DeSantis Declares Emergency as '1,000-Year' Flood Swamps Space Coast

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Monday for Brevard County and six other counties after a stalled storm system dumped historic rain on the Space Coast and parts of central and southern Florida, according to Executive Order 26-227 posted by the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

The order covers Brevard, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie counties. It states that a broad area of low pressure moving across the Florida Peninsula from Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 produced widespread heavy rainfall and repeated instances of serious flooding, and that the flooding has affected and may continue to affect interstates, county roads, airports and schools, according to the text of the order.

More sights around Brevard County as residents deal with flooding. pic.twitter.com/t7pP03VaVT

— Spectrum News 13 (@MyNews13) November 2, 2026

The National Weather Service described the deluge in southern Brevard County as a one-in-1,000-year event, Florida Today reported, and ClickOrlando also called it a 1-in-1,000-year flood event for Central Florida. Florida Today reported that southeastern Palm Bay, Grant-Valkaria and parts of Malabar received about 20 inches of rain over a 24-hour period, and News 6 meteorologist Jordan Patrick wrote on ClickOrlando that parts of Central Florida had received around 2 feet of rain in the previous 24 hours.

More than 100 rescued

Brevard County sheriff’s deputies helped more than 100 people who were caught in rising water while driving to work or running errands, Brevard Emergency Management spokesperson Don Walker told Florida Today. The paper reported that airboats were used to pull at least seven residents from their homes in the Wingate subdivision in West Melbourne.

In Melbourne, three Florida Tech students were rescued after getting caught in a current near a flooded retention pond, Melbourne Police Cmdr. Shawn Eising told Florida Today. According to that report, officers used ropes to reach two of the students, and a Florida Fish and Wildlife helicopter airlifted the third.

FOX 35 Orlando reported that homes and roads saw record-level flooding, with residents rescued by boats and high-water trucks, and that officials urged people to shelter in place. WESH 2 reported that neighborhoods were cut off and that water service was shut off in parts of Brevard as the rain continued.

Schools closed, roads underwater

Brevard Public Schools closed all campuses Monday and announced schools would also be closed Tuesday, Florida Today reported. The city of Palm Bay urged residents to shelter in place around noon because of widespread roadway flooding, according to the paper and WESH 2, and city officials said a water main break along Port Malabar Boulevard left some customers without service until crews could safely reach it.

Palm Bay Police Lt. Vincent Galioto told Florida Today that streets were underwater across the city and urged drivers not to drive through standing water.

Brevard County Emergency Management is asking residents and business owners to report flood damage through an online form, Spectrum News 13 reported, noting that the form helps officials measure the impact and is not an application for recovery aid.

What comes next

The emergency order takes effect immediately and lasts 60 days unless extended, according to its text. It names the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management as the state coordinating officer for response, rescue and recovery operations.

Rain was expected to ease Monday night, but Patrick wrote on ClickOrlando that scattered showers could linger into Election Day on Tuesday and that, with the ground already saturated, any additional rain could quickly renew flooding concerns. The forecast calls for one more day of scattered storms Wednesday before drier air arrives Thursday, according to the same forecast.

Palm Bay Assistant Fire Chief John Ringleb told Florida Today that a full damage assessment will come as the water recedes Tuesday, and he urged residents to stay home and off the roads in the meantime.

Sources

• Florida Executive Order 26-227
• Florida Today
• WESH 2
• FOX 35 Orlando
• ClickOrlando
• Spectrum News 13

Reporting by Daily Beltway.