Everything from This Week in Palm Bay Episode 31 in one place: what the gauges measured, what is still closed, which phone numbers and forms to use, and the ten steps to take in the order you need them.
Editor’s note: This article was written on November 8, 2026, and reflects the information available on that date. The flood recovery is moving quickly and conditions will change. This article will not be updated; it stands as the record of what was known when it was written.
The Record
Between 7:00 AM on Sunday, November 1, and 9:00 PM on Monday, November 2, gauges measured 20.60 inches of rain near Palm Bay and 24.10 inches near Malabar. Melbourne’s official total was 11.04 inches.
City officials describe more. At the Thursday, November 5 council meeting, the storm was put at roughly 30 inches, and City Manager Matthew Morton called it a one-in-1,000-year event, citing the National Weather Service. Those are the city’s figures, stated here as the city states them, and they are separate from the gauge measurements above.
Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on November 2 under Executive Order 26-227 for Brevard and six other counties. Executive Order 26-228, signed November 4, expanded it to 14 counties. Fair Haven and Palm Bay Estates were cut off completely. Mayor Rob Medina’s words at the November 2 press conference: “totally inaccessible.”
Rescue counts come from different responders and measure different things. They are not one number:
Palm Bay Fire Rescue high-water rescues: about 95 to 110.
All responders together: more than 160.
Sheriff’s deputies helped more than 100 people.
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers made more than 60 rescues.
Two Palm Bay men died in this flood: Joshua Bennett, 34, and Archie Richards, 78.
The storm also broke the water system, beginning with a water main break on Port Malabar Boulevard NE. The water story is covered in step five below, and it ends better than it started.
The Damage Count
On Thursday night, November 5, the City Council heard the first full damage count.
Failed canal crossings: four neighborhood crossings failed and remain closed: Caballero Boulevard, Ellington Street, Everglades Street, and Britain Boulevard. Emergency repairs on those four alone run about $3 million. Drivers are pushed onto Emerson Drive and DeGroodt Road.
Fallon Boulevard: the only road into about 50 homes, it washed out. The city’s contractor had it temporarily reopened within about a day.
Restoration: road and bridge restoration across the city is estimated at $10 million to $15 million. The Florin Pond baffle box will cost about $3 million to replace.
City losses: the city lost 16 vehicles, and its $1.4 million fleet replacement fund is essentially gone. The $2 million stabilization fund is going to round-the-clock police and fire overtime.
Household damage: by the Friday, November 6 recovery sessions, about 2,000 Space Coast residents had registered flood damage. Those reports matter beyond the count itself (see step one).
Permits: the first flood repair permit of this event, an interior demolition at 898 Doat Street Southeast, was issued Friday, November 6.
Still Rising, Still Closed
River status
The St. Johns River near Cocoa is under a Flood Warning, in effect until further notice. At 10:15 AM on Sunday, November 8, the river stood at 17.0 feet against a flood stage of 16.0 feet. Moderate flooding is occurring, and major flooding is forecast for Sunday or into this week. The National Weather Service expects the river to hold steady above flood stage, at about 16.9 feet. At 17.2 feet, water enters homes in the Lake Poinsett area west of Cocoa, low-lying homes in Rockledge’s Silver Pines subdivision, and Cocoa’s Shakespeare Park area, and Providence Road becomes impassable. The next National Weather Service statement is due Monday at 11:30 AM.
Road closures
This is the verified closure set from the city’s November Flood Event page (stamped November 6, 5:00 PM), with no changes logged on the Palm Bayer Traffic Alerts board through Sunday, November 8, 1:43 PM.
Closed
Port Malabar Boulevard, west end: closed from Briar Creek Boulevard to Apollo Boulevard.
Breakwater Street Southeast.
Indian River Drive.
Ixora Avenue Northwest.
Ellington Street crossing, Bluefields to Brickell.
Everglades Street crossing, Starland to Vantage.
Brittan Boulevard bridge, Brantly to Collins.
Partly open
Port Malabar Boulevard, east end: eastbound is fully open (both lanes), westbound has one lane.
Temporarily open
Fallon Boulevard.
