Palm Beach Gardens and Riviera Beach got 15 to 23 inches of rain in 72 hours, the city says. Parks have reopened, and city golf courses are closed through Nov. 8.
Updated Nov. 4: The flood watch ended at 11 p.m. Monday and was not renewed. The city now puts the rain at 15 to 23 inches over 72 hours across Palm Beach Gardens and Riviera Beach. City parks reopened Tuesday except Lake Catherine Sportsplex and PGA National Park, and both city golf courses are closed through Sunday, Nov. 8. Gov. Ron DeSantis added Palm Beach County to the state flood emergency Wednesday; what that changes, and which streets were still open to emergency vehicles only, is in our state of emergency story.
Parts of Palm Beach Gardens received more than 15 inches of rain in about 12 hours from Sunday afternoon into Monday, the city said. Several neighborhoods still had a foot or more of water in their streets Monday, and all city parks are closed.
The city put the storm in perspective with federal rainfall data. “NOAA Atlas 14 data indicates that while 13 inches represents a 1-in-100-year event, the reported 15-inch rainfall exceeds a 1-in-100-year event and approaches a 1-in-200-year event,” the city said in its heavy rainfall update Monday. It said the reports of more than 15 inches came from portions of Riviera Beach, The Acreage and Palm Beach Gardens.
More rain is on the way. The National Weather Service in Miami extended its flood watch for Palm Beach County to 11 p.m. Monday.
Streets the city says are flooded
The city’s list, as of 10:40 a.m. Monday:
| Area | What the city reported |
|---|---|
| PGA National (Avenue of the Champions, Avenue of the Masters, Tournament Avenue, Lexington Green and other streets) | Roughly 12 to 15 inches of water; passable for emergency vehicles |
| Steeplechase | Water going down, with 12 to 15 inches left in isolated areas; some roads open to emergency vehicles only |
| Horseshoe Acres | About 12 to 15 inches in isolated areas; some areas passable for emergency vehicles only |
| Cypress Hollow | Significant flooding; passable only with Public Works heavy equipment |
| Montecito | About 8 inches of standing water throughout; passable with caution |
| Sandtree Drive | 4 to 6 inches of standing water; passable with caution |
| PGA Boulevard west of Mirasol | Flooding in both directions; the Florida Department of Transportation was asked for more signs |
The city also placed an electronic message board on westbound Northlake Boulevard at the Shops of Ibis. An earlier version of the city’s alert listed water at Hunt Club, Vintage Oaks and Holly Drive that only emergency vehicles or a Public Works loader could get through. It also listed standing water on Gardens East Drive south of the Gardens Hospital and at Lighthouse and Begonia.
The city said police, fire rescue, public works and engineering crews have been working since Sunday afternoon. It said the stormwater system “is performing as designed and helping mitigate the risk of flooding to homes and properties.” Crews are clearing drains across the city.
The weather service logged one report of water reaching homes. At 8:05 p.m. Sunday, an off-duty emergency manager reported “water entering homes in the area of Northlake Blvd and the Florida Turnpike in Palm Beach Gardens,” according to the weather service’s local storm report.
How much rain fell
The weather service’s 24-hour rain report, issued at 9:29 a.m. Monday, lists gauge readings to about 8 a.m. These are preliminary readings from automated and volunteer gauges, not official totals. The highest in north Palm Beach County:
- 15.54 inches about three miles west of Riviera Beach
- 12.42 inches about two miles northeast of The Acreage
- 10.80 inches about two miles west of Riviera Beach
- 8.48 inches about three miles northwest of Haverhill
- 6.16 inches about two miles southwest of Riviera Beach
Closer to the north end of the city, a gauge about two miles north of Palm Beach Gardens recorded 3.76 inches. A gauge two miles southwest of Jupiter, about six miles north, recorded 4.24 inches. The weather station two miles east of Haverhill recorded 4.39 inches.
The figures show how uneven the storm was. Readings a few miles apart differ by more than 10 inches.
What is closed
The city’s facility closures notice, updated at 3:07 p.m. Monday, lists:
- all city parks, the Tennis and Pickleball Center and the Aquatic Complex, closed
- Sandhill Crane Golf Club’s course, closed through Wednesday, Nov. 4; the driving range opens (mats only) Tuesday
- The Nest golf course and driving range, closed through Tuesday
- the Solid Waste Authority, closed Monday
Park conditions can change during the day. The city points residents to its Rainout Line for the latest on parks and sports fields.
The forecast
The flood watch said “pockets of very heavy rainfall resulted in localized flash flooding on Sunday and earlier today.” It expects 1 to 2 inches where storms form, with 2 to 4 inches possible in scattered spots Monday evening.
The weather service forecast for Palm Beach Gardens, as of Monday evening:
| Period | Forecast | Chance of rain | New rain possible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday night | Storms likely before 3 a.m., low around 74 | 60% | three-quarters of an inch to 1 inch |
| Tuesday | Chance of storms, partly sunny, high near 84 | 50% | a quarter to half an inch |
| Tuesday night | Chance of storms, low around 74 | 40% | less than a tenth of an inch |
| Wednesday | Chance of storms, mostly sunny, high near 85 | 40% | not given |
A separate coastal flood advisory for coastal Palm Beach County runs through Tuesday. The weather service warned of minor to moderate coastal flooding of lots, parks and roads, breaking waves of 6 to 7 feet and dangerous rip currents.
What it means for you
- Stay off flooded roads. The city asked people to drive only if they must. “Driving through flooded roadways puts you and emergency responders at risk,” it said.
- Report flooding on your street through the city’s Request Tracker, or call City Hall at 561-799-4100. Call 911 if anyone is in danger.
- Voting Tuesday? Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and storms are possible. Check your polling place and how to get there on our voting page, and allow extra time.
- Trash pickup may run late while the Solid Waste Authority is closed. Our trash and recycling page has the authority’s contacts.
- Power out? Report it to Florida Power & Light; the outage map is on our power outages page.
- Before you drive, check our road construction and closures page, which includes the Beeline Highway lane closures.
Sunday’s flash flood warning and the first flood watch are on our earlier weather story. We will update this story if the city posts new road conditions.
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