Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency proclamation for South Florida on Wednesday night following a day of bad weather that resulted in significant rainfall and flooding in the area.
Parts of Miami-Dade and Broward counties experienced flash flood warnings as multiple inches of rain fell in a single hour, submerging streets and causing traffic jams.
Tuesday saw record-breaking 3.93 inches of rain fall in only one hour in the city of Sarasota. At Miami International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airports, the rain forced ground pauses, resulting in delays that surpassed seven hours.
The governor’s office released a statement stating that DeSantis had declared states of emergencies for the counties of Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade, and Sarasota due to the extreme weather and flash floods.
Along with the communities of Dania Beach and Sunny Isles Beach, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis also declared states of emergency earlier in the day.
At least forty rescues were carried out by police and fire departments in Dania Beach.
Because South Florida’s drainage system is inadequate, periods of intense rain have continued to flood low-lying communities.
Emergency personnel had to pull at least one driver out of floodwaters in Lee County, which is located on the Gulf Coast. In Martin County, further north, there may have been a tornado that downed trees and powerlines.
With additional rain predicted this week, the storms are a component of a stalled system that has pounded Florida, pouring a month’s worth of rain in just one day.
Up until 10 p.m., Miami-Dade and Broward counties were under a flood advisory. Additionally, a rare flash flood emergency was issued by the National Weather Service for parts of northern Miami-Dade and southern Broward County. The emergency ended around 8 p.m.
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Broward and Miami-Dade also received a flash flood warning.
The people were advised to “move to higher ground now!” by the National Weather Service. This is a potentially fatal circumstance that is exceedingly risky. Unless you are escaping a location under an evacuation order or one that is experiencing flooding, do not attempt to travel.”
Officials at FLL reported at least 261 flight cancellations and 166 delays on Tuesday, while MIA reported at least 221 cancellations and 165 delays as of yet.
Before their flight to Edmonton, Canada, for Game 3 of their Stanley Cup Final series, the Florida Panthers experienced a three-hour delay at FLL.
Pump trucks are either in position or on their way to regions that have flooded and require them, according to officials from South Florida.
Due to flooding on the highway, a portion of I-95 in Broward County was closed.
There have been reports of power outages throughout South Florida, and some traffic signals have been impacted, exacerbating the already dangerous driving conditions for motorists.
As of Tuesday night, according to Florida Power & Light, around 8,900 customers in Miami-Dade County and roughly 1,900 more in Broward County were without power.
Instead of calling the police right away, law enforcement was advising drivers in need of a tow to, if at all possible, call tow truck businesses first.
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Forecasters predict that South Florida will continue to see this wet, stormy weather pattern through the rest of the workweek, with the tropical moisture starting to wane by the weekend. As a result, the area will become slightly drier, but storms will still be possible, but less frequently.
In the last 24 hours, there has been almost 7 inches of rain in Miami Beach, 6 inches in Hallandale Beach, and slightly more than 5 inches in Hollywood, North Miami, and Coral Gables.
The 4 to 6 inches of rain that poured on Tuesday significantly reduced Broward’s rainfall deficit and flattened Miami-Dade County’s gap.
Forecasters warn that there is still a chance of flooding and that 4 to 8 inches more may fall over the following four days.
Reference: CBS