Kent Street.
One caveat on the record: Caballero Boulevard is in the closure set on the November 5 council record only. It is not on the city page’s crossing list, and the Traffic Alerts board could not check Brevard County Emergency Management in its Sunday runs.
The full, current list lives on the Traffic Alerts page.
What Help Exists
SHIP Disaster Relief. On November 5 the council directed staff to activate the SHIP program’s Disaster Relief Assistance Strategy: about $1 million in unencumbered state housing funds, redirected to low and moderate income homeowners and renters hit by the flood. Applications opened at the city’s November 6 sessions. To apply, call the Palm Bay resident hotline at (321) 726-5683.
The damage report. Brevard County collects reports through its CrisisTrack damage self-report form. The form is not an application for assistance. It is the damage count, and the count is the documented need behind a governor’s request for a federal declaration. File it even if insurance covers your loss. Businesses report damage through the same form.
The federal position. There is no federal disaster declaration for this flood, and no FEMA assistance is open. City officials at the November 6 sessions said a declaration requires presidential sign-off. As of Sunday, November 8, there is no declaration and no announced governor’s request. The damage reports are part of what would change that.
211 Brevard. The county’s disaster information line. Dial 211, or text your ZIP code to 898211. Brevard County Emergency Management: (321) 637-6670.
Volunteer cleanup. The Brevard Volunteer Connection Portal matches flooded households with volunteers, at no cost, for removing mud and debris, damaged furniture and flooring, and wet drywall. One request per household. The help is free and not guaranteed.
Shelter. The American Red Cross shelter is at Wickham Park Senior Center, 2785 Leisure Way, Melbourne, FL 32935. It is the only shelter named in this coverage. The Red Cross helpline is 1-800-733-2767 (1-800-RED-CROSS).
Permit fees. The city is waiving building permit fees for residential flood-related repairs. Building Department: (321) 953-8924, permitinfo@palmbayfl.gov.
Business help. Businesses report damage through the county CrisisTrack form above. SBA disaster loan information is at sba.gov/disaster. FloridaCommerce recovery resources are at floridajobs.org/disaster-recovery.
Friday’s sessions. The city held two Flood Recovery Information Sessions on Friday, November 6, at City Hall and the Tony Rosa Community Center, where SHIP applications opened. They were held, and they were not broadcast. Some listings may still show them.
How to Get It, in the Order You Need It
1. Report your damage. Use the county CrisisTrack form. It takes your address, a description of the damage, and photos. Insured or not, your house goes into the count that every other decision reads from. It is a damage report, not an assistance application.
2. Make one call: 211. Dial 211, or text your ZIP code to 898211. It routes shelter, food, supplies, and cleanup help. Brevard County Emergency Management is at (321) 637-6670.
3. Cleanup. The Volunteer Connection Portal takes one request per household. The help is free and not guaranteed, so file early. 211 Brevard is the phone route.
4. Housing money. For SHIP funds, ask how to apply on the Palm Bay resident hotline: (321) 726-5683. Also send high water marks and structural damage notes, regardless of insurance status, to the City Floodplain Administrator at michael.hussion@palmbayfl.gov.
5. Your water: the good news. Palm Bay’s boil water notices are over, all of them. Every notice from the flood event was rescinded as of November 8. The two notices had separate histories:
The first followed the Port Malabar Boulevard breaks and covered 2,008 services at its widest. Most of it was lifted Thursday, November 5, and the final eight address ranges were rescinded Sunday, November 8, after a satisfactory bacteriological survey. Those ranges were 801 to 899 Vance Cir NE; 2606 to 2699 Yalta St NE; 2614 to 2699 Sabrina St NE; 609 and 653 Roberts Ln NE; 703 to 799 Apollo Cir NE; 1950 to 2062 Port Malabar Blvd NE; and 799 Burman Ln NE.
The second came from a separate water main break in southeast Palm Bay on Friday, November 6, covering 16 streets: Hollow Brook Ln, Brookshire Cir, Oak Tree Pl, Falls Trl, Holloway Trl, Steeplechase Cir, Briar Run Cir, Pemberton Trl, Absaroka Ln, Nome Ln, Sitka Ln, Barrow Ln, Knave Ln, Country Cove Cir, Oak Harbour Ln, and Corey Rd. It was also rescinded Sunday, November 8, after service was restored and testing showed the water is safe to drink.
