TALLAHASSEE – Florida emergency management officials are urging residents to use caution as heavy rains associated with a low pressure system located near Florida’s west coast may produce localized and urban flooding conditions in the Florida peninsula on Wednesday and Thursday.

"Never underestimate the power of water, it only takes a foot of moving water to push a car off the road," said State Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate. "If you find yourself approaching a flooded area, it is always best to turnaround, don’t drown."

Rainfall totals during the past 24 hours in portions of central Florida have ranged from two to five inches. The weak low pressure center that has created heavy rains in the peninsula during the past few days may linger over central and north Florida through Thursday. Additional rainfall amounts in excess of 2 inches are expected this afternoon with higher totals possible in localized areas.

Most deaths from flooding in the United States are due to people driving their cars into flooded areas. For pedestrians, just 6 inches of fast-moving floodwater can knock a person off their feet. "When in doubt, stay safe and back out," added Director Fugate.

State officials are also watching another well-organized tropical wave moving through the central Atlantic Ocean could become the Atlantic season’s third tropical depression during the next 24 hours. This tropical disturbance is moving quickly westward near 25 mph and will affect the Windward Islands later today and tonight. This system is forecast to move through the Caribbean Sea through the upcoming weekend and could develop into a tropical storm.

All 67 counties in Florida operate a local emergency management program and the Florida Division of Emergency Management coordinates preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation programs with the local operations and the federal government.

For more information on disaster preparedness and to GET A PLAN, please visit; www.floridadisaster.org.