City staff told the Boca Raton City Council on Oct. 27 that an unusually intense rainfall event beginning the evening of Oct. 26 overwhelmed some surface drainage but that the city's stormwater system “functioned exactly how it is designed,” and crews have been removing stranded vehicles and clearing drains since overnight.

City Manager Sohaney said the storm produced localized totals up to “probably 6 or 7 inches” in the southeast corner of the city and that Public Works and other crews were on site through the night and the next morning to remove vehicles and assist motorists. He said initial counts included about 80–100 vehicles needing assistance overnight, reduced to about 25–30 as the morning progressed.

Deputy Public Works staffer Zach Beer gave a technical briefing and described the event as unusually intense. Beer said, based on local gauge data and composite mapping from the South Florida Water Management District, averaging about 7 inches across roughly 5,006 acres produced an estimated billion gallons of water over two hours. He emphasized the role of swales (vegetated roadside depressions) in local stormwater capture and said piping every swale would not necessarily improve outcomes because of the region’s high groundwater table.

Public safety and service numbers: Sohaney reported about 950 police calls and about 100 Fire Rescue calls associated with the storm overnight; roughly 60 police calls were storm‑related. He said there were no reports of “significant injuries” and, as of the meeting start, no reports of water intrusion into residences.

Operational updates and contact points: Staff said crews coordinated with the South Florida Water Management District and the Lake Worth Drainage District, noting operation of city pumps and lowered canal gates to manage flows. The city provided a Public Works hotline, (561) 416‑3430, for clogged storm drain reports and another number, (561) 416‑3402, for stormwater service requests. Staff also urged residents to sign up for text and email alerts at myboca.us.

Next steps: The city plans to produce an after‑action report by the end of the week to document lessons learned and will review nearby jurisdictions' responses for possible adjustments. Staff said routine maintenance and county permit obligations (NPDES MS4) continue and that the city will pursue neighborhood‑level interventions such as swale restoration and selective infrastructure work based on the updated assessments.

Ending: Councilmembers thanked first responders and city crews and urged residents to avoid flooded roads and to use city alert systems for updates.