Flooding in Florida, October 21, 2020

Name: Flooding in Florida, October 21, 2020
Start: 2020-10-21T08:00
End: 2020-10-21T18:00
Location: Florida

October 21, 2020 · NWS MFL · 3 events in 1 county or zone

Surface trough draped to the west of South Florida, combined with swath of deep tropical moisture across the region helped to spark convection across the east coast of South Florida. Repeated rounds of heavy rainfall produced flooding across Broward.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

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 Oct 21, 6:58 AM EST, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 21, 6:58 AM EST, 1 hour 2 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 21, 7:09 AM EST, 51 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 21, 2:30 AM EST, 5 hours 30 minutes before

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Local storm report, Oct 21, 2:31 AM EST, 5 hours 29 minutes before

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Local storm report, Oct 21, 4:50 AM EST, 3 hours 10 minutes before

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Local storm report, Oct 21, 4:51 AM EST, 3 hours 9 minutes before

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Local storm report, Oct 21, 6:12 AM EST, 1 hour 48 minutes before

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Local storm report, Oct 21, 7:03 AM EST, 57 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Broward

When: October 21, 8:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where: Broward County, 1.42 mi ESE of Hollywood to 1.71 mi ESE of Hollywood
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 26.010, -80.130

A WPLG meteorologist reported via social media decent flooding in a neighborhood in Hollywood due to continuous shower activity with isolated embedded thunderstorms. Pictures show driveways and streets under several inches of water. Rain accumulations of 2-3 inches was measured in this area.

Flood, Broward

When: October 21, 2:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Broward County, 1.42 mi WSW of Ft Lauderdale to 1.07 mi WSW of Ft Lauderdale
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 26.120, -80.150

A member of the broadcast media reported a significant amount of street flooding on secondary roads and residential areas in Fort Lauderdale. Pictures show driveways and streets in this area under several inches of water. Rain gauges in the area measured 5 to 7 inches of rainfall accumulation.

Flood, Broward

When: October 21, 3:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Broward County, Oakland Park to 0.27 mi W of Oakland Park
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 26.170, -80.130

Photos via social media reported flooding of parking lot in Oakland Park with water several inches deep.

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Florida in 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings in Florida, October 2020

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: 921638, 921639, 921640.