ABC News (US), on Climate, 3 November 2026

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2 dead, hundreds rescued amid severe flooding in Florida

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Two people were killed -- one of whom died in a vehicle -- and hundreds of others were rescued since Sunday as a storm brought severe flooding in Palm Bay, Florida, according to Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina. The deceased victims have been identified by Florida officials as Joshua Bennett, 34, and Archie Richards, 78 Emergency crews rescued hundreds of people from flooded areas using boats and special high-water vehicles, Medina said in a press conference Tuesday.

In this screen grab from a video posted to social media, a truck travels through flood waters in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Nov. 3, 2026. Port St. Lucie Police Department Workers from A1 Moving move a voting machine out of Magnolia Park Town Hall polling precinct after flooding in the parking lot forced them to move to another location during the US midterm election in Magnolia Park, Fla., on Nov. 3, 2026. Greg Lovett/USA Today Network via Reuters Some homes suffered major damage.

One family reported that 38 inches of water had filled their living room, Medina told reporters. "That is devastation within our city," Medina said. Officials warned that flooding could continue even after the rain stops because water may take several days to drain. They urged residents to stay away from flooded roads, fast-moving water and downed power lines. Related Election 2026 live updates: Americans cast their votes FWC officers have deployed to St.

Lucie County to conduct rescue operations and assist residents affected by this week’s . Florida Fish & Wildlife Flooding has also affected other parts of Florida, including St. Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties. State officials said they are working with local leaders to determine how much damage the storm caused. A low-pressure system over the Gulf led to continuous onshore flow over the Florida peninsula on Sunday and Monday.

ABC News . Popular Reads Learjet with 9 aboard crashes in Palm Beach County, Florida: FAA Nov 1 Captain identified after deadly Florida Learjet crash 2 hours ago 2 college students found dead after going missing while hiking, police say Oct 29 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says it rescued more than 60 people in Brevard County on Monday.

After heavy rain caused flash flooding across Brevard County, OCSO’s High Water Rescue Team deployed to the Melbourne area on Nov. 2, 2026, working into the early morning hours to rescue trapped residents. Orange County Sheriff's Office, Florida Related New York state reports 1st measles-associated death in over 30 years Area schools have been closed and polling stations have been relocated, according to officials. Persistent onshore flow will keep scattered showers along Florida's east coast on Tuesday, with additional rainfall of 1 to 2 inches, with locally 3 to 5 inches or more, possible.

In this screen grab from a video taken on Nov. 2, 2026, a student released off the school bus walks in thigh-deep flood waters in Port St Lucie, Fla. Tina Gamez-Elieson Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins visited Palm Bay to see the damage and meet with families affected by the flooding. He thanked first responders and residents who helped their neighbors during the emergency. "This is heartbreaking. When you talk to citizens who literally just moved here, from Louisiana, got set up, got settled — everything they own is wrecked.

It’s a huge loss," Collins said.

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What we found (1)

ABC News reports two deaths, hundreds of rescues and up to 2 feet of rain in Florida, calls the flooding catastrophic and explains it only as a low-pressure weather system. It never tells the reader that warming makes heavy rainfall like this more frequent and more intense, although it reported on the warming planet days earlier.

  1. Leaves out the climate link

    Serious

    “Up to 2 feet of rain fell in southern Brevard County on Sunday and Monday, leading to catastrophic flooding of streets, homes and businesses”

    Why this matters
    ABC News gives the scale of the rain, up to 2 feet in two days, and calls the flooding catastrophic, but says nothing about why such downpours are becoming more common.
    The impression it gives
    A reader takes this as a freak weather event with no connection to a warming climate.
    The context
    Human-caused warming has made heavy rainfall more frequent and more intense. The article contains no word on climate or warming, although ABC News reported on the warming planet days earlier.

    How we know

    Show it in the article

    “historic rainfall and flooding”

    Why this matters
    ABC News, quoting the wildlife agency's post, calls the rainfall historic and leaves it there.
    The impression it gives
    A reader learns the rain was record-scale but gets no hint that record rainfall is part of a wider trend.
    The context
    The outlet's own earlier report said the county was near the state's one-day rainfall record. Warming is loading the dice for extreme rainfall of exactly this kind, and the article never says so.

    How we know

    Show it in the article

    Written straight

    Up to 2 feet of rain fell in southern Brevard County on Sunday and Monday, leading to catastrophic flooding. Climate change is making extreme downpours like this more frequent and more intense.

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