Sunday Night's Short-Fuse Alerts Hit Home: A Flood Advisory for Central Orange County and a Flash Flood Warning for Southwestern Seminole, Where 2 to 3 Inches Had Fallen
Before the overnight watch even settled in, the Weather Service had an advisory up for Orlando, Apopka, Winter Park and their neighbors until 10:15 p.m. — and a flash flood warning for Altamonte Springs, Casselberry and Fern Park until 10:30 p.m.
The flood watch was not the only alert over Orlando on Sunday night. The National Weather Service in Melbourne issued a flood advisory at 8:10 p.m. Eastern for central Orange County and southern Seminole County, in effect until 10:15 p.m., saying flooding caused by excessive rainfall was expected. The places listed as experiencing flooding read like the metro's own roll call: Orlando, Apopka, Altamonte Springs, Ocoee, Oviedo, Winter Springs, Winter Park, Casselberry, Maitland and Longwood.
One county line over, the product was stronger. The Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for southwestern Seminole County — including Altamonte Springs, Casselberry and Fern Park — until 10:30 p.m., reporting that 2 to 3 inches of rain had already fallen there. A warning, unlike the advisory and the watch, means flooding is occurring or imminent in the warned area, and it was posted at 8:15 p.m. as the Melbourne office expanded its flood watch to cover all of east central Florida overnight.
Both short-fuse products expired late Sunday night, and no official damage or injury report from either area had been released as of this filing — the desk reports the alerts themselves, and nothing beyond them. What remains in force is the watch: Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties stay under it through Monday at 3 p.m., with the heaviest of Monday's rain expected in the morning's first half.
