FLORIDA -. South Florida is recovering this Friday from rains that left never-before-seen accumulated water levels in areas such as Fort Lauderdale and other parts of Broward County.
The rains that started Sunday in South Florida did not stop throughout Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and even continued Thursday afternoon in the most affected areas, however until Friday morning no fatalities had been reported by the storm or serious injuries.
Like this Friday, Thursday dawned clear but in the afternoon it started to rain again intensely in the area affected by this almost stationary front over southeast Florida, as defined by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM).
FDEM deployed personnel to support local efforts, including gathering information to be able to assess the damage caused by the storm, which left hundreds of families affected, flooded and impassable streets and isolated neighborhoods.
As of Thursday, public schools in Broward have been closed and classes suspended due to the storm, and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport remained closed until Friday at 9 a.m.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for Broward County following historic flooding.
This Friday, Dean Trantalis, mayor of Fort Lauderdale, the city hardest hit by the rains, indicated that after the declaration of emergency, they had received support from the state, the Federal Management Agency of Emergencies (FEMA) and nearby cities, as well as Miami-Dade County with trucks, machinery and rescue teams.
The company that provides electricity in the state, FPL, also activated its emergency teams and special trucks managed to enter the affected areas to restore service where it had been lost.
Around 40 people were treated at the Red Cross reception and family reunification centre, located in Holiday Park.
Fort Laurdedale firefighters had responded to a total of 250 emergency reports, according to the midday report.
The city explained that there are still areas heavily affected by flooding, as shown in images from Telemundo 51. Teams are investigating to assess the severity of flooding in each neighborhood to determine actions.
The flood response is focusing on three key areas, according to the mayor: critical infrastructure, roads and communication routes, and neighborhoods.
There are currently 18 trucks equipped with pumps to evacuate water from flooded communities. The city has requested additional trucks to work faster before the rains that could fall on Friday afternoon.
One of the concerns about flooding is possible drinking water contamination, but the city clarified that “the city’s drinking water system is a sealed system and there is no contamination from flood waters”.
Danie Beach communities remain underwater this Friday, making it impossible for low-level vehicles to enter or exit.
RAIN RECORD
The Miami National Weather Service reported 25.91 inches of rain at Fort Lauderdale International Airport on Wednesday, far exceeding the previous record of 14.59 inches set in 1979.
Additionally, 18.16 inches were reported in Hollywood, 17.30 inches in Dania Beach, 15.06 inches in Plantation, and 14.58 inches in Lauderhill.
It didn’t just rain in Broward, which includes Fort Lauderdale, and Miami-Dade counties; there was also hail, gusty winds throughout the affected area and two tornadoes hit Broward on Wednesday, causing light damage, according to the weather service.