South Florida hit with flooding rain as storm moves across state

Flooding rain hit parts of South Florida on Saturday as a storm moved across the state, the National Hurricane Center said.

A potential tropical cyclone brought “considerable flash and urban flooding,” the center said in a tweet. Flash flooding is also expected across the Florida Keys and the northwestern Bahamas.

The storm, located about 45 miles south-southwest of Fort Myers, has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.

A tropical storm warning had been in effect for the west coast of Florida but was discontinued. A warning is still in effect for the Florida Keys, as well as parts of Cuba and the Bahamas.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami-Dade County Emergency Management urged drivers to stay away from flooded roads.

“Watch out for water of an unknown depth — it only takes 6 inches of flowing water to knock over a person,” the agency said in a tweet. “If you can’t see the road: #TurnAroundDontDrown! #StormReadySoFla.”

The storm is expected to reach tropical storm strength off Florida’s east coast by Saturday night and to strengthen through Monday as it moves away from Florida and into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Associated Press contributed.