria, Micco, Melbourne Village and June Park. Melbourne Airport is also in the warned area, where the flooding covers low water crossings, small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.
The emergency followed a night of heavy rain. An earlier warning at 7:56 a.m. put rainfall at 8 to 12 inches in the same area, and a separate warning for northern Brevard County, covering Titusville, Mims and Port Saint John, was extended until 10 a.m. after 3 to 5 inches fell there, the Weather Service said.
Brevard Public Schools closed all its schools for the day because of the flooding, and Florida Tech and Eastern Florida State College also closed, Florida Today reported. No evacuation orders had been issued, the newspaper said.
In posts on X, Melbourne police said Babcock Street at University Boulevard, all of Dairy Road and Lake Washington Road were closed. Brevard Emergency Management said portions of Interstate 95 may have standing water and asked residents to limit water use because the rain is putting stress on the wastewater system.
A flood watch remains in effect for east central Florida, including Brevard, Volusia, Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Okeechobee counties, until 7 p.m. Monday, the Weather Service said. “Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles,” the warning said.
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