“I’ve NEVER seen anything like this,” wrote Tampa-based meteorologist Jeff Berardelli about the event, which was so rare that it had a recurrence interval of more than 1-in-1,000 years in some areas — and it could be a sign of what’s to come as the state braces for an unusually active winter thanks to El Niño. On Monday afternoon, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) declared a state of emergency for seven counties in the eastern and central part of the state that were hit hardest by the multiday deluge.