Nearly a foot of rain fell in a matter of hours in Fort Lauderdale – causing widespread flooding, the closure of the city’s airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service for the Broward County region.
The city of Fort Lauderdale released a statement Wednesday evening urging residents and visitors to stay off the roads until the water has subsided.
“Police and Fire Rescue continue to answer calls for service,” the statement said. “Public Works staff are clearing drains and operating pumps to mitigate the water as quickly as possible.”
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for Fort Lauderdale and other areas will run into pre-dawn hours Thursday as the chance of thunderstorms continued across the region, warning: “This is a life-threatening situation. Seek higher ground now!”
There have been no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.
Up to 14 inches had fallen across the area through Wednesday and the National Weather Service said another 2 to 4 inches were possible as a warm front continued to push northward, bringing a chance of thunderstorms.
Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy told CNN that the area already had seen days of rain. “The ground was already saturated so there is extensive flooding all over our city and throughout South Florida. Many roadways are impassable. Lots of vehicles got stuck and left abandoned in the middle of our roadways,” Levy said. “I’ve lived here my whole life. This is the most severe flooding that I’ve ever seen.”
More than 22,000 customers in Florida were without electricity Wednesday night, according to poweroutage.us.
All Broward County Public Schools with be closed Thursday, the district tweeted, adding “All afterschool activities, events, and extracurricular activities are also cancelled tomorrow.”
Wednesday’s relentless showers prompted the airport, one of the largest in the region, to suspend all arriving and departing flights, the airport tweeted around 4:15 p.m.
At around 5 p.m., the airport announced it shut down ground transportation shuttle service in response to recurring tornado warnings and ongoing heavy rainfall.
The main roadways entering and exiting the airport were flooded and impassable, the airport said around 5:15 p.m.
“Please do not attempt to enter or leave the airport at this time,” it warned.
Airplanes sit on the runway due to flooding at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood airport Thursday, April 13, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Nearly a foot of rain fell in a matter of hours in Fort Lauderdale – causing widespread flooding, the closure of the city’s airport, all public schools and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service. (Joe Cavaretta /South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
Airplanes sit on the runway due to flooding at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood airport Thursday, April 13, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Nearly a foot of rain fell in a matter of hours in Fort Lauderdale – causing widespread flooding, the closure of the city’s airport, all public schools and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service. (Joe Cavaretta /South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
Travelers are left stranded at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood airport, Thursday, April 13, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Nearly a foot of rain fell in a matter of hours in Fort Lauderdale – causing widespread flooding, the closure of the city’s airport, all public schools and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service. (Joe Cavaretta /South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
Travelers are left stranded at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood airport, Thursday, April 13, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Nearly a foot of rain fell in a matter of hours in Fort Lauderdale – causing widespread flooding, the closure of the city’s airport, all public schools and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service. (Joe Cavaretta /South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
City of Miami Community Response Team Member Eddy Hernandez uses a shovel to scoop debris from a drain following heavy rain at the Bay of Pigs Memorial Park on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Miami, Fla. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP)
Exit 2 off of the MacArthur Causeway floods over the road and onto the sidewalk during a rain storm, Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Miami. A torrential storm bought heavy showers, gusty winds and thunderstorms to South Florida on Wednesday and prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service in the region.(Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald via AP)
A surfer walks at the Bal Harbour Lighthouse on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Bal Harbour, Fla. According to the National Weather Service, rip current risk remains in effect until Thursday evening. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)
Cars go through the flooded road cause by heavy rains at North Bay Rd and 179th Dr. in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., Wednesday, April 12, 2023. A torrential storm bought heavy showers, gusty winds and thunderstorms to South Florida on Wednesday and prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service in the region.(David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)
A haze sets over the city during a rain storm, Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Miami. A torrential storm bought heavy showers, gusty winds and thunderstorms to South Florida on Wednesday and prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service in the region.(Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald via AP)
