Florida Faces Severe River Flooding Following Hurricane Milton's Deluge

After Hurricane Milton pounded Florida with 5-20 inches of rain in a matter of hours, central and northern Florida lakes and rivers are rising, and some may remain over flood status far into this week.

Milton dumped 5 to 10 times more rain over the central and northern parts of the Florida Peninsula, primarily along and north of Interstate 4 than the historical average for October. 

Even Florida's sandy soil was unable to absorb the deluge, as had been expected.

Extreme river flooding in Florida after Milton's deluge

As water recedes from city streets and low-lying areas, people who have suffered or evaded power outages and property damage due to Milton's strong winds may face delayed rising water from a neighboring river.

Many Florida rivers have headwaters that are only a few dozen feet above sea level before draining into the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, or bays. 

As a result, they have a leisurely flow and behave similarly to larger rivers like the Mississippi, despite the fact that the volume of water they handle is much less.

National Weather Service hydrologists and AccuWeather meteorologists are watching Florida rivers that have received more rain than the sandy soil can handle. 

Flooding is either occurring or may occur in the next few days as a result of the amount of runoff entering rivers.

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