A '1,000-Year' Rain Drowned Florida's Space Coast

Описание: A slow storm parked over Florida's Space Coast on Sunday and Monday and poured for two days. The National Weather Service calls it a one in a 1,000-year rainfall event: North Grant-Valkaria recorded 23.69 inches of rain, Palm Bay 19.75 inches, and Melbourne logged 11.5 inches on Monday alone, its wettest day since records began in 1937. A flash flood emergency was issued as streets turned into canals and water poured into homes.

Two Palm Bay men died: Joshua Bennett, 34, found in his truck in a flooded area, and Archie Richards, 78. Two more people were listed as missing. More than 160 people were rescued by sheriff's deputies and Florida Fish and Wildlife officers, some by airboat, and a Florida Tech student was lifted out of a current by helicopter. Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency across seven counties, and Brevard schools stayed closed for a third day. Some photos are file/context images.

Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons — public domain / Creative Commons (compact list in the upload pack file).