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Tropical rainstorms flood South Florida, AccuWeather warns businesses first

flooded downtown street

Summary

When tropical rainstorms flooded Miami and the surrounding areas, our forecasts provided more advanced notice and were more accurate than any other source.

Key Highlights

Nearly a foot of rain submerged streets and stranded cars in Miami on Saturday, June 4th.

AccuWeather predicted heavy rain from tropical rainstorms across all of South Florida three days in advance of the event.

SkyGuard® clients on average receive weather warnings 2x faster than public alerts

A Flood of Trouble

Nearly a foot of rain submerged streets and stranded cars in Miami on Saturday, June 4th, the first weekend of meteorological summer. The tropical rainstorm that never organized enough to become the first name of the Atlantic hurricane season however, it was still powerful enough to impact South Florida causing flooded roadways and standing drivers in waist-deep water. A hallmark of AccuWeather’s philosophy is to clearly communicate impacts, no matter the classification. In this case, AccuWeather used “tropical rainstorm” wording consistently to convey the flood risk many days in advance while other sources utilized a variety of terms such as tropical disturbance, potential tropical cyclone, and tropical wave.

 

The most advance notice:

  • As early as May 25, nine days prior to flooding, AccuWeather’s Long Range and Tropical Forecasting Teams first noted the potential for tropical development in the Gulf during the first few days of June. This potential was highlighted to clients in both the 30-Day Forecast and Daily Tropical Forecast Updates on May 25.
  • On Tuesday, three days in advance of the event and over two days before the government’s National Hurricane Center (NHC) classified the system as “Potential Tropical Cyclone One,” AccuWeather predicted “heavy rain from tropical rainstorm” across all of South Florida including Miami.
  • On Wednesday, over a day before the NHC began issuing a track on Potential Tropical Cyclone 1, AccuWeather issued its first track and rainfall forecast.
  • On Wednesday, AccuWeather issued an AccuWeather AlertTM for “Severe Weather Threat: Tropical Rainstorm” across South Florida highlighting the flooding risk. This was 33 hours in advance of any advisories even being issued by the NHC or any other source.

The most accurate forecast:

  • On Wednesday, AccuWeather correctly predicted over 8-12” of rain would fall in the Miami area and lead to flooding. 

The best description of impacts:

  • Early Thursday, more than 24 hours in advance, AccuWeather enhanced its alerting for the Miami area specifically stating, “major flooding is likely, and some roads will be impassable”. This is exactly what occurred!
AccuWeather For Business forecasts help protect people and property. Whether it's rain, snow, or severe weather, AccuWeather helps you battle any elements that Mother Nature throws your way. Our groundbreaking forecast tools ensure you stay ahead of any severe threats, all backed by our expert meteorologists and Superior Accuracy™.

Stay safe with SkyGuard® Warnings:

  • Proactive, site-specific alerts offer advance warnings well before severe weather impacts occur
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  • Alerts are delivered in a format that aligns with your organizational emergency management plan
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  • All alerts are delivered via push notification from the SkyGuard mobile app, available on Android and iOS

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