Intense rains that stalled over Central Florida unleashed nearly 20 inches (508 millimeters) of rain in 24 hours, triggering dangerous flash floods that stranded cars and inundated roadways, leaving some closed to traffic into Monday.

Forecasters said the colossal amount of rain dropped on parts of Florida east and north of Orlando was comparable to what the region saw from a hurricane in 2022, underscoring the state’s vulnerability to extreme weather far beyond the tropical storms that brew offshore.

“This is very significant rainfall. I mean, this is the type of numbers that we haven’t really seen since Hurricane Ian,” said Zach Law, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s office in Melbourne, Florida.

Parts of Eustis in Lake County were inundated with 19.7 inches of rain, w

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