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Numerous Flood Warnings Issued in Southwest Florida

It has been raining along the southwest coast of Florida for the majority of the past three days. While not nearly as severe or widespread as the flooding in Texas from former Hurricane Harvey, many residents from Bradenton to Naples are finding roads closed and cars stalled because of the high water. The hardest hit areas have been in parts of Lee, Manatee and Sarasota Counties, where flood warnings were issued early Sunday afternoon.

 

 

In addition to the street flooding, many area rivers are forecast to rise above their banks in the near future.  The National Weather Service has issued flood warningsfor the following rivers in west-central and southwest Florida, all forecast to rise above flood stage in the next 24 hours.

  • Peace River at Arcadia
  • Little Manatee River at Wimauma
  • Myakka River at Myakka River State Park
  • Manatee River at Rye Bridge
  • Manattee River near Myakka Head
  • Horse Creek near Arcadia

Additional rain that may fall through Tuesday.
Additional rain that may fall through Tuesday.

More heavy rain is in the forecast for the warned areas thanks to a tropical disturbance that has stalled over south and central Florida. The system is expected to begin pulling away from Florida on Monday, where it might even develop into a tropical storm over the western Atlantic Ocean by midweek. Before it leaves, however, an additional 2 to 3 inches of rain will be possible in the next three days across much of the region, with local amounts up to four inches possible.

Residents and motorists in low-lying and flood-prone areas are urged to use caution when flooding is observed, and those living 

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Jeff Huffman is Chief Meteorologist at the University of Florida in Gainesville. In addition to his full-time position at the university's radio and television stations, WUFT-FM/TV and WRUF-TV, the latter of which he co-founded, Huffman also provides weather coverage to public radio stations throughout Florida
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