PALM BAY, FL (The Palm Bayer): Mayor Rob Medina opened the city’s November 2 flood press conference with the scale of it. “The unusual amount of rain that we got here in the city of Palm Bay, over 18 and a half inches, has devastated our community,” he said. The Weather Service storm summary measured 24.10 inches near Malabar and 20.60 inches near Palm Bay. His message never changed: “We’ve had our roads washed out, so our main message is shelter in place. Please, all Palm Bay citizens, shelter in place.”
Water
The break is a water main break along Port Malabar Boulevard NE. Utilities Public Information Officer Christina Born’s Monday release said service was shut off inside the highlighted area of the city’s map, and flooding made repairs unsafe.
Her 6:32 AM update today expanded the affected area. Some customers inside it now have water and some remain without it. Every customer inside the highlighted area of the updated map is under a Precautionary Boil Water Notice, whether or not their service was interrupted. Drinking, cooking, ice, brushing teeth, and dish water goes to a rolling boil for at least one minute. The notice stays until testing confirms the water is safe and the city rescinds it.
The map that runs with this section is that updated map, showing the hatched boundary for the Port Malabar line break between Turkey Creek and US 1. Check your address against it.
The city’s updated affected-area map for the Port Malabar water main break, between Turkey Creek and US 1. (City of Palm Bay Utilities update, Nov. 3, 2026)
Crews are waiting on the water. The mayor: “We got a force main break that’s busted. It’s four feet in water, and we can’t send our professionals to go and fix it at this time. So once the water recedes, we’ll be able to do a lot more assessment and work on those details.” The city gave no repair timeline, and asked for patience while crews work to restore service safely.
Roads
As of the 8:41 AM update cycle, the traffic alerts board held 25 records. Eleven are official, from Melbourne’s November 3 update: ten segments closed and one partially closed. The other 14, including every Palm Bay segment, are carried as reported on November 2, status unconfirmed. With no city road by road list published, every Palm Bay segment rests on November 2 reports until the city or residents confirm it.
Because the list moves, this article does not print it. The current list is the live Palm Bay traffic alerts page, updated as closures are verified or lifted.
Neighborhoods and damage
Two neighborhoods remain cut off, in the mayor’s words: “Fairhaven and the Palm Bay Estates are totally inaccessible.” The Port Malabar damage is the road itself. He said roads in the Port Malabar sections “have been completely washed out,” and those roads stay closed until crews can assess them. He also said Melbourne-Tillman has crested over its banks, as well as Turkey Creek. That is the mayor’s statement, with no gauge confirmation in the record.
Rescues ran all day Monday. Sheriff’s deputies helped more than 100 people, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission made more than 60 rescues. The mayor said crews evacuated several people with the city’s three high water trucks, and the city has requested two additional ones from the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Bass Pro Shops provided four boats, with operators, for the evacuations. FOX 35 reported about 20 evacuees brought to Palm Bay City Hall.
On trains, the mayor said: “All trains, all Brightline trains, all trains have stopped. They will not be using that corridor.” What the operators confirm is narrower: Brightline suspended Orlando service, through 8:30 PM today per FOX 35, with inspections required before resumption.
No shelter was open in Palm Bay as of the press conference. Asked about shelters, the mayor said: “Negative.” He said the city is working with Brevard County to open shelters it badly needs. By Monday evening, a Red Cross shelter had opened at Parker Memorial Missionary Baptist Church in Cocoa. City Hall was a meeting point for evacuees, not a shelter.
What happens next
Both boards meet this week, and the flood is not on either agenda. The Planning and Zoning Board meets Wednesday, November 4 at 6:00 PM and the City Council Thursday, November 5 at 6:00 PM, both in Council Chambers, with no cancellation notice found. Read from the archived agendas: no flood, water main, road repair, emergency, or Aquatic Center item appears on either one. Wednesday is the Three Forks final development plan plus a by-laws amendment. Thursday carries the Three Forks and Emerald Lakes hearings, a budget amendment, and a board appointment. Its Utilities Director presentation is a reclamation facility update, not a flood briefing as titled. If the flood is raised, it will be under reports or public comment.
The state order behind the response is reported to run 60 days. Governor DeSantis signed Executive Order 26-227 on November 2, covering Brevard and six other counties. Price gouging protections are in force in Brevard for its term, and tolls may be waived for emergency movement.
Some Palm Bay voters are voting somewhere new on Election Day. Under the order, the Supervisor of Elections’ polling location changes moved precinct 320 from EFSC Palm Bay to Franklin T. DeGroodt Memorial Library, and precinct 517 from Faith Baptist Church to Palm Bay City Hall Council Chambers. Supervisor Tim Bobanic said: “For the safety and security of our election workers and the voters of Brevard, it is necessary to relocate a couple of precinct polling locations due to these unprecedented circumstances.”
Who to call
Public Works comes first, and the form comes before the phone. For non-urgent problems, a blocked street, drainage trouble, debris, a washed-out shoulder, the service request form on the city’s website is the preferred route: it opens a tracked ticket, and it keeps the phone lines clear for urgent hazards. For urgent hazards, call Public Works customer service at 321-952-3437. The daytime reporting hotline is 321-952-3438.
Water. Water service and boil water questions: Palm Bay Utilities, 321-952-3420.
Trash. Republic Services has suspended all trash, recycling, and bulk waste collection for Tuesday, Nov. 3, the city said in its Nov. 2 update. If your regular collection day was Monday, Nov. 2, your next scheduled collection is Thursday, Nov. 5, pending safe roadway conditions. Tuesday customers: collection is suspended for Nov. 3, and an updated schedule will be shared when available. Keep carts secured and away from flooded areas, and do not enter floodwater to move a cart. Pickup questions: Republic Services, 321-989-6030. Billing and start or stop questions go to Utilities at 321-952-3420.
Power. Power outages and downed lines: FPL, 1-800-468-8243.
Police. Police non-emergency: 321-952-3456. Emergencies: 911.
City Hall’s main line is 321-952-3400.
This story is also published at The Palm Bayer.
