Florida, 2015

Heavy Rain in Florida, December 8 to 9, 2015

December 8 to 9, 2015 · NWS MFL · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

The frontal boundary that brought the heavy rainfall earlier in the month briefly moved southwards before shifting back to the north across Miami-Dade county on December 8th. Another period of heavy rain on already saturated ground brought additional flooding to Miami-Dade county.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS MFL wrote it up.

The frontal boundary that brought the heavy rainfall earlier in the month briefly moved southwards before shifting back to the north across Miami-Dade county on December 8th. Another period of heavy rain on already saturated ground brought additional flooding to Miami-Dade county. Additional heavy showers developing on the north side of the front brought minor street flooding to Northeast Palm Beach county on December 9th.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Miami, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 8, 12:47 PM EST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 8, 12:47 PM EST, 1 hour 13 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
1247 PM EST TUE DEC 8 2015

.AVIATION...BAND OF HEAVIER RAIN MOVING INTO THE EAST COAST
MAINLY AFFECTING AREAS SOUTH OF KMIA SUCH AS KTMB/KHST. PATCHY
LIGHT RAIN IS OCCURRING ALONG REST OF EACH COAST WITH ACTIVITY ON
THE DOWNTREND. OVERALL CONDITIONS TRENDING VFR, BUT STILL MAY SEE
TEMPO MVFR CONDITIONS IN HEAVIER SHOWERS. MULTI LAYERED CIGS IN
PLACE THROUGH OVERNIGHT HOURS, AND MODELS HINT AT SOME STRATUS DUE
TO THE MOIST ENVIRONMENT, ESPECIALLY AT KAPF WHERE MID/HIGH CIGS
WILL BREAK OUT THIS EVENING. SHRA MAY CONTINUE TO BRUSH EAST
COAST THROUGH TAF PERIOD, THOUGH ACTIVITY LOOKS TO TREND TO
STAYING MORE OFFSHORE. WILL KEEP VCSH OUT OF FORECAST BEYOND THIS
EVENING UNTIL TRENDS BECOME MORE CLEAR.

&&

.MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR FLZ168.

AM...NONE.
GM...NONE.
&&

88/ALM
Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 8, 10:58 AM EST, 3 hours 2 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH FLORIDA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
1058 AM EST TUE DEC 8 2015

AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-GMZ656-657-676-
090000-
LAKE OKEECHOBEE-BISCAYNE BAY-
COASTAL WATERS FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM DEERFIELD BEACH TO OCEAN REEF, FL OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL EXTENDING FROM
20 NM TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM DEERFIELD BEACH TO OCEAN REEF, FL EXTENDING FROM 20 NM
TO THE TERRITORIAL WATERS OF THE BAHAMAS-GLADES-HENDRY-
INLAND PALM BEACH-METRO PALM BEACH-COASTAL COLLIER-INLAND COLLIER-
INLAND BROWARD-METRO BROWARD-INLAND MIAMI DADE-METRO MIAMI DADE-
MAINLAND MONROE-COASTAL PALM BEACH-COASTAL BROWARD-
COASTAL MIAMI DADE-FAR SOUTH MIAMI DADE-
COASTAL WATERS FROM CHOKOLOSKEE TO BONITA BEACH, FL OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM EAST CAPE SABLE TO CHOKOLOSKEE, FL OUT 20 NM-
GULF WATERS FROM CHOKOLOSKEE TO BONITA BEACH, FL EXTENDING FROM
20 TO 60 NM-
1058 AM EST TUE DEC 8 2015

...HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS PALM BEACH COAST THROUGH THIS EVENING...
...LOCALIZED URBAN FLOODING POSSIBLE IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS: THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG
THE MIAMI-DADE COAST AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. LIGHTNING AND
LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS WILL BE THE PRIMARY IMPACTS.

WATERSPOUTS: THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF WATERSPOUTS OVER THE
ATLANTIC WATERS TODAY.

FLOODING: LOCALIZED STREET AND URBAN FLOODING IS POSSIBLE INTO
THIS AFTERNOON WHERE HEAVY RAINFALL FALLS IN AREAS OF SATURATED
GROUND FROM PREVIOUS RAINFALL...PARTICULARLY IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.

RIP CURRENTS: THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE PALM
BEACH COAST...WITH A MODERATE RISK ALONG THE BROWARD AND MIAMI-
DADE COASTS.

WAVES: CHOPPY SEAS UP TO 6 FEET WITH OCCASIONAL SEAS UP TO 8 FEET
IN THE GULF STREAM OFFSHORE PALM BEACH COUNTY TODAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

HIGHER RAIN CHANCES WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE EAST COAST ON
WEDNESDAY BEFORE DRIER AIR MOVES IN LATE WEEK. HEAVY RAINFALL
WITH THESE SHOWERS MAY PRODUCE LOCAL URBAN FLOODING...PARTICULARLY
IN VULNERABLE AREAS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.

THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE SOUTHEAST
COAST OF FLORIDA THIS WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT FLOODING AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS TO
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN MIAMI.

FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
MIAMI WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MIAMI.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Miami-Dade

When
December 8, 2:00 PM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Miami-Dade County, 1.22 mi ENE of South Miami to 1.34 mi NNW of South Miami
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
25.705, -80.261

Heavy rain resulted in street flooding in the Coral Gables area, mainly in the vicinity of the University of Miami. Law enforcement reported street flooding along LeJuene Road, resulting in several lanes being blocked off to traffic. Additional reports were received of secondary street flooding up to curb level with 1ft of water reports in spots.

Heavy Rain, Palm Beach

When
December 9, 1:10 PM EST
Where
Palm Beach County, 1.76 mi NNE of Jupiter to 0.86 mi WNW of Jupiter Inlet Colony
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
26.952, -80.085

Street flooding reported along the 300 block of A1A, and along US1 and Alt A1A in Jupiter. Flood waters quickly receded after rain ended.

What these are

Heavy Rain
Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Florida in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, December 2015

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 605712, 605713.