MIAMI.- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport will remain closed until at least Friday at 5 a.m., authorities confirmed Thursday morning.
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.
For his part, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis signed a local emergency proclamation due to the effect of the rains on the city, which was affected by flooding.
The local emergency declaration comes as a National Weather Service flood advisory is in effect until 12:00 p.m.
In the terminal, hundreds of passengers had been in the facilities since Wednesday, waiting to find out when flights would resume, while the runway presented a huge void, mainly in the take-off and landing area.
Emergency management teams are working continuously to respond to rescue calls and the rains are forecast to continue this afternoon.
Airport authorities are asking passengers and people with travel plans to check with their airlines and not come to the terminal on Thursday as they will not be able to enter and could impede the work of emergency crews in neighboring areas.
This Thursday morning, several streets remained impassable in Fort Lauderdale and should remain so for a few hours. Classes throughout Broward County have also been suspended.
The city of Fort Lauderdale has declared an emergency due to the effects of the rains.
Fort Lauderdale firefighters have been warning since Wednesday that the city is ‘experienced severe flooding in several areas of the city’, so they are urging people to ‘stay off the roads and stay home unless in absolute need”.
Authorities warn that the flying debris could be dangerous for homeless people. Mobile homes could have damaged or destroyed roofs, windows and vehicles.
The Telemundo 51 helicopter toured the areas most affected by the rains.