Othose over 2 meters cause serious problems after the passage of storm Idalia in Florida

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch through Thursday for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

MIAMI.- South Florida faces an elevated risk of flooding due to rain expected in the region for much of this Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The environmental agency issued a flood watch for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, which will last until 10:00 a.m. Thursday, with forecasts of between 3 and 8 inches of rain, and in some areas up to 10 inches.

The measurement models show the area between Homestead and Boca Raton, along the Atlantic coast, in red, indicating a “significant risk of excessive rainfall,” according to the NWS.

Idalia, now downgraded to a tropical storm, made landfall at 7:45 a.m. (11:45 a.m. GMT) near Keaton Beach, Florida, as a category 3 of 5 hurricane, with winds of up to 205 km/h, according to the National Hurricane Center in Florida. United States (NHC, in English).

Patrick Boland locked himself at home, instead of evacuating, to wait out the hurricane and he does not regret his choice.«Some trees fell in front of my house, but otherwise the house was saved. Everything is fine,» the 73-year-old man told AFP, visibly relieved.

«We were born and raised in Florida, so storms don’t scare us,» said Bobby Adisano, who spent the night in his car with his wife and one-and-a-half-year-old son. «If anyone needs help, we are here,» he added.

Other cities saw the water level rise at high speed, such as Cedar Key, which recorded waves of more than 2 meters, a record level for the area.

Flash floods

The alert puts into context “life-threatening flash floods, which may possibly enter structures and isolate neighborhoods,” according to the meteorological institution.

Some downpours could cause more flooding in areas already saturated from Tuesday’s rainfall.

Drivers who encounter flooded roads are advised to turn around and not attempt to drive through those roads.

Some showers and storms will be possible Thursday morning, but drier air will begin to move into the area.

Forecasters predict a lower chance of rain on Friday and into the weekend, with high temperatures around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Without electricity

Despite the damage, authorities appear to believe the worst has been avoided. «We have been forgiven and blessed,» said Levy County Sheriff Robert McCallum.

Some of the affected areas «had never been hit by a major hurricane,» Governor DeSantis explained.