Historic Deadly Storm Flooding, Rescues: Over 21 Inches, 23 Hrs.

“Historic” flooding has claimed at least one life in Florida’s panhandle late Tuesday – the latest fallout from a monster weather system that has killed at least 35 people in five other states.

States of Emergency: ‘Extremely dangerous and life-threatening’

Tornado watches were issued in four states early Wednesday, as the slow-moving monster  continued bringing high winds and thunderstorms to the Deep South.

Over 21 inches of rain fell in a 23-hour period in Pensacola, Fla., washing away bridges and closing mile after mile of highways across the region. Over five inches fell on Pensacola in a single hour, between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. CT (10 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET) Tuesday, according the National Weather Service.

“That’s more than the city got in the whole of Hurricane Ivan,”Weather Channel meteorologist Kevin Roth said.

Shawn Reynolds ‏@WCL_Shawn sent the NEW PIC: to Twitter with the tweet, “Flooding reaches door knob INSIDE home in Pensacola, FL. Family rescued by FD [via Lydia Toenes] #FLwx 

Escambia County spokesman spokesman Bill Pearson said reports of a second fatality were “unconfirmed.” Emergency officials described this being the worst flooding they had seen in 30 years.

The rainfall is ”most likely” record-setting, but a suspected lightning strike has knocked out Pensacola’s NWS reporting station, so that cannot be confirmed.