DeSantis Declares a State of Emergency for Seven Flood Counties, Including Brevard

Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Monday for seven Florida counties hit by the weekend and Monday deluge, as 34 counties across the state sat under flood watches or warnings, the Palm Beach Post reports. The seven counties in the declaration are Brevard, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie. FOX Weather, in a file updated at 5:40 p.m. Eastern, reports the declaration was issued to expedite resources and assistance to the communities impacted by the flooding.

Brevard County, an hour east of Orlando, is the declaration's hardest-hit county. Radar estimates indicate 18 to 20 inches of rain fell in 12 hours just south of Palm Bay, FOX Weather reports, and according to NOAA anything over 15.5 inches in 12 hours makes the event a 1,000-year flood. The National Weather Service's Flash Flood Emergency for southern Brevard has expired, but a Flash Flood Warning remains in effect, and a flood watch for Brevard, Volusia, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Okeechobee counties runs through Tuesday morning, with rain lingering Tuesday and skies expected to clear midweek.

Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties — Orlando's own — are not among the seven counties named, and Orlando's flood watch is a separate, shorter one. One county that did flood is openly asking to be added: Palm Beach County, which is not included in the declaration, declared a local emergency of its own and is seeking an executive order from the governor, according to the Florida Man News Network's flood file, which reported the governor's declaration via FOX 35 at 4:57 p.m. Eastern. Schools in Brevard, Hardee and DeSoto counties will also be closed Tuesday under the storm's disruption, with DeSoto's closure extending to Wednesday.