A group of people in raincoats walk east along Hollywood Blvd. in the pouring rain on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 in Hollywood, Fla. A torrential storm bought heavy showers, gusty winds and thunderstorms to South Florida on Wednesday and prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service in the region. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
Waves crash against the jetty at the Bal Harbour Lighthouse on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Bal Harbour, Fla. Rip current risk remains in effect through until Thursday evening. David Santiago(/Miami Herald via AP)
Cars plow through a flooded 14th Avenue, Wednesday, April 12, 2023 in Hollywood, Fla. A torrential storm bought heavy showers, gusty winds and thunderstorms to South Florida on Wednesday and prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service in the region. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
A truck drives through flooding in Little Haiti during a rain storm, Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Miami. A torrential storm bought heavy showers, gusty winds and thunderstorms to South Florida on Wednesday and prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service in the region.(Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald via AP)
A tow truck goes through the flooded road cause by heavy rains at North Bay Rd and 179th Dr. in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., Wednesday, April 12, 2023. A torrential storm bought heavy showers, gusty winds and thunderstorms to South Florida on Wednesday and prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service in the region.(David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)
Broward Sheriff's Office deputies direct traffic away from the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which has closed to all flights and traffic on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
A car goes through the flooded road cause by heavy rains at North Bay Rd. in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., Wednesday, April 12, 2023. A torrential storm bought heavy showers, gusty winds and thunderstorms to South Florida on Wednesday and prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service in the region.(David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)
A Broward Sheriff's Office Deputy directs traffic away from the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which has closed to all flights and traffic on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
A school crossing guard helps people cross the street in the pouring rain at Dania Elementary School Wednesday, April 12, 2023 in Dania, Fla. A torrential storm bought heavy showers, gusty winds and thunderstorms to South Florida on Wednesday and prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service in the region. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
A car pulls into a parking garage on 25th street during a rain storm, Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Miami. A torrential storm bought heavy showers, gusty winds and thunderstorms to South Florida on Wednesday and prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service in the region.(Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald via AP)
A woman sits at a bus stop on Biscayne Boulevard during a rain storm, Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Miami. A torrential storm bought heavy showers, gusty winds and thunderstorms to South Florida on Wednesday and prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service in the region.(Alie Skowronski/Miami Herald via AP)
A gHollywood beach is empty during heavy, Wednesday, April 12, 2023 in Hollywood, Fla. A torrential storm bought heavy showers, gusty winds and thunderstorms to South Florida on Wednesday and prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service in the region. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
A tow truck goes through the flooded road cause by heavy rains at North Bay Rd and 179th Dr. in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., Wednesday, April 12, 2023. A torrential storm bought heavy showers, gusty winds and thunderstorms to South Florida on Wednesday and prompted the closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service in the region.(David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)
City of Miami police officer Ryan Dreseris helps direct traffic in heavy rain before the start of an event at the Bay of Pigs Memorial Park on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in Miami. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP)
A man stops to take pictures of his flooded neighborhood along SW 3rd Street and SW 4th Ave in Dania Beach, Fla., on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)
It said airport operations would restart once the weather improves in the Fort Lauderdale area.
The heavy rains also prompted South Florida’s high-speed commuter rail service to shut down. Brightline posted on Twitter Wednesday evening that train service between Miami and Fort Lauderdale was suspended.
The National Weather Service in Miami declared a flash flood emergency around 8 p.m. Wednesday for Fort Lauderdale, along with the areas around Hollywood and Dania Beach. A short time later, forecasters issued a tornado warning for nearby Davie, Plantation and Lauderhill.
Video taken by witnesses showed water coming in the door at an airport terminal and a virtual river rushing down the tarmac between planes.
On Broward Boulevard, a man was seen swimming to the curb on the flooded street at rush hour as cars rolled by.
Drivers recorded themselves rolling through streets where brown, swirling water was up to the wheel wells or nearly to the hood of cars.
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