Some schools remain closed in Florida after ‘catastrophic flooding’

By Paul Harrison, Orbis Weather · Nov 4, 2026

Every public school in Brevard County, Florida, is closed for a third straight day on Wednesday, November 4, after record rain flooded roads, homes and campuses on the Space Coast. Schools in neighboring Indian River and St. Lucie counties are also shut on Wednesday, with both districts hoping to reopen on Thursday, November 5.

The closures follow a storm that dropped more than 20 inches of rain on parts of southern Brevard County on Monday, November 2. Two people died in Palm Bay, and hundreds were rescued from floodwaters. The National Weather Service had issued a flash flood emergency, warning of “catastrophic” damage.

Why Brevard schools are still closed

Brevard Public Schools named four problems that keep campuses shut: water service, roads, damaged buildings and staffing.

“This marks our third day of closures following this week’s severe flooding throughout our county,” a district spokesperson said, according to Space Coast Daily. “We know how difficult these closures are for families, and we did not make this decision lightly.”

• Water: a major water main break in the Melbourne area has put nearly 30 schools under a boil water notice. The district warned that further disruption could affect restrooms and air conditioning.
• Roads: “Flooded and closed roads across the county continue to impact safe travel and school bus routes,” the district said in a statement reported by WFTV.
• Buildings: several campuses flooded and need more inspections and cleanup before students return.
• Staff: “Many employees live in heavily impacted areas and cannot safely travel to work,” the district said.

All after-school activities are canceled on Wednesday, except high school varsity sports, which are being judged case by case. District crews are continuing “inspections, repairs and cleanup efforts to prepare campuses for reopening,” according to a release quoted by ClickOrlando. The district has not set a reopening date and said it will give an update on Thursday’s schedule, per FOX 35.

School status in nearby counties

The status below is as reported on November 3 by CBS12, except Brevard, which is as of November 4.

In St. Lucie County, school resource officers are helping on the roads, and one school site is serving as a shelter for families whose homes flooded, CBS12 reported.

How much rain fell

Southern Brevard County took close to two feet of rain in about two days, much of it on Monday. An upper-level disturbance and persistent easterly winds brought rounds of heavy rain from Sunday, November 1, according to ClickOrlando, which published preliminary National Weather Service totals.

A separate Weather Prediction Center summary, cited by The Watchers, gave up to 24.10 inches (612 mm) near Malabar from 7 a.m. EST Sunday to 9 p.m. EST Monday. Totals differ because the sources use different gauges and time periods.

Melbourne had its wettest day on record on Monday. FOX Weather reported 11.51 inches, the most since records began in 1937. Weatherboy gave 11.04 inches at the official gauge, breaking the daily, monthly and all-time 24-hour records. Both outlets described it as a one-in-1,000-year rain event. For comparison, Florida’s one-day record is 23.28 inches, set in Key West in 1980, according to ABC News.

The National Weather Service in Melbourne issued a flash flood emergency for West Melbourne and Palm Bay at 7:56 a.m. EST on Monday, later adding Grant-Valkaria. By late morning it described the damage threat as “catastrophic,” per The Watchers. Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency the same day for Brevard, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie counties.

Deaths, rescues and damage

Two people died in Palm Bay. Mayor Rob Medina identified them on Tuesday as Joshua Bennett, 34, and Archie Richards, 78, both of whom died on Monday, HNGN reported. Medina said one of them died in a vehicle; the causes had not been confirmed. Palm Bay police had earlier confirmed one death to The Weather Channel.

Rescue crews worked through Monday night. Medina said “hundreds” of people had been rescued since Sunday, and crews were still finding people stranded in cars as late as 2 a.m. Tuesday, per HNGN. Sheriff’s deputies helped more than 100 people, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers rescued more than 60 in Melbourne and Palm Bay. Airboats pulled seven residents from flooded homes in the Wingate subdivision of West Melbourne, according to The Watchers. Three Florida Institute of Technology students caught in a current near Crane Creek were rescued, one of them by helicopter.

The damage reaches well beyond schools:

• Nearly 200 people were displaced in Melbourne, officials said Monday, per FOX Weather.
• Melbourne issued a precautionary boil water notice for all its water customers after a water main broke on Port Malabar Boulevard.
• Palm Bay’s fire headquarters flooded, and part of Fallon Boulevard collapsed, Weatherboy reported.
• One family reported 38 inches of water in its living room, per HNGN.
• Election officials moved 23 polling places in Florida for Tuesday’s election, HNGN reported.

What happens next

The heaviest rain is over, but floodwater may take days to drain and one river is still rising. The storm system that stalled over the coast was forecast to drift west and weaken through midweek, with scattered showers possible for several more days, according to The Weather Channel. HNGN reported a forecast of 1 to 2 more inches on Tuesday and said heavier downpours could return by midweek.

The St. Johns River near Cocoa was in minor flood stage on Tuesday and is forecast to reach moderate flood stage by mid to late week, Weatherboy reported. ClickOrlando’s meteorologist noted that floodwater will take time to recede, especially in the Brevard neighborhoods that had the most rain.

For schools, the next step is Thursday’s schedule. Brevard Public Schools has promised an update, and Indian River and St. Lucie counties are aiming to reopen on Thursday, November 5.

What families should know

Families should check their school district’s official channels for reopening news and avoid flooded roads. “Please stay off flooded roads and stay safe,” Brevard school officials urged, per WFTV. Brevard County also asked residents to limit water use while repairs continue, and Melbourne’s boil water notice covers all of its customers, Weatherboy reported. Official flood warnings come from the National Weather Service in Melbourne and county emergency management.

Sources

• Space Coast Daily: All Brevard Public Schools closed on Wednesday
• WFTV: Brevard Public Schools will remain closed Wednesday
• ClickOrlando: Brevard schools will remain closed amid severe flooding
• FOX 35: Brevard schools remain closed after historic flooding
• CBS12: Flooding disrupts Treasure Coast schools
• ClickOrlando: How much rain fell across Central Florida
• The Watchers: Florida declares emergency after catastrophic flooding
• FOX Weather: Space Coast slammed by 1,000-year rain event
• Weatherboy: Brevard County digs out from record flood
• ABC News: At least 15 inches of rain falls in Florida county
• HNGN: Florida floods kill 2, move polling sites
• The Weather Channel: Deadly floods hit Florida’s Space Coast