Flash Flood Emergency: Local water rescues, roads closed, school flooded (2024)

The human toll: Floodwaters hit Ridge Road, surrounding homes and totaling cars

PercilliaHattenwoke up at 4 a.m. to whipping winds and torrential rains wreaking havoc on her home nestled on Ridge Road.

Water rushed from the street into her yard, and before long,Hatten’selevated home was surrounded. Because her house was raised high above the ground, nothing inside was damaged, but her cars were totaled and many of her belongings stored under the house will have to be thrown out.

“I just didn’t know what to do,” she shouted from her front porch where she stood surrounded by the floodwater, the worst she’d seen there.

Read the full story here.

'Not occupiable': The scene at Godby High School, where all but three buildings were flooded

One of the storm's biggest casualties may be Godby High School, where all but three buildings endured significant flooding.

"Right now the campus is not occupiable," Superintendent Rocky Hanna told the Democrat in an interview. "I started my career at Godby 36 years ago and I've never seen anything like this. We have an inch of standing water in a large number of classrooms."

It's not yet clear when Godby students will be able to return to campus for school.

"We're gonna get the campus back," Hanna said. "But we have to play it by ear."

He said the district will share its plans for students and the school later Thursday.

Read the full story here.

A one-two punch led to a 'perfect storm'

JoeWorster, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, said two rounds of storms hit Tallahassee, one that arrived earlier than expected on Wednesday and another Thursday.

The convection was further south than forecast, which allowed the system to train over the area for hours as it slowed down and fed off abundant Gulf moisture.

“Not only with the training, we had just a lot of moisture in the atmosphere, which allowed pretty intense rainfall rates to follow these storms,”Worstersaid. “So it was just kind of like a perfect storm for this kind of scenario.”

Just how much did it rain in the Tallahassee area?

"The highest rainfall amount recorded in Leon County was a 14.58 inches at Lake Iamonia, according to the National Weather Service. The official amount at the airport was 7.11 inches.

Eastern Leon County saw roughly 10-12 inches of rain. At Piney Z Lake, 10.49 inches of rain fell. Elsewhere in the Big Bend, 5.27 inches of rain fell near Wakulla Springs and 3.81 inches on St. George Island.

Florida Highway Patrol car flips, trapping trooper

Two Florida Highway Patrol troopers endured minor injuries after a patrol car flipped in the aftermath of the flash floods.

The trooper was traveling north on Geddie Road when "it struck standing water, causing the vehicle to travel off the roadway to the right and overturn into a with standing water," according to a FHP report.

"The trooper became entrapped within the vehicle, but was shortly removed from the by another trooper," the report continues. "Both troopers sustained minor injuries during this incident."

Florida Highway Patrol was assisted by Leon County Sheriff's Office and Leon County Fire Rescue.

Photos emerge after epic night of Tallahassee flooding; send us your photos

After day dawned Thursday, photos are beginning to emerge.

The Leon County Sheriff's Office posted photos of a washed-out Sir Richard Road off Highway 20 in the Fort Braden area. They also posted a photo that showed flooded homes on Ridge Road in South Tallahassee.

They also assisted other agencies with water rescues, including one in far west Tallahassee.

"LCSO and other local first responders are rescuing residents impacted by flood waters this morning," LCSO wrote. Pictured here, LCSO K9 Deputy Jesse Matthews assisting Tallahassee Fire Department after storm impacts mobile home neighborhood on Southern Bell Loop/Emily Loop, leaving residents' homes underwater. LCSO and TFD rescued several individuals from their homes."

Do you have photos of the flooding in progress or the aftermath? Email us a photo, caption or description with the location and a photographer credit to news@tallahassee.com.

Godby High School closed after 'flooding issues'

While most Leon County Schools students will be beginning their school day an hour later, it's a storm day for Godby High School.

Just ten minutes before school was set to start, Leon Schools tweeted: "Due to flooding issues on the campus of Godby High School, we are canceling school at Godby today. JUST Godby High School. Parents, please check your email.

At 8:07 a.m., the district tweeted: "We are experiencing some issues around flooding on the campus of Godby High School and are making a decision about school operations momentarily."

The Tallahassee Democrat has reached out to the school district for more information.

Leon County Schools decided Wednesday evening to delay its school day by an hour for each school tomorrowdue to the severe storm system.

High Schools will start at 8:30 a.m., elementary schools will start at 9:30 a.m. and middle school will start at 10:30 a.m.

Florida State University posted to X that "University officials are assessing the effects of the storm on the Florida State University campuses in Tallahassee. Classes and normal operations are expected to resume at 11 AM ET. Use extreme caution and give yourself extra time when traveling to campus." Florida A&M University is set to open at noon. Tallahassee Community College is set to open at 9:30 a.m.

A list of road closures as of 6:25 a.m.

