PUNTA GORDA, Fla. - Heavy rain from Subtropical Storm Alberto capitalized the already wet month of May. Officials with the National Weather Service are now calling it the wettest May on record for parts of Southwest Florida, including Punta Gorda and Fort Myers.
Punta Gorda has seen more than 13 inches of rain so far this month. A remarkable feat considering the City typically sees less than 3 inches during the month.
Parts of the area saw 3 inches of rain just on Wednesday. The additional rain left nowhere to go.
A sign on Gulf Course Blvd Wednesday read ‘Road Under Water as ditches along the road overflowed into some people’s driveways.
Meanwhile, Fairway Drive between Rivera Drive and Sunset Blvd were closed for the afternoon and part of the evening due to localized flooding.
Officials also closed Prarie Creek Preserve until further notice due to the excess rainfall. Officials say it’s unusual to close the Creek this early in the season. Last year, they didn’t have to close the Creek until August.
“We’re not even big into the season yet. This is the beginning,” said Rodney Roberts, a lifelong Charlotte County Resident. “If the rain doesn’t stop, we’re going to have some big problems,” he added.
The excess standing water is also the perfect breading ground for mosquitos. County officials say they’ve increasing spraying measures to try to keep the mosquito population under control.
