Brevard County, Florida: Schools Closed as Overnight Rain Floods Roads From Palm Bay to Titusville

Heavy rain fell across Brevard County overnight and into Monday morning, dropping six to 10 inches of rain in some parts of south Brevard, Florida Today reported. Streets were left impassable in Titusville, beachside canals and ditches filled up, and police in several cities told residents to stay off the roads while the National Weather Service warned of an imminent threat of flash flooding.

Schools closed for the day

Brevard Public Schools announced on social media that all of its schools would stay closed on Monday, Nov. 2, because of the flooding. "The safety of our students, staff and families is our top priority," the district said in a statement, urging everyone to use caution and avoid flooded roadways. A weather alert on the district website said schools were closed for the day because of inclement weather, FOX 35 Orlando reported.

Palm Bay streets underwater

In Palm Bay, heavy rain flooded roadways in the northwest of the city, including parts of Jupiter Boulevard, Elmont Street and Garvey Road, and several large canals rose toward their edges. Palm Bay police spokesman Lt. Vincent Galioto said streets were underwater across the city and that some drivers got stuck overnight. The department has small boats and pickup trucks ready to help with rescues, he said.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said U.S. 192 in Melbourne had flooded out and asked people to stay home and off the roadways unless travel was necessary, warning that drivers cannot always tell whether a flooded road is damaged underneath. The Florida Department of Transportation reported at 4:12 a.m. on Monday that flooding had closed all lanes of U.S. 192 at Vine Street and Bronson Highway West, before Interstate 95, the Palm Beach Post reported.

Flooding was also reported along Ocean Boulevard in Satellite Beach. In Cocoa Beach, residents were warned that heavy flows had pushed the city's lift stations to capacity.

More rain in the forecast

A flood watch stays in effect through 7 p.m. on Monday for all of east central Florida, FOX 35 Orlando reported. Saturated ground from Brevard County south through the Treasure Coast and Okeechobee raises the risk of local flash flooding, and some areas could see one to three more inches of rain on Monday before conditions improve in the afternoon. Scott Kelly, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne, told Florida Today the amount of rain that fell overnight was very unusual for the area.

The same weather system kept all of South Florida under a flood watch through Monday evening, and State Road 78 was closed in Glades County, the Palm Beach Post reported.