The Leon County Sheriff's Office advises residents to "please avoid roadways, if possible, as emergency officials work to assess and clear areas."

"Many roadways are closed due to flooding and officials expect more downed trees throughout the morning," LCSO wrote in a Facebook post online.

Roads are closed due to flooding at:

• Centerville Rd. at Brim Lane
• Carolina Street
• Pensacola at Appleyard
• Monroe at Brevard
• Tharpe at Trimble
• Ocala at Pensacola
• Dixie at Escambia
• Weems at RRxing
• Thomasville at Waverly
• Old Bainbridge at Homewood
• Jackson Bluff at Highway 20, Chipley and Ausley
• Trimble at Vega
• Eppes at Airport
• Lake Bradford at Orange Ave
• Paul Russell at Meridian Street to Fairview Street
• Stadium at St. Augustine
• Apalachee at Conner
• Geddie at Highway 20
• Mahan at Black Creek Bridge
• Orchard Pond at Meridian
• Centerville Rd at Waltrip Way
• Tennessee at Appleyard
• Blair Stone at Orange Ave
• Magnolia at Country Club
• Orange Ave at Meridian St
• Apalachee at Franklin
• Dewey at Virginia
• Buck Lake at Nabb
• Centerville at Capital Circle NE
• Old Bainbridge at Dent Street
• Bannerman at Preservation

Mahan Drive is currently closed east of Chaires Crossroad and Geddie Road is closed due to a crash.

Trees are down at the following locations

• North Meridian at Arthur Dickey Lane
• Hartsfield Rd and Vincent
• Mahan Drive at Magnolia Dr
• Mahan Drive at Schaffer
• Old St. Augustine Rd at Blair Stone
• Centerville Rd. at Killala Way

Leon County Sheriff's Office warns drivers to stay off roads as emergency crews respond to flooding

The Leon County Sheriff’s Office is urging drivers to avoid flooded roads after torrential overnight rain left many impassible.

“We’re telling folks if you see water, turn around, don’t drown,” saidShondaKnight, spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office. “Don’t try to drive through it. There are several incidents where firstrespondershad to divert from trying to clear roadways to try and help individuals who have gotten stuck.”

Knight said there have been several water rescues of stranded motorists and a few vehicle crashes this morning but no reports of injuries. She saidLCSOrescued people on Meridian Road andTrimbleRoad and that the Tallahassee Police Department took part in several rescues elsewhere.

Knight added that there were “lots of flooded areas” and a number of trees down.

“We anticipate more downed trees from the water,” she said. “So we’re asking residents as much as they can to avoid the roadways as emergency crews assess the damage and get out there and try to clear some of these roadways.”

She added that heavy rain and flooding impacted numerous places across Leon County.

“It’s pretty widespread through the county and the city,” Knight said.

Capitol Police issued an alert saying that the bottom level of the Lot 31 parking garage is closed until further notice because of flooding. Drivers were asked to park on the upper level of the garage.

Are schools closed today?

The Florida Department of Education announced the following schools are closed Thursday, April 11:

• JeffersonCounty Schoolswill be closed Thursday, April 11, 2024
• Wakulla County Schoolswill be closed Thursday, April 11, 2024.
• WashingtonCounty Schoolswill be closed Thursday, April 11, 2024.

The following schools will delay opening schools today:

• FranklinCounty Schoolswill delay opening Thursday, April 11, 2024, until 10:00 a.m.
• GulfCounty Schoolswill have a2-hourdelayed start onThursday, April 11, 2024.
• Leon County Schoolswill delay opening by one hour on Thursday, April 11, 2024.

Flash Flood Emergency declared for Tallahassee; multiple ‘water rescues’ and water inside structures

Amid reports of “significant street flooding” and “multiple water rescues,” the National Weather Service warned Tallahassee motorists overnight to stay off the roads until heavy rains and flooding subside.

“Significant flooding event is currently unfolding across several counties,” forecasters wrote on X Thursday morning at 3:40 a.m. “If at all possible, do not go outside! There are currently multiple water rescues ongoing.”

There were also reports of water entering homes and businesses.

Forecasters say the region may have seen between 6 and 9 inches of rainfall overnight.

"The highest I've seen was 9 inches at Holy Comforter Episcopal," National Weather Service forecaster Molly Merrifield told the Tallahassee Democrat in an interview.

At about 3:30 a.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service declared a “Flash Flood Emergency” for a wide swath of the Tallahassee area, including Chaires, Capitola and Bradfordville. The emergency extends until 6:30 a.m.

Even as rains tapered off by about 4:30 a.m., forecasters warned that the Flash Flood Emergency was “still ongoing!”

“Many impassible roads across the city and water entering homes,” they wrote. “Please stay put and don't drive through flooded roads! If your home is flooding, move to higher floor if possible.”

Merrifield, the forecaster, said at about 5 a.m. that she didn't expect another round of heavy rain as the system pushes eastward. But thunderstorms could continue until about 8 a.m.

