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A Gulf Coast, Florida Soaking in Early June 2017 (RECAP) | The Weather Channel
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A Gulf Coast, Florida Soaking in Early June 2017 (RECAP)

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Don't Underestimate The Power Of Water

Heavy rain soaked parts of the Gulf and Southeast coasts June 4-7, including the drought-stricken Florida Peninsula, triggering flash flooding in areas previously scarred by wildfires.

(LATEST NEWS: Flash Flooding in the South)

Through the morning of June 7, parts of the Florida Panhandle and south Florida had picked up over 10 inches of rain in just two days' time.

Marco Island, Florida, experienced significant flooding the morning of June 6, with cars stalled after 6 to 8 inches of rain fell the night before. Water reportedly entered some structures in nearby Everglades City, as well.

Estimates of up to 7 inches of rain impacted parts of southern Mississippi early June 6, resulting in roads and bridges being flooded or washed out in Jones County. Some homes were also flooded in the area. 

Roads were closed in Charleston, South Carolina, the afternoon of June 6 due to flooding. Areas around the City Market in the French Quarter of Charleston were also flooded.

Flash flooding the morning of June 5 resulted in numerous road closures in Batesville, Arkansas. Water rescues from flash flooding were reported as far north as Marion, Ohio.

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June 4, more than a dozen water rescues were reported in and around Houston as cars became stranded on flooded roads. A thunderstorm that moved through Dallas the evening of June 4 also produced flash flooding.

Locally more than 7 inches of rain fell in a few hours on June 4 in Chambers County, Texas, which is located along the southeast Texas coast.

Heavy Rain, Flooding Setup

There were a host of ingredients in play that contributed to the heavy rain in the South:

1) A deep flow of tropical moisture2) An upper-level low which moved slowly from Texas eastward along the Gulf Coast3) An arriving frontal boundary, providing a focus to lift the warm, humid air4) A sharp, southward jet stream plunge into the East

(MORE: Why Florida Has Wet & Dry Seasons)

Despite the flooding problems, this rain was also desperately needed, given the severe to extreme drought and recent wildfires.

(MORE: Flooding Nearly Three Times Deadlier in 2015-16)

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Atlantic Basin's Retired Hurricane and Tropical Storm Names

 
Milton tied 2005's Rita for the strongest Gulf hurricane by pressure (895 millibars). It then slammed into western Florida just two weeks after Helene, with 6 to 10 feet of storm surge and up to 20 inches of rain. Milton also spawned over 40 tornadoes in Florida, the state's largest modern-era outbreak. Thirty-nine were killed in the U.S. both during the storm and in its aftermath, with an estimated $34 billion damage. (Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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HURRICANE MILTON (2024)

Milton tied 2005's Rita for the strongest Gulf hurricane by pressure (895 millibars). It then slammed into western Florida just two weeks after Helene, with 6 to 10 feet of storm surge and up to 20 inches of rain. Milton also spawned over 40 tornadoes in Florida, the state's largest modern-era outbreak. Thirty-nine were killed in the U.S. both during the storm and in its aftermath, with an estimated $34 billion damage. (Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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