Fort Lauderdale faces the possibility of more rain as devastating floods force hundreds of residents to seek shelter in emergency shelters.
South Florida has received unprecedented amounts of rain in some sectorsprimarily in Fort Lauderdale, in Broward County, leaving some areas with extensive flooding and damage that will affect residents of that region over the next few days.
To understand what happened to the amount of rain that has fallen in the past few hours, according to preliminary information from the National Weather Service, A total of 25.91 inches of rain was recorded in Fort Lauderdale through Thursday morning, far beating the previous record of 14.59 inches set in 1979.
In addition, 18.16 inches were reported at Hollywood, 17.30 inches at Dania Beach, 15.06 inches at Plantation and 14.58 inches at Lauderhill. Coconut Grove has had the most rainfall in the last 24 hours, totaling 13.15 inches.
Experts estimate that almost a third of the annual precipitation fell in one day and they left more than 635 millimeters of water in the city of 180,000 north of Miami in 24 hours, according to a report by the United States Weather Service. The value also surpasses the local record of 370 millimeters from April 1979.
Florida has the right topography, lots of warm water nearby and other favorable conditions, said Greg Carbin, chief of forecasting at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Center for Weather Forecasting.
Rainfall in Ford Lauderdale, Fla. breaks US records Photo: AFP
What was parked over Fort Lauderdale last Wednesday was what they call “a supercell, a type of thunderstorm capable of spawning tornadoes and hail and sweeping across vast plains and the Middle South in a rapid but short path of ferocious destruction.” they said meteorologists.
There is a risk of thunderstorms this Friday, especially in the afternoon and early evening. The storms can bring heavy downpours to local areas but are not expected to be as severe as the walls of rain that hit the city this week.
Fort Lauderdale was hit by another round of rain Thursday night, exacerbating flooding conditions, city officials said.
“Roads that were passable today are flooded again. We urge everyone to stay off the streets if possible,” Fort Lauderdale city officials said.
The warning came as about 600 residents were in shelters Thursday night, the city said, where they can access shelter, food and other necessities.
The aftermath of the flooding also forced Broward County Public Schools to cancel classes for the second straight day.
In addition to responding to hundreds of rescue calls Thursday, crews in the greater Fort Lauderdale area have been working to clear drains and deploy pumps where possible to help alleviate the effects of flooding.
In Hollywood, Fla., Mayor Josh Levy said his city has seen more than 12 inches of rain in areas that have had “apparently continuous rain” for days straight.
“The ground was already saturated, so there is extensive flooding in our city and throughout South Florida. Many roads are impassable. Many vehicles got stuck and were left in the middle of our streets.
“I’ve lived here all my life. This is the worst flooding I’ve ever seen,” he said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for Broward County to provide additional resources for crews and local residents.
(With information from CNN, Telemundo and NBC)