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Two Dead As Flash Floods Hit Parts of Palm Beach County

Palm Beach County Emergency Operations Center

The flooding left behind by heavy overnight rainfall in parts of Palm Beach County is more than just a nuisance that closed schools and blocked roads.

Now, it has caused two deaths.

The Palm Beach Postreports that a 56-year-old woman drowned after accidently driving her car from a flooded street straight into a canal.  A 90-year-old man died after he fell into a canal while out for a walk. 

Assistant County Administrator Vince Bonvento says the county's emergency operations center swung into action as early as 9:00 p.m. Thursday, when the National Weather Service reported that excessive rains might plunge parts of the county into flash flood conditions.

"We're asking people to use common sense and stay off the road.  There are still a lot of roads that are flooded," says Bonvento.

As much as 22 inches of rain fell overnight in some parts of Palm Beach County, making roads impassable and shutting down huge stretches of southbound and northbound I-95.  As a result, Palm Beach County schools were closed today. 

Emergency Operations officials say the worst hit areas seem to be the western parts of Boynton Beach and Delray Beach.

If you need flood assistance, please call the Palm Beach County Emergency Operations Center at 561-712-6400.

Christine DiMattei is WLRN's Morning Edition anchor and also reports on Arts & Culture.
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