Catastrophic flooding in Riviera traps residents, sends cars floating

• Riviera Beach is experiencing a catastrophic flooding event after receiving 15 to 20 inches of rain.
• First responders have rescued dozens of residents trapped by waist-deep water in several neighborhoods.
• Emergency response teams have paused entry into flooded areas due to dangerous conditions.

Riviera Beach is facing a devastating once in a 1,000-year catastrophic flooding emergency from which it could take years to recover, officials said Tuesday.

About 15 to 20 inches of rain battered the city over the past few days. It left waist-deep standing water behind, trapping residents in their homes and leaving cars floating around neighborhoods, said Mayor Douglas Lawson. 

“Riding with our first responders, actually seeing them wade through waist-deep water to try to save some of our residents that are trapped on a flash-flood incident, was something that I’d never thought I’d experience,” Lawson said.

“Stay safe, stay hunkered down until this water subsides and then we will start working on rehabbing our community.”

The Lone Pine Estates neighborhood along Northlake Boulevard seems to be the most devastated, but residents are also trapped in the Turtle Cay, Thousand Oaks, Indian Trace and Woodbine neighborhoods, he said. Crews rescued more than 50 residents from the Lone Pine neighborhood from the floodwaters, according to a city statement.

The floods partially sunk a school bus at the Lone Pine neighborhood on Nov. 3, and its residents navigated the area in canoes. Six pumps are moving floodwater out of the neighborhoods and into local canals.

The heavy rain and storms started on Halloween night and at times seemed relentless. The rains fell, flooded roadways, and then more showers and storms followed, worsening the flooding.

The culprits? A mid- to upper-level system, deep moisture in the atmosphere coming up from the Caribbean and thunderstorms trapped along the coast as wind blew from the east in lower parts of the atmosphere and blew from the west in the upper parts of the atmosphere.

These created a conveyer belt of thunderstorms, forecasters at the National Weather Service said.

Riviera Beach emergency response teams will not enter flooded communities until flooding recedes

The city’s emergency response teams will not be entering the flooded communities after 6 p.m. tonight — except in the case of medical emergencies or life-threatening situations — until the water subsides, Lawson said. The water is so high that it poses a danger to staff members trying to get in and out of the neighborhoods.

Florida Power & Light crews also will not return until the water subsides. 

The city is planning to deliver water and meals to people affected by the flooding. Officials are working with county, state and regional partners to coordinate temporary housing, food, transportation and recovery resources for residents.

Lawson has asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to include Palm Beach County in the state emergency declaration that he issues this week for counties to its north, which also have experienced record flooding. The state of emergency will release access to Federal Emergency Management Agency funds for residents and provide additional state and federal support.

“We need that support in our western communities because families are going to be losing their homes,” Lawson said.

Residents are asked not to flush toilets, do laundry after forcemain breaks

Westbound Blue Heron Boulevard is closed at Congress Avenue due to a forcemain break, which is a rupture in the pipe that carries wastewater, according to a city statement. Eastbound lanes will also close while crews make repairs, but both directions should reopen on Thursday, Nov. 4. 

Wastewater systems in the city are backed up from the excessive stormwater. City officials are asking residents to restrict the amount of water they use in their home and not flush their toilets or do laundry, said Richard Gallant, utility district assistant director for the city.

The city is grappling with severe water damage, mold remediation, structural assessments and temporary displacements. The county has opened up a shelter for people impacted by the flooding at the Therapeutic Recreation center in Lake Worth, according to Commissioner Bobby Powell.

“This is not like a hurricane that's coming in where residents could prepare for weeks to have supplies,” Lawson said. “They don't have supplies. (If) you’re not prepared in your home and if you feel like you can last a day or two, I'm not sure if it’s going to subside by then. ... We want to try to remove all our residents as quickly as possible.”

Maya Washburn is a Trending News Reporter for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at [email protected]. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.