"I do think things should gradually improve," she said. "But it still could take a couple of hours for things to subside just because it was so much rainfall overnight."

She said most of the water rescues were centered near the FSU campus and points southwest.

She said there were reports of a water rescue along Tennessee Street in front of Bullwinkles and a senior citizen was rescued from her flooded home off West Virginia street.

There wasn’t a definitive list of closed roads, but according to rolling reports coming into the National Weather Service at the height of the storm:

• an FSU student reported West Virginia and Dewey Street as impassible.
• the 911 Call Center reported water rescue at Stadium Dr and Pensacola St.
• the 911 Call Center reported a water rescue at Airport Dr and Eppes Dr.
• an NWS Employee on the way to fix KTLH radar reported 1-2 feet of water on Mahan Dr.
• an FSU student reported flooding is causing electric issues for several cars in a parking lot.
• There was flooding up to the guardrails at the railroad crossing on W Tennessee St.
• There were also reports of flooding near The Venetian Student Living Apartments; at Weems Road; Dixie Drive and Escambia Drive, Monroe Street and Brevard Street; Tennessee Street and Dewey Street; Tennessee Street and Copeland Street.; Pensacola Street and Appleyard Drive; at Carolina Street and Tharpe and Trimble.

As of 5:30 a.m., there were still reports of impassible roads across parts of Tallahassee.

"Please be careful and don't drive through flooded roads," forecasters advised.

The rare weather warning came after relentless rounds of heavy rain, which began at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, pelted Florida’s capital city.

“Significant street flooding reported across Tallahassee this morning,” NWS forecasters wrote on X. “Please stay put where you are until flooding subsides.”

While about 2,00 people were without power at the height of the storm, by 5:45 a.m. crews had re-connected customers to the grid and only about 500 were still experiencing outages.

The storm system delayed school start times in Leon County and closed schools in Wakulla, Jefferson and other surrounding counties.

What to expect from overnight “potent” storm system

A potent storm system could bring dangerous winds, large hail and flash flooding to the area overnight and into Thursday morning.

Parts of Alabama, Georgia and Florida, including Tallahassee, are under a tornado watch until 9 p.m. Wednesday. A wind advisory and flood watch has also been issued until Thursday at 2 p.m.

Already the system has been associated with 70 mph wind gusts, a few tornadoes across Louisiana and a "flash flood emergency" in New Orleans.

"This one definitely is one of the stronger ones we've seen this year," said National Weather Service - Tallahassee meteorologist Joe Worster of the storm system. "There are some pretty potent dynamics."

Forecasters warn that the system could spawn a "couple strong tornadoes" and generate an isolated barrage of "ping-pong ball sized hail." They say the region could see scattered gusts of up to 75 mph winds.

"Severe storms are pushing east ... and will be knocking on our door within the next couple hours," forecasters wrote on X. "There’s a history of strong winds, rotation, and heavy rain with this activity."

Forecasters expect the brunt of the bad weather to hit the Tallahassee area overnight between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. Thursday.

"Have multiple different ways to receive warnings," Worster said. "Make sure your phone volume is turned up and have a place to go in most interior room of your house or anywhere with no windows."

Ahead of the storms' arrival, Jefferson County Schools District announced it made the decision to close its schools Thursday "with the safety and well-being of our students and staff in mind." Wakulla County later followed suit and closed its schools on Thursday. Leon County Schools opted to delay its school day by an hour.

The Tallahassee area could be pelted with up to 2 inches of rain with points further west like Marianna seeing up to 4 inches of rain.

"This system could certainly overperform," Worster warned.

Flood watch issued until Thursday

A flood watch is in effect from Wednesday evening through Thursday afternoon. Excessive rainfall, likely to produce flash and river flooding.

EARLIER STORY

A warm front is expected to move into Florida's Panhandle Wednesday afternoon and evening, followed by a strong cold front, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon and widespread showers and thunderstorms this evening and overnight.

The Storm Prediction Center is predicting an enhanced risk for severe weather — 3 out of 5 — especially wet of the U.S. 231 corridor. A slight risk for severe weather — 2 out of 5 — extends into Tallahassee.

The strong to severe thunderstorms could bring multiple hazards, including tornadoes, damaging wind gusts and hail.

There's a possibility some tornadoes in the western Panhandle could be strong, EF-2 or greater, the Division of Emergency Management said. An EF-2 tornado has wind speeds of 111-135 mph.

Damaging wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph within severe thunderstorms are also a threat, along with the potential for hail from dime to quarter size.

The threat for severe thunderstorms will primarily be overnight Wednesday and into early Thursday morning.

Weather watches and warnings issued across the U.S.

Weather alerts issued in Florida

Power outages for Tallahassee

Weather radar and forecast for Pensacola

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Weather radar and forecast for Tallahassee

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