PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Residents across Jupiter and Martin County are dealing with the aftermath of torrential rains that dumped up to five inches of water in some areas over the past 24 hours, forcing road closures and leading to 43 traffic crashes in Martin County alone.
WATCH BELOW: 'Leave your car at home and bring your kayaks,' Fernando Malagon tells WPTV
Areas near the Jupiter Lighthouse received the heaviest rainfall, with some locations measuring close to 8 inches according to WPTV meteorologists. The deluge forced the closure of Jupiter A1A for several hours as water covered the roadway, though it has since reopened.
Weather spotter Mike Richmond, who has been tracking conditions in the area, said his rain gauge was filled to capacity.
"This was filled to the rim. Yeah, so close to 8 inches," Richmond said. "It was overflowing."
Richmond described the intensity of the storm as unlike anything he's experienced recently.
"It was really thunderous, in a way. I mean, you could hear it hitting the deck and the roof," Richmond said. "It was just amazing."
The flooding extended beyond roadways, inundating sidewalks, ball parks and business parking lots. At Dune Dog Cafe, workers deployed pumps to clear standing water from their flooded parking lot. Fernando Malagon, who has served at the restaurant for nine years, said flooding is a recurring problem whenever heavy rains hit the area.
"Leave your car at home and bring your kayaks or your paddle boards," Malagon said. "Our locals already used to it as well. We actually got even busier."
The Martin County Sheriff's Office responded to 43 crashes on Thursday, a number that surprised even veteran law enforcement officers.
Lt. David Rosko said the crash total was unprecedented in his experience.
"I've been with the sheriff's office for 11 years and highway patrol 11 prior to that, and I can't recall that many in my years of service," Rosko said.
With additional rain expected Friday, the sheriff's office is urging drivers to exercise caution and allow extra time for travel in case flooding returns to area roadways.
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