Flooding Hits Kissimmee Area as Storms Drop 2 Inches of Rain
Back-to-back flood advisories from the National Weather Service put Kissimmee and rural Osceola County on alert Sunday night after thunderstorms dropped 2 inches of rain in hours.
KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA — Thunderstorms brought up to 2 inches of rain to Osceola County Sunday evening, leading the National Weather Service office in Melbourne to issue consecutive flood advisories for parts of east central Florida, including Kissimmee and nearby rural areas.
The first advisory was issued at 7:22 p.m. EDT on June 28, covering mainly rural areas of northern Osceola County and set to expire at 8:45 p.m. EDT. A second advisory followed at 7:44 p.m. EDT, extending the warning through 9:15 p.m. EDT and expanding the affected locations to include Kissimmee and Kissimmee Airport.
What Radar Showed
According to the National Weather Service, Doppler radar detected heavy rainfall from active thunderstorms at the time each advisory was issued. The storms had already deposited up to 2 inches of rain across the county by the time the first alert went out at 7:22 p.m. EDT.
With the second advisory, forecasters warned that an additional 1.5 inches of rainfall remained possible over the affected area on top of what had already fallen. The earlier advisory had projected up to 1 additional inch of rain before expiring.
Flooding Impacts
The National Weather Service described the flooding threat as minor, affecting low-lying areas and locations with poor drainage. Ponding of water in urban areas was either already occurring or expected to begin shortly, according to the advisories.
Small streams in the region were also at risk of rising due to the excessive rainfall, NWS Melbourne reported. Kissimmee Airport was specifically identified as one of the locations expected to experience flooding conditions during the second advisory period.
Safety Guidance
Residents in affected areas were directed to the National Weather Service flood safety page at weather.gov/safety/flood for guidance on how to respond to flooding conditions. Officials generally advise against driving through flooded roadways, as even shallow water can pose a danger to vehicles and pedestrians.
Both advisories were issued by the NWS office in Melbourne, Florida, which oversees weather forecasting for east central Florida, including Osceola County.
