A low pressure system merged with Tropical Storm Zeta over the Gulf before pushing northeastward and pushing a cold front across the region and stalling along the southern portions of the area. Given the ground was already sufficiently saturated from ample accumulations several days prior, additional rainfall from storms along the cold front produced flooding across portions of Broward.
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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.
The episode as NWS MFL wrote it up.
A low pressure system merged with Tropical Storm Zeta over the Gulf before pushing northeastward and pushing a cold front across the region and stalling along the southern portions of the area. Given the ground was already sufficiently saturated from ample accumulations several days prior, additional rainfall from storms along the cold front produced flooding across portions of Broward.
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 30, 6:42 PM EST, 18 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Miami FL 742 PM EDT Fri Oct 30 2020 .Aviation... A line of showers and isolated thunderstorms will slowly drift southwards and could affect the terminals in Miami Dade over the next several hours. MVFR or IFR conditions are possible in these showers. East to northeasterly winds will continue throughout the overnight hours and increase by the middle of Saturday morning. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms will be possible mainly across the east coast terminals on Saturday. && .Update... A line of showers and isolated thunderstorms will continue to slowly drift southward out ahead of an approaching cold front this evening. Most of this line will affect southern Broward and Miami Dade County as it pushes through. The main concern with this line will be the heavy downpours which could lead to a localized flooding concern over the urban and low lying areas. This front will then stall out somewhere over the extreme southern portion of the area. There will be enough boundary layer moisture in place to support a continued shower threat especially across southern and eastern areas through the overnight hours and throughout the day tomorrow as well. The showers and isolated thunderstorms will continue to be slow moving which will continue the threat for localized flooding in the urban and low lying areas of the eastern and southern portion of the region. High temperatures on Saturday will be slightly lower with the passage of the front as they will rise into the lower to mid 80s across the east coast to the upper 80s across the interior sections. && .Prev Discussion... /issued 341 PM EDT Fri Oct 30 2020/ SHORT TERM (Today through Saturday)... The weak frontal boundary and associated pre-frontal trough have entered South Florida this morning. Their momentum seems to have slowed over the last few hours with the trough located off eastern Palm Beach County southwest towards mainland Monroe County. The trailing front is approaching Lake Okeechobee from south central Florida. Aloft, a trough departs into the Atlantic which will allow the surface boundaries to continue slowing. The 12z MFL sounding yields a relatively drier atmosphere with precipitable water values of 1.65 inches, but that still points to conditions conducive enough to support some convection. As the afternoon continues, convective activity ahead of and along the trough will increase with the main focus being showers. Cannot rule out some vigorous showers or a few thunderstorms with gusty winds either. The primary concern is the slow storm motion and slowing boundary could lead to repeated rounds of heavy rainfall over localized areas producing a threat for urban flooding. Many areas were able to drain after the last rainfall event, but it will not take much to cause concerns into tomorrow. The Weather Prediction Center maintains South Florida within the marginal excessive rainfall outlook areas for today and tomorrow due to this. Most of the east coast urban areas could support around 3 inches of rain in a 3 hour period but 6 hour flash flood guidance begins to top at around 4 inches which points to a quick saturation if heavy rain were to persist over an area for several hours. This is not the most likely scenario, but one to monitor over the coming 12 hours or so. Overnight, some convection could linger over southeastern Florida along with the boundaries. The remnant boundaries will allow the mentionable rain chances to remain in the forecast for Saturday, mainly over the eastern half of the peninsula. The eroding boundary may also provide some additional cloud cover but little in the form of an air mass change. Temperatures could be held in the mid 80s in some areas but some portions of the Gulf coast could reach into the upper 80s. The peak heating of the day could allow for some increased shower coverage (and possibly a thunderstorm here or there) to develop over southern and eastern portions of the peninsula on Saturday afternoon. LONG TERM... Sunday through Wednesday... Deep and progressive troughing will cross the eastern states while spawning a rapidly deepening surface cyclone over New England. As the occluding low pressure system advances towards the Canadian Maritimes, a trailing cold front should push across South Florida on Monday. This will effectively end shower and isolated thunderstorm chances across our area through mid week, as breezy ENE winds develop in response to a tightening pressure gradient following the frontal passage. However periods of locally heavy rainfall are possible on Sunday into early Monday until the front clears the area. Briefly cooler/drier conditions should bring lows in the 60s for inland locations on Monday and Tuesday nights, with highs generally in the upper 70s to lower 80s on both days. Slightly warmer readings are expected on Wednesday as a slow warming trend begins. Thursday and Friday... High pressure at the surface and aloft re-centers to our northeast as a tropical wave / Invest 96L / meanders about the western Caribbean Sea. The robust pressure gradient between these features should allow for breezy easterly winds along with a gradual modification / moistening of the airmass across the area. This