No boil water notice is in effect anywhere in Palm Bay, and no Palm Bay customer needs to boil water. Palm Bay Utilities: (321) 952-3410, after hours (321) 952-3478. City Utilities: (321) 952-3420.
6. Your battery. A flood-reached lithium battery, in a car, EV or hybrid, boat, camper, e-bike, scooter, or golf cart, can ignite hours, days, or even weeks later. Do not start it, drive it, or charge it. Keep it outdoors, at least 50 feet from buildings. If you see smoke, sparks, or hear strange sounds, call 911. Get a dealer inspection before reuse.
7. Your car. If the police towed your flood-disabled vehicle, call Palm Bay Police Communications at (321) 726-2400 with your tag number and where you last saw the vehicle.
8. Trash and debris. Yard waste collection is suspended for the weeks of November 2 and November 9. If you are waiting on a replacement cart, you may place bagged household trash curbside on your scheduled bulk collection day. Lost carts go to Public Works at (321) 952-3437. There is no Republic Services collection on Wednesday, November 11, Veterans Day.
9. Get help in person. On Tuesday, November 10, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, Liberty Park holds its Grand Re-Opening and Community Flood Relief Night at 895 Carlyle Avenue SE, Palm Bay. It is one event with dual billing: the park’s re-opening, with its new multipurpose rink, doubles as a community flood relief night. City and Recreation staff will be there, with Jay’s Music Academy as a partner.
10. Mark the date: Thursday, November 19. The council takes up an emergency ordinance that would let displaced residents park a recreational vehicle on their own property while their homes are repaired.
Protect Yourself
Price gouging. Protections are in force under the Governor’s emergency order, Executive Order 26-227. The Florida Attorney General’s Price Gouging Hotline is 1-866-966-7226.
Towing. The police investigation into flood towing and storage fees is open, an opinion has been requested from the Attorney General, and the county sets most of those fees. If the fees are found to be price gouging, the case could become criminal. If you already paid, keep your paperwork. You may have recourse.
Contractors. The city’s guidance: get multiple written estimates, never pay the full amount upfront, do not sign contracts with blank spaces, and be wary of door-to-door “special disaster repair deals.” Permits are required for many repair jobs.
The Week Ahead
Flood decision points. The river holds at flood stage into the week. The federal declaration question is open. The council’s next flood decision point is Thursday, November 19.
Facilities. The Palm Bay Aquatic Center (reopened November 5) and the community centers are open. Closed until inspected and cleared: Driskell Park, Grapefruit Trail, Ted Morehead (Lagoon House), Turkey Creek Sanctuary, the Goode Park pier, dock and boat ramp, the Pollack Park docks and boat ramp, Castaway Point Park (entire park), Ais Trail, and all athletic fields. Saturday’s Veterans Day Parade, November 7, was cancelled because of flood damage along Port Malabar Boulevard.
The rest of the week’s news, in one paragraph.
Amendment 3 passed statewide, with 61.99 percent Yes.
Palm Bay’s Charter 3.062 question (Ordinance 2026-20) passed with 64.69 percent and carried all 16 precincts.
House District 33: on the first unofficial returns, Daniel R. McDow leads incumbent Monique Miller by 289 votes (0.4 percent of more than 75,000 cast). The machine recount runs Tuesday, November 10, at 9:00 AM at the Election Support Center, 525 N. John Rodes Blvd, Melbourne. If the machine recount margin falls to 0.25 percent or less, a manual recount follows Wednesday, November 11, at 9:00 AM, continuing through November 12 if necessary. Second unofficial returns are due 3:00 PM on November 12. Nothing is final until certification on November 17. Details from the Brevard Supervisor of Elections.
Three Forks was continued to the January 7, 2027 council meeting.
If your home flooded, start with the damage report, then make the 211 call.
This story is also published at The Palm Bayer.
