SWFL to dry out, cool after constant downpour raised flooding concerns

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The heavy rain that hit Southwest Florida for two days, causing flooding concerns in Lee and Collier counties, has passed, WINK Weather Meteorologist Eric Stone said Thursday evening.

The heavy to moderate rain was caused by a cold front, but most of Southwest Florida will feel cooler Friday and the weather will certainly be drier, Stone said.

Some areas that received up to 5 or 6 inches of rain on Wednesday saw another couple inches on Thursday. Storms continued throughout the day, but the region is expected to dry out into Friday.

Some residents at the Marco Naples Carefree RV Resort, off Barefoot Williams Road in Collier County, have water reaching their doorsteps after the constant rain. Managers at the RV resort say they’re doing their best to pump the water out, but many of the residents, who are seasonal, aren’t used to dealing with Florida rain and flooding.

“Never seen this, no. Usually we come in November and the water is up and we have to live with it for a day or two and it goes away,” resident Richard Nangle said. “But this is ridiculous, this is terrible. It’s not really terrible, I could be back up in Boston shoveling snow!”

Crews are continuing surveillance of roads and cleaning drainage on county maintained roads as needed, Collier County officials said.

Lee County residents are also experiencing the effects of the continuous downpour. In Cape Coral, police are warning residents about streets that keep flooding.

Portions of roads in Cape Coral were flooded out Wednesday night, including parts of Chiquita Boulevard and Diplomat Parkway. By Thursday morning, both locations had been drained down and standing water was no longer an issue. But as the rain continues, the trouble spots could be back under water.

“This is it’s crazy, really crazy,” one resident said. “It’s very unpredictable. We had tornadoes, then it was cold, then it was hot, and now we have all this rain.”

Power outages were reported on Captiva, where 800 customers lost power, according to LCEC, but it was later restored.

In Charlotte County, Elm Street, from Taylor Road to Cypress Drive, is closed to through traffic due to localized flooding, county officials said Thursday afternoon.

Lee County officials offered safety tips for motorists and pedestrians navigating heavy rain and flooding issues:

• Never drive or walk through moving water or standing water
  • Two feet of water can disable most vehicles
  • Six inches of fast-flowing water can sweep a people off their feet
• Standing water may:
  • conceal holes or dangerous objects
  • contain bacteria, oil and toxic runoff from highways and fields
• Treat non-functioning traffic signals as a four-way stop
• Avoid downed or hanging power lines. Always presume the power line is live
• Be especially cautious at night, when it is harder to see possible flood dangers

Lee County residents can ask the Department of Transportation for assistance with flooded roads by calling the Request for Action Hotline at 239-533-9400. The department also has a website for requests. The road has to be maintained by the Department of Transportation to be eligible for drainage.