will bring shower chances back into the forecast, along with the possibility for a thunderstorm or two. Seasonal temperatures are expected, with the warmest daytime highs likely over the interior and Gulf Coast areas. AVIATION(18Z TAFS)... Intermittent sub-VFR possible with showers and thunderstorms this afternoon, particularly from FLL/FXE southward. Bouts of IFR/LIFR will be possible with heavy rain from convection. Overnight, some low cigs are possible at terminals that are cleared by the rain though some rain could linger around MIA/TMB/OPF/FXE/FLL overnight into Saturday. With the boundary and moisture lingering through Saturday, there could be some rain again late in the TAF period but confidence is too low to include with this issuance. MARINE... A frontal boundary moving across the area will bring a northerly to northeasterly component to the wind, which should help to build seas in the Gulf stream over the weekend to around 4 to 5 feet. Any showers or thunderstorms over the Atlantic waters could bring potentially hazardous marine conditions for small craft for the weekend. By the beginning of the week, a strong front is forecast to move through which will bring a stronger northerly wind allowing seas to build to around 8 to 10 feet in the Gulf Stream of the Atlantic, which would be hazardous to small craft. Gale conditions cannot be ruled out early to mid week and mariners should monitor the latest forecasts, advisories, and discussions for up-to-date information through the weekend into early next week. The rough seas look to continue through the end of the week. BEACHES... Northeasterly flow will allow an elevated rip current risk to persist along the Atlantic beaches as we head into the weekend. A high risk of rip currents may develop along the Palm Beaches for Saturday, which may require a statement. The Gulf beaches should begin to recover in the wake of Zeta with some rip current chances remaining into Sunday. The next front due early next week could again lead to hazardous beach conditions as well through a good portion of the week, particularly for the Atlantic. PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Miami 75 86 76 87 / 40 40 20 40 West Kendall 74 87 75 88 / 40 40 10 40 Opa-Locka 74 85 75 86 / 40 40 20 30 Homestead 74 85 76 86 / 40 40 20 40 Fort Lauderdale 76 85 77 86 / 40 30 20 30 N Ft Lauderdale 74 84 75 85 / 40 30 20 30 Pembroke Pines 75 86 75 88 / 40 30 20 30 West Palm Beach 74 84 75 85 / 20 20 20 20 Boca Raton 75 85 76 87 / 30 30 20 30 Naples 70 87 72 88 / 10 20 10 10 MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...None. AM...None. GM...None. Tonight/Saturday and Aviation/Beaches/Marine...RAG && .Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs... West Palm Beach 74 84 75 85 / 20 20 20 20 Fort Lauderdale 76 85 77 86 / 30 30 20 30 Miami 75 85 76 87 / 40 40 20 40 Naples 70 87 72 88 / 10 20 10 10 && .MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FL...None. AM...None. GM...None. && Update...55/CWC Aviation...55/CWC
Hazardous Weather Outlook for South Florida National Weather Service Miami FL 415 PM EDT Fri Oct 30 2020 AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-GMZ656-657-676- 310815- 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 from 20 to 60 NM- Waters from Deerfield Beach to Ocean Reef FL from 20 to 60 NM excluding the territorial waters of 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- Waters from Chokoloskee to Bonita Beach FL from 20 to 60 NM- 415 PM EDT Fri Oct 30 2020 ...Isolated Thunderstorms Interior and East This Evening... ...Moderate Risk of Rip Currents Atlantic Coast Beaches... This hazardous weather outlook is for South Florida. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT Rip currents: There is a moderate risk of rip currents for the Atlantic beaches. Thunderstorms: Isolated thunderstorms will occur this evening, mainly for the interior and east coast sections. The main hazards are lightning, gusty winds, and urban flooding. Waterspouts: There is a slight chance of a waterspout for all South Florida waters. Flooding: Urban flooding of roadways will be possible, mainly in the Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach metro areas. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY The enhanced risk of rip currents is forecast to continue through at least the middle of the week. As a cold front stalls across the southern portion of the area, urban flooding will continue to be a risk mainly for the Miami Dade and Broward metro areas for the weekend. A stronger cold front is forecast to move through for the beginning of the week, which may bring hazardous marine conditions, especially for the Atlantic waters. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Widespread spotter activation is not anticipated, however individual spotters are encouraged to report high wind, hail and flooding 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 national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Pictures on social media showed flooding at the intersection of Park Road and Sheridan Street in Hollywood. The sidewalk and the parking lot of a shopping plaza were under water.
Social media video of street and parking lot flooding along US1 between Mayo and Fletcher streets. Water can be seen halfway up the curb of the side street.
Public reported ponding of water on roadways around Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise due to heavy rainfall. Nearby rain gauge in the area recorded 3.67 inches of rain from midnight to 7:49 am.
Public reported some minor flooding in low lying areas of the Colony West Golf Club in Tamarac off 94th street between McNab Road and Commercial Blvd.
Trained spotter reported the ponding of water on Florida's Turnpike near Commercial Boulevard at 12:15 pm.
Florida Department of Transportation traffic cameras show the flooding of lanes, swales, and sidewalks at the intersection of University Drive and Oakland Park Boulevard. The right lanes appear impassable by vehicles.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Florida in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, October 2020
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: 921874, 921875, 921876, 921877, 921878, 921879.