Florida, 2021

Flooding in Florida, October 12, 2021

October 12, 2021 · NWS MFL · 2 events in 1 county or zone

Moist SE wind flow at the surface, along with instability provided by an upper level low pressure area just south of South Florida, helped to trigger scattered showers and thunderstorms, some with heavy rainfall.

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.

Moist SE wind flow at the surface, along with instability provided by an upper level low pressure area just south of South Florida, helped to trigger scattered showers and thunderstorms, some with heavy rainfall.

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 12, 2:30 AM EST, 3 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 12, 2:30 AM EST, 3 hours before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Miami FL
330 AM EDT Tue Oct 12 2021

.SHORT TERM...

Today (through Wednesday)

An upper level low has gradually drifted south, with convection
developing on the eastern periphery of this feature, while dry air
advects over South Florida. This is evidenced in the latest GOES
water vapor imagery, which reveals dry slotting on the western
periphery of the aforementioned upper low. Within the boundary
layer, winds remain out of the east/southeast with a somewhat well
mixed moisture profile (dewpoints around 22C). This advection of
modest moisture and sufficient destabilization (roughly 2000-2500
J/Kg of surface-based CAPE) should allow for scattered showers and
thunderstorms to develop today. Development should be favored over
east coast locations mid-morning/early afternoon, with a graduation
westwards propagation towards the interior by late afternoon. While
the nature of convection should remain sub-severe today, cool
temperatures aloft (roughly -8C at 500 hPa) and steepened mid-level
lapse rates may allow for a few overachieving thunderstorms today,
capable of producing wind gusts up to around 45 mph.

Wednesday

A broad, 500 hPa ridge of around 590 decameters is forecast to
encompass portions of the southeastern United States, allowing a
weakening and regressing of the aforementioned upper low and warming
temperatures aloft. Additionally, the upper geopotential height
gradient increases and allows a jet streak to become entrenched over
the region, which may act to enhance upper level convergence. This
environment will bode less favorable for potent storms.
Nevertheless, the continuation of onshore moisture advection out of
the ESE should allow for scattered shower and thunderstorm
development during this day as well, with a similar east to west
progression.

Temperatures will remain seasonable today, perhaps a degree or two
below climatological normals along the east coast. Wednesday will
feature slightly warmer temperatures owing to increasing
geopotential heights aloft as the upper ridge builds in.

.LONG TERM (Wednesday night through Monday)...

Synoptic Overview: The stubborn cut-off low will finally begin to
retrograde southwestward Thursday into Friday as an increasingly-
elongated SW-NE oriented ridge positions itself just north of
South Florida. This ridge will then flatten into the weekend as a
progressive shortwave trough pushes through the eastern CONUS. The
system's surface low and attendant fronts should push into
Florida over the weekend, but the front will likely stall just
north of the area. Heading into early next week, predictability
begins to wane as split flow looks to develop over the CONUS with
generally low amplitude features present in the southern stream.

Dailies...

Thursday: Moist easterly flow will remain in place over the area
resulting in another warm day (Highs in the upper 80s) with
scattered convection progressing westward through the afternoon.

Friday: A transition day as the low-lvl flow begins to back more
northeasterly and the mid-lvls begin to dry as the ridge axis
shifts closer. Still think there is enough moisture/instability
for isolated convection to develop but coverage (both of precip
and thunder) should be less than Thursday.

Saturday/Sunday: The weekend largely looks dry as the
front/associated precipitation remain north of the area. It is
possible some frontal precipitation makes it to portions of our
area on Sunday, but don't have much confidence it makes it this
far south. Highs remain in the upper 80s with dewpoints in the low
70s, quite the contrast with postfrontal portions of Northern
Florida where dewpoints could be in the low 40s.

Monday: Uncertainty increases to start next week, as easterly flow
begins to increase and moisture begins to return northward. The
aforementioned stalled boundary could also serve as a focus but
it's position is nebulous. Regardless, it looks like we will have
to continue to wait for the true start of the dry season.

&&

.AVIATION(06Z TAFS)...

&&

.MARINE...

An upper level disturbance will tap into remnant moisture, allowing
for scattered shower and thunderstorm develop. The greatest coverage
is anticipated over the Atlantic waters. Outside of locally gusty
winds with showers and storms, light to moderate winds and small
waves should retain generally benign marine conditions as high
pressure builds into the region. A 1 to 2 ft long period swell will
gradually move into the Atlantic waters off South Florida from an
area of low pressure off the Carolina coast.

&&

.BEACHES...

Minor coastal flooding is possible along the coast of Palm Beach
County today during high tide, though impacts should be
isolated/minimal. The rip current risk will gradually increase for
the east coast beaches this week, especially for beaches associated
with Palm Beach County where a small long period swell will be
present.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Miami            87  75  88  76 /  50  30  40  30
West Kendall     88  73  89  75 /  50  30  40  30
Opa-Locka        87  75  89  75 /  50  30  40  30
Homestead        86  73  87  75 /  50  30  40  40
Fort Lauderdale  86  75  87  77 /  40  30  40  30
N Ft Lauderdale  87  76  87  77 /  40  30  40  30
Pembroke Pines   86  74  87  75 /  40  30  40  30
West Palm Beach  87  75  87  75 /  40  30  40  30
Boca Raton       87  75  87  76 /  50  30  40  30
Naples           88  73  89  74 /  40  30  40  20

&&

.MFL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...None.
AM...None.
GM...None.
&&

Today through Wednesday and Aviation/Marine...Bhatti
Wednesday Night through Monday...Carr

Visit us at weather.gov/miami

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter at:
www.facebook.com/nwsmiami
www.twitter.com/nwsmiami
Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 11, 11:26 AM EST, 18 hours 4 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook for South Florida...UPDATED
National Weather Service Miami FL
1226 PM EDT Mon Oct 11 2021

AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-FLZ063-066>075-168-172>174-GMZ656-657-676-
121030-
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-
1226 PM EDT Mon Oct 11 2021

...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STORMS POSSIBLE TODAY...
...MINOR COASTAL FLOODING POSSIBLE AROUND HIGH TIDE EAST COAST...

This hazardous weather outlook is for South Florida.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

Thunderstorms: Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are possible
today, with a focus over the east coast and interior this afternoon.
Locally strong wind gusts and brief heavy downpours could accompany the
stronger storms.

Waterspouts: Conditions are favorable for waterspouts today,
particularly over the Atlantic waters.

Flooding: Isolated flooding will be possible with slow-moving
showers and thunderstorms, especially over the east coast metro
areas.

Coastal Flooding: Minor tidal flooding of vulnerable low-lying areas
along the Atlantic coast is possible during times of high tide.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

The rip current risk will gradually increase once again for the east
coast beaches of South Florida this week.

Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible through
much of the week. Main impacts will be lightning, locally gusty
winds, and heavy rainfall/isolated flooding.

.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.

Weinman

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Palm Beach

When
October 12, 5:30 AM EST to 6:30 AM EST
Where
Palm Beach County, 2.51 mi SSW of Tequesta to 2.42 mi SSW of Tequesta
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
26.865, -80.112

Reports of street flooding received via social media along portions of Hood Road in Palm Beach Gardens. Measured rainfall rates in the area were about 1-2 inches per hour.

Flood, Palm Beach

When
October 12, 7:00 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Palm Beach County, 0.3 mi N of Golf
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
26.724, -80.051

Street flooding was reported via social media at the intersection of North Flagler Drive and 10th Street in West Palm Beach, with waters of about 2-3 inches deep covering the roadway.

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

More

Every storm in Florida in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Florida, October 2021

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: 988762, 988768.