Here’s why downpour in Florida just wouldn’t stop

By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer

Fort Lauderdale’s 25 inches of rain is a case of a strong thunderstorm not knowing when to say when. Normally storms fizzle out after 20 minutes or they move on. But Wednesday’s supercell didn’t. It poured for six to eight hours and was continuously fed by the nearby Gulf Stream. Other conditions also lined up. One more factor that put this week’s storm into the top three to hit major U.S. cities in a 24-hour period: the atmosphere in our warming planet can hold more moisture that comes down as rain.