On Monday night, Gainesville will likely beat a 74-year record of rainfall for April, according to the National Weather Service in Jacksonville.
As of about 9 p.m., Gainesville had experienced 4.34 inches of rain, according to measurements reported from the Gainesville Regional Airport, said NWS meteorologist Dave Shuler. The airport started measuring rainfall 120 years ago, and the record since for a 24-hour period was 4.9 inches set on April 3, 1944.
The county was under a flood warning until 11 p.m. Monday, but Shuler said if the storm shifts back north, residents could face a flash flood warning, in which fast-moving water can damage structures. But because Gainesville is flat, flash flooding is uncommon.
During Monday afternoon, a heavy rain band crossed over Alachua County, moving south. Shuler said it is unlikely but possible that heavy rains will return Tuesday with an additional four inches.
“If that comes back to the north, we could really have some issues,” Shuler said.
Throughout Monday night and Tuesday, NWS will continue to monitor the rain, which will likely be less severe than it was Monday, he said.
Contact Elliott Nasby at enasby@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter at @_ElohEl.
