PROJECT ALERT NOTICE (FL) high flows in SE FL caused by high rainfall

Date: Thu, 08 Jun 2017 12:54:30 EDT

Summary: High rainfall in SE FL, especially on June 6, overloaded the regional canal and groundwater systems and caused flooding; field crews measuring canal flows as water is diverted from flooded areas.

Since Monday, June 5, 4 to 14 inches of rainfall was recorded in Broward, Hendry, Palm Beach, Martin, and Miami-Dade Counties, with most of the rain falling on June 6 in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. The high amount of rainfall overloaded the regional canal and groundwater systems, causing localized flooding. Additional rainfall is expected through the end of this week. To reduce flooding, water in the canals is being diverted away from the affected areas and into Lake Okeechobee and other canals outside of the flooded areas.

USGS field crews are making discharge measurements at gage locations of high water movement. Though no peaks of record are expected, flows at this magnitude have not been measured at many of the affected gages since 2012. No gages were damaged, but rapid gate opening at structure S-12-D caused the float tape to come off of the shaft encoder; this is being